Located just two doors down from the Market Place theatre, the building, a former Ladbrokes, has been transformed to create a space designed specifically to house the Corn Exchange’s expanding Get Involved programme.
At the heart of the Learning Centre will sit the Corn Exchange’s new Youth Theatre. Classes start week commencing Monday 18 September, and there are groups for anyone aged 4 – 19, from reception, right up to Sixth Form and college.
Here, in age specific groups, young performers of all abilities and interests will have the opportunity to make new friends and learn new performance skills with the support of professional theatre practitioners.
Each term its members will create showcase sharings for parents, as well as producing large-scale biennial performances for the Corn Exchange stage, with the support of a fully-professional creative team.
Corn Exchange director, Grant Brisland, said: “What will make our Youth Theatre unique is the opportunity for young people to work with professional theatre makers to create large scale productions.
“Whilst this is a great learning experience in itself (and a chance to perform in a professional and respected theatre) it also enables young people to learn the importance of commitment; the benefits of working collaboratively with a range of different people; public speaking skills as well as many other vital life skills.”
The Youth Theatre will be openly accessible, and there will be no audition process; each class will be limited in numbers to ensure members receive the best possible learning experience, and registration will work on a first come, first served basis.
The Learning Centre will also become home to many of the other workshops and courses offered in the Corn Exchange’s ‘Get Involved’ participation programme from dancing and massaging, to photography and flower brick workshops.
For more information, and to sign your child up to join the Youth Theatre, click here.
For further information about how to ‘Get Involved’, click here.