• Review For Us
    • In London or across the UK
    • at Edinburgh Fringe
  • List Your Show
  • Advertising
  • Musicals
  • Plays
  • Ballet & Dance
  • Previews
  • First Look
Theatre Weekly
  • Home
  • News
    • West End
    • Off-West End
    • Regional & Tours
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Digital Theatre
  • Tickets
    • Discounts
    • Musicals
    • Plays
    • Opera
    • Dance
    • Concerts
  • Edinburgh Fringe 2025
    • Edinburgh Fringe News
    • Edinburgh Fringe Previews
    • Edinburgh Fringe Interviews
  • Contact Us
    • Join us as a Reviewer
No Result
View All Result
Theatre Weekly
  • Home
  • News
    • West End
    • Off-West End
    • Regional & Tours
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Digital Theatre
  • Tickets
    • Discounts
    • Musicals
    • Plays
    • Opera
    • Dance
    • Concerts
  • Edinburgh Fringe 2025
    • Edinburgh Fringe News
    • Edinburgh Fringe Previews
    • Edinburgh Fringe Interviews
  • Contact Us
    • Join us as a Reviewer
No Result
View All Result
Theatre Weekly
No Result
View All Result
Home Interviews

Interview: Paul Roseby OBE on The National Youth Theatre’s HUB

"we knew it was time to drastically reduce our fees to all young people who will need our unique offer now more than ever before"

by Greg Stewart
February 19, 2021
Reading Time: 5 mins read
Paul Roseby NYT c. Helen Murray

Paul Roseby NYT c. Helen Murray

Paul Roseby OBE joined us to talk about the National Youth Theatre’s Hub, a new, accessible subscription service in replacement of audition fees.

As well as an audition or interview to become a NYT member, the Hub subscription includes a new online platform that will give users access to live and pre-recorded workshops with actors and online resources for only £2 a month or £24 for the year. The new £2-a-month model represents a 48% reduction from last year in the cost of joining the company.

Young people can subscribe to the new scheme here

       

Towards the end of last year you launched The Hub, what can you tell us about it?

The Hub is an online subscription that opens up access to everything our creative community at National Youth Theatre has to offer and anyone aged 11-26 can sign up today. From interactive industry workshops to opportunities to make work with other young creatives and network, the Hub is designed to help young people crack the code. It provides immediate access to the creative industries to young creatives anywhere in the UK and attempts to lift the perceived mystery and barriers. It’s just £2-a-month to sign up with bursaries and fee waivers available and also includes an acting audition, backstage interview, training courses and much more.

Tell us more about some of the fantastic resources that are available?

At National Youth Theatre we learn by doing it and we’ve got some inspiring practical sessions including Rosamund Pike on how to film a self-tape, dramatist James Graham on how to start writing and director Prasanna Puwanarajah on taking an idea from page to page. The Hub also offers creative leadership and inclusive practice training, online showcases curated by young talent and weekly meet-ups where you can ask for advice and meet collaborators. There’s at least two Q&As with leading industry voices a month that you can take part in live, and you can also access all content afterwards on-demand

You mightalso like

Storyfest 25 NYT Portraits credit Helen Murray

StoryFest Returns to National Youth Theatre with Expanded Line-Up and Industry Support

Photo by Ellie Kurttz for National Youth Theatre

National Youth Theatre and Netflix host free Birmingham workshops for young filmmakers

How does the Hub change your audition process?

We first trialled digital auditions before the pandemic right at the start of 2020 and even though we were auditioning at 90+ venues around the UK, we found that digital auditions helped us reach young people we couldn’t otherwise. This year we’ve gone 100% digital due to the pandemic with a first round self-tape submission and a second interactive round on Zoom. After the lockdowns have ended we’re envisaging a hybrid process that offers digital options and the chance to be in the room so people can choose what suits them and is most accessible.

This is a brand-new pricing model, what was it that drove the change?

The financial challenges any arts charity faces during and post this pandemic are without precedent, and we are sadly no exception. Despite this we knew it was time to drastically reduce our fees to all young people who will need our unique offer now more than ever before. Over the last two years hundreds of young people have auditioned for free through our Auditions Access Fund, fee-waivers and bursary scheme, but we understand that price can still be a barrier. At £2-a-month the Hub offers great value, makes us more accessible than ever and I’m proud that we’re the first youth arts organisation to offer this model.

Does it feel like a risk for the National Youth Theatre, or an opportunity?

The pandemic gave us a choice to hibernate the organisation or increase activity to connect and support young people who are suffering with isolation, disruption to their education and challenges to their mental health. We chose the latter and the success of our online engagement over the past 12 months, reaching over 17000 young people and 10 million audience members, was a catalyst to opening up our opportunities to a wider audience through the Hub.

How do you hope to encourage more people to join?

We’re working with lots of great partners to reach new audiences with the Hub including TikTok, Sky and English Heritage. We’ve also partnered with 10 organisations rooted in communities around the UK through the Auditions Access Fund, thanks to support from our brilliant NYT Patron and alumnus Hugh Bonneville. It includes partners in all four nations of the UK, Black Ticket Project for a second year running and a new partnership with Backstage Niche, who we’re working with to encourage more young people from ethnic backgrounds currently underrepresented in the industry to apply for backstage roles. I hope The Hub will offer accessible support, connectivity and hope to young creatives. They are the future.

       
Greg Stewart

Greg Stewart

Greg is an award-winning writer with a huge passion for theatre. He has appeared on stage, as well as having directed several plays in his native Scotland. Greg is the founder and editor of Theatre Weekly

Related Articles

Storyfest 25 NYT Portraits credit Helen Murray
News

StoryFest Returns to National Youth Theatre with Expanded Line-Up and Industry Support

Photo by Ellie Kurttz for National Youth Theatre
News

National Youth Theatre and Netflix host free Birmingham workshops for young filmmakers

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande Credit Helen Murray
News

Wicked stars Cythia Erivo and Ariana Grande vist National Youth Theatre

Photo by Tom Arber for National Youth Theatre
News

National Youth Theatre Announce Biggest Ever Round of Free Nationwide Auditions

Comments 1

  1. Alan Halliday NYT 1968-73 says:
    4 years ago

    Please put me on your mailing list for present and future information about the NYT. Michael Croft said he accepted me for the NYT because he thought the NYT could ‘do something’ for me and it certainly did! I am certainly not a rich man but I can donate artwork for auction fund-raisers or for Christmas card fund-raisers and I have done this, usually for hospital charities, in the past. Good wishes, and happy memories.

    Alan Halliday.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Twitter Facebook Youtube Instagram

At Theatre Weekly we give theatre a new audience. You'll find our theatre news, theatre reviews and theatre interviews are written from an audience point of view. Our great value London theatre tickets will get you the best deal for your theatre tickets.
Theatre Weekly, 124 City Road, London EC1V 2NX
  • Join Our Community
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact Us
  • Advertising

Recent News

Jude Kelly headshot (Credit Ellie Kurttz)

The WOW Show with Jude Kelly Announces Star-Studded Line-Up for Edinburgh Festival Fringe

The Enormous Crocodile image supplied by publicist

The Enormous Crocodile The Musical Announces Major 2026 UK Tour

© 2022 Theatre Weekly

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Tickets
  • Digital Theatre
  • News
    • News
    • West End
    • Off West End
    • Regional & Tours
    • Digital
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
  • Edinburgh Fringe 2025
    • Edinburgh Fringe News
    • Edinburgh Fringe Previews
    • Edinburgh Fringe Interviews
  • Contact Us
    • Join us as a Reviewer

© 2022 Theatre Weekly