Charity Number 507253
Chads Youth Theatre to start 10th September 2021
Age range for membership is 14 to 18* inclusive
We are really excited to get our young members back to theatre and this is a great
opportunity to reinvigorate Chads Youth with some fresh ideas and opportunities for our
young members. Chads Youth Theatre will deliver an exciting artistic programme and
provide opportunities for the Youth Theatre members to get involved in a range of new
projects from devised work to established scripts, comedy to drama, contemporary plays to
timeless classics.
We have engaged a new, very experienced, Tutor who owns and runs her own Stage School.
Carmel Bird. Carmel is also a member of Chads and will oversee greater integration and
involvement of the Youth Theatre into the mainstream activities of Chads. We believe it is
important for the Youth Theatre members to feel a part of the Chads family and to get
involved in other areas of Chads’ activities, all properly supervised, of course. Places are
limited and will be on a first come first served basis.
Why choose Chads Youth Theatre?
Unlike a lot of drama groups Chads Youth Theatre will be part of a living and thriving theatre with opportunities to get involved in different aspects of a working theatre.
Our Youth Theatre members will be getting professional acting tuition with a structured programme not just drama games. See Carmel ’s biography below.
Chads Youth Theatre will follow the academic calendar and run three terms a year with a different focus for each term. Carmel will provide engaging weekly workshops which focus on acting techniques, voice, movement and character development so that our young members can develop their confidence and performance skills.
We have fantastic facilities. Chads Youth Theatre productions will have the benefit of a comprehensive wardrobe department, set design and construction by the Chads stage team, computerised sound and lighting rig.
We have also refurbished our bar and foyer to enhance the audiences’ enjoyment of an evening at the Theatre
Rehearsal take place in our air-conditioned studio theatre
A Midsummer Nights Dream. The fairies entertain Bottom
Our Youth Theatre members will have multiple opportunities to perform
There will be a full -length play performed on the main stage in our 145 seat air-conditioned auditorium which will include all of the Youth Theatre members.
As well as the full -length play in March we will offer other opportunitie s such as:
· one act plays
· entertainment evenings
· devised and scripted productions
· rehearsed play readings
· video projects
· involvement in theatre festivals and opportunities to try out new styles of theatre and performance. Rehearsals will take place in our air-conditioned Studio Theatre.
All activities will take into consideration the commitment that our young members have to their school and college studies, and events will be arranged to avoid exam times.
Benefits of the Youth Theatre for young people
Lord of the Flies
The Youth Theatre is a safe environment which will:
1. enable young people to develop their resilience – to make mistakes when they are rehearsing but with practice and determination to get better and better and achieve what they set out to do.
2. enhance young people ’s skills by developing their creativity, imagination and analytical skills and helping them to recognise the value of co-operation through working with other people on a drama project
3. improve young people’s mental wellbeing by building their confidence and self -esteem through improved concentration, language, communication and social skills
4. And especially in these times: The Youth Theatre will help young people to recover from the impact of Covid-19 by giving them the long-awaited opportunity to get out, away from their computer screens, to be with other young people in a safe environment and to make new friends and expand their experience
Youth Theatre membership Fees:
We believe the fees are great value for money and are highly competitive with similar drama schools. Our aim is to provide a serious youth theatre for children who are really interested, motivated and involved and believe the fees offer great value for money. We are limiting places to twenty (20) if Government Guidance allows. If social distancing is still in place in September then places will be limited to twelve (12) which may not cover all of our costs but we are committed to getting Chads Youth Theatre up and running and so will bear any loss if we have to for this first term. Hopefully later terms will not be restricted.
Membership will be on a strictly first come first served basis.
The fee is £90 per term per student payable in advance of the term starting. First term is due to start
10th September.
There will be 10 two-hour workshop/rehearsal sessions each term equating to £9 a session / £4.50 per hour for quality drama tuition. Workshops will be on a Tuesday night from 6pm to 8pm.
To register your interest please send the following info to
youththeatre@chads.co.uk
Include the applicants name and date of birth, the parent or guardian’s name, postal and
email address.
Thank you for your interest in Chads Youth Theatre.
Our Youth Theatre Tutor / Director – Carmel Bird
Carmel first trod the boards at Altrincham Garrick over 40 years ago and has since been involved in many theatrical projects all over the North West.
She studied Drama as a mature student at Chester University, working with all aspects of practical theatre and went on to perform with a professional theatre company, her favourite production being an avant-garde adaptation of Strindberg’s ‘Miss Julie’.
She subsequently toured northern universities with a Liverpool-based theatre company, performing and leading workshops, and then went on to teach A ’ Level Drama at Xaverian College in Manchester. More recently Carmel has taught Acting Styles and Techniques at the Laurus Academy Schools.
Carmel has always had a strong commitment to youth drama working with local and national drama schools. She has a wide range of practical experience and has directed and choreographed many youth productions including drama, comedy, popular musicals and Shakespeare plays.
Throughout all this Carmel has maintained her own involvement in theatre and has acted in over 50 productions and directed adult productions for several theatres.
Carmel also works as a drama adjudicator for the GMDF, adjudicating Full Length and One Act Festivals.
Chads is run entirely by volunteers who pay a subscription to take part in the running of the theatre and putting on plays. Whilst performances on stage are central to what Chads does there are many more, less glamorous, activities needed to maintain the building’s facilities and staff the offstage roles during a play. All these roles are carried out with great pride and joy by our members.
At its core Chads is about community and friendship. All are welcome to join
Happy band of workers pre-Covid
Win-Win with Chads Theatre and "Your Theatre Lottery"
Chads Theatre Company has signed up with Your Theatre Lottery to raise funds. Your Theatre Lottery was launched in summer of 2020 to allow theatre lovers all over the country the chance to support local theatres and associated good causes, whilst having a chance to win thousands of £s in prizes.
We all hope that you and yours are well and safe.
A key question facing every theatre at present, professional or amateur, is when we shall be able to stage live performances again with the constraints of “social distancing.”
Our current view on the “re-start” date could move (forward or backward) depending on progress fighting the virus and Government advice
We will be monitoring the Government guidance very carefully and will react to any beneficial changes. Our aim is to get live theatre up and running at Chads as soon as we can always bearing in mind the safety and well-being of our members, patrons and friends.
Stay Safe and we hope to see you back at Chads as soon as we safely can.
The loss of earnings from the cancelled productions has hit us hard in the pocket having already spent over £320,000 in the last two years renewing the roof but let me reassure you that we are financially viable and can, with good financial discipline, weather this period of uncertainty and come back stronger than before. We think of our members and audience as our extended Chads Family. Times like these can bring out the worst in people but mostly they bring out the best in people and I am sure that will be the case with our Family. If you would like to support Chads please take a look at the easyfundraising site by using the “Fundraising” button to donate to Chads at no cost to you when you shop on-line. I will be launching other fundraising initiatives in due time but for now our thoughts are with anyone who is suffering at this time.
Take care and stay safe.
Steve on behalf of Chads Theatre Executive
We are very grateful to the passers by on the footpath who have donated plants to us. Many have said how much they like and enjoy the improved and now colourful appearance of the borders. There is more work for our volunteers to do whilst social distancing to keep the newly reclaimed ground weed free, and recovering the remaining 50ft of wild ground.
Thank you all.
Chads Gardening Team
