YOUNG ACTORS' THEATRE ISLINGTON
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Mission Statement
Our mission is, "To make North London a happier and more equitable community using accessible, high-quality performing arts education." Young Actors Theatre Islington (YATI) is predominantly a community theatre, that also has elements of a drama school and talent agency in London with 800+ members aged 4-24 years old, registered as a charity since 1974. Set in our own building in Islington, we manage one teaching space that converts into a 100-seater "black box" theatre. We offer over 54 hours of high-quality drama, singing and dance classes per week at our premises. We also deliver a 36 week professional acting foundation course, and public productions. We believe in offering the same professional drama training to everyone regardless of their financial ability to pay. We offer affordable classes at £10 per class with 60% discounts for families in receipt of benefits, and 100% subsidised places for the most disadvantaged. We are a team of highly qualified arts managers, with 15 freelance teachers, who are industry professionals also teaching at Shakespeare’s Globe, LAMDA and RADA.
About This Cause
95% of our members are ethnically diverse, aged 5-24 years old with the majority being greatly disadvantaged, representative of Islington’s demographic. We deliver projects for local schools, Pupil Referral Units, and youth clubs. 30% of our members gain paid employment in film, TV and the West-End through our professional agency. The main outcome for everyone is receiving high-quality education in professional performing arts skills, that significantly increases teenagers' capacity to communicate and to learn, to relate to each other, as well as making them more likely to vote. Therapeutic results, such as increased self-confidence, come as a secondary outcome from engaging in classes, plus working hard, and developing a professional attitude. Audition experience is an outcome for 30%, paid employment for 20%, regular paid employment for 10%, and professional level careers for 2% of our members. YATI has existed overlooking Barnard Park since 1974, as the Anna Scher Theatre when Islington saw a decline in industry, a rise in unemployment and the borough was deprived in the main. In the 1980’s and 1990’s YATI was renowned for training working class young people to become actors for TV, when there was very little for young people in Islington to do. Significant levels of child poverty remain in the borough, alongside middle income and higher income families making Islington a very unequal place to live in. Mixing all the young people together in a culturally open environment improves their personal ‘world view’ which can be equally narrow at opposite ends of the economic spectrum. YATI currently charges those who can afford classes to maximise our income, and cross-subsidises classes for those who prove financial hardship; so that we do not exclude anyone from accessing high quality arts and culture. “Stage door” will increase the catchment to young people who may not have otherwise mixed socially; which will contribute to improving contact and connections between residents of Islington.