LEEDS 2023: Free acting course & performance opportunity for young people

LEEDS 2023 has partnered with National Youth Theatre, Leeds Playhouse and Compass Collective to provide a free ten-day acting course for young people across Leeds and West Yorkshire. Everyone who has completed the course will get to take part in a large-scale immersive outdoors performance about climate change later in September, as a part of a LEEDS 2023 signature event. They will also receive a NYT membership with access to casting auditions for NYT Productions at leading theatres around the UK as well as film and TV, creative leadership training, industry-led workshops, and Q&As. 

There are three ten-day courses to choose from depending on  availability; they are the same in content, and they just take place on different days.

For young people seeking asylum, they have the option to enrol in the course run in association with Compass Collective, who support approximately 150 young people a year, from twelve locations in the UK, and offer a platform for cultural sharing and celebration. They can of course choose the other courses, but this option is available should they want it.

We're currently taking applications for the course, which is open to:

Anyone based in West Yorkshire aged 17-25 (they must be 17 by 1 Aug)
Anyone based in West Yorkshire who identify as disabled and/or neurodiverse, aged 17-30

Applications require a short video or voice recording, no longer than three minutes long, which includes the applicant reading from their favourite book/play/film/poem. Applications close Sun 26 March 2023.

After passing the first stage, applicants will be invited to a group audition taking place either:

Sat 29 April
Sun 30 April

We're especially encouraging applications from people who have no prior experience in acting - we would love to see lots of passion, and we don't want anyone to think they're not good enough for it. Thus, if anyone needs help with the video or voice recording, we're holding a pop-up audition tape hub on 14 Mar at the LEEDS 2023 office. They can book a slot on our application page here.

Further information about auditions, acting courses, rehearsals and performance schedules can be found on our webpage here.