Estate-based Youth Theatres
We have been providing high quality open access youth theatres on estates in Hackney since 1998. The programme has engaged thousands of participants who do not traditionally have access to arts opportunities. All our sessions are free, inclusive and open to all.
Our Model
This established model aims to help participants develop improved interpersonal skills, artistic abilities, and emotional health & wellbeing, which has been endorsed by the Centre for Youth Impact as having a significant impact on young people. The projects are delivered within a community context and help to build community cohesion.
We currently provide eight regular youth theatres on Estates across Hackney, delivering weekly after-school sessions and running holiday projects. We offer accreditation for participants, which include AQAs, and regularly submit young people for achievement awards. Several of our projects also provide people with hot food or refreshments.
We also run a weekly programme, which provides support for young people moving from Primary to Secondary school - further information can be found at the bottom of this page.
Current Programme - Open Your Ears!
This year’s social action project Open Your Ears! gives young people the chance to raise their voices and have their say on the issues they care about. Our groups will develop a social action piece across the term, using creative mediums including dance, drama, photography, music and audio, and present their work at a borough-wide competition event in March 2022. The project is AQA accredited.
Download project flyer:
Details of each of our groups can be found below - for further information or to join one of our groups, contact Charmain on 07525892953 or email gavin@immediate-theatre.com.
Session Information
We are currently running eight weekly youth theatres across the borough of Hackney for young people from ages 5-25, including a dedicated session for young people with disabilities on Monday evenings.
NIGHTINGALE YOUTH THEATRE (Ages 8-11)
MONDAY 3.45 - 5.15pm
Nightingale Luncheon Social Club, 19 Olympus Square, Hackney, E5 8PL
HUDDLESTON YOUTH THEATRE (Ages 12-25 with SEND)
MONDAY 6 - 8PM
St Barnabas Homerton, High Street, Hackney, E9 6DL
KINGSMEAD YOUNGERS YOUTH THEATRE (AGES 5-9)
TUESDAY 3:45 - 5:15pm
Kingsmead Community Centre, 9A Kingsmead Way, Hackney, E9 5QG
Kingsmead Olders Youth Theatre (Ages 9-13)
TUESDAY 5.30 - 7.00pm
Kingsmead Community Centre, 9A Kingsmead Way, Hackney, E9 5QG
Wally Foster Youth Theatre (Ages 12-18, up to 25 with SEND)
WEDNESDAY 5:25 - 7:15pm
Wally Foster Community Centre, Homerton Road, Hackney, E9 5QB
Pembury Youth Theatre (Ages 8-12)
THURSDAY 3:45 – 5:15pm
Pembury Community Centre, Dalston Lane, Hackney, E8 1FA
Forest Road Youngers Youth Theatre (Ages 5-12)
FRIDAY 4.00 – 5:30pm
Forest Rd Youth Hub, 29 Forest Road, Hackney, E8 3BY
Forest Road Olders Youth Theatre (Ages 12-18, up to 25 with SEND)
FRIDAY 6 – 8pm
Forest Rd Youth Hub, 29 Forest Road, Hackney, E8 3BY
Stepping Up Transitions Programme
Stepping Up is a weekly programme for young people moving from Primary to Secondary school. The project began with online workshops in August 2020, aiming to ease the transition for young people who find this period in their lives overwhelming, confusing and anxiety-inducing. The weekly sessions continue throughout the school year to provide ongoing support for participants across their first year of Secondary school. From January 2022 we will be delivering live sessions, before merging the group into our regular EbYT offer.
If you’re currently in Year 7, come along to free weekly sessions every Thursday evening from 5.00-6.15pm at The Edge Youth Hub, Woodberry Down.
These sessions will run from 13th January - 10th February 2022 and the group will then become part of our regular EbYT offer, open to ages 11-14.
For more information on the project please contact Eleanor via eleanor@immediate-theatre.com
