LYT Artistic and Educational Policy

Limerick Youth Theatre (LYT) seeks to give its members training and experience in theatre and related arts to the highest possible artistic standard. To this end, LYT will:

  1. Be artist-led, with the Artistic Director as head of organisation (CEO)
  2. Engage honestly and directly about artistic subjects and media with members and participants.
  3. Listen to members’ creative ideas, offer constructive criticism and guide members’ in carrying out the work of realising their ideas.
  4. Identify individual and group strengths and adjust programme to best showcase members’ talents.
  5. Keep abreast of movements in youth culture and developments in new media and “underground” art, making programming both relevant and exciting to members.
  6. Be original and innovative in programming.


Productions
  1. LYT works as an ensemble and scripts are chosen accordingly. If there are “lead roles” then the Director will devote equal time and attention to the chorus and double up small parts.
  2. LYT productions are original works or new directions in the classics.
  3. LYT end-of year productions vary from year to year in order to give each member the opportunity to work on two radically different shows.
  4. LYT will encourage members’ to write and devise their own work rather than staging plays that are written by adults for young people
  5. Guest Directors work closely with members and encourage their full contribution to the artistic process.
  6. LYT does not produce propaganda, e.g. promotions for businesses or government health/social campaigns.
  7. LYT does not censor scripts on the grounds of offensive content if there is a solid artistic motivation for the content.


Education
LYT delivers its training through a workshop/production system of weekly workshops during the academic year and a production during the summer months.

  1. The First Year workshop terms are devoted to Theatre History, Performance and Production. The Second Year programme involves at least two terms in which the group develop and produce a small-scale work in performance, film or radio.
  2. LYT Workshop Leaders and Guest Directors are selected on the basis of their practice and artistic career to date. They will be professional artists and workers rather than teachers.
  3. The job of the Workshop Leader / Guest Director is to communicate ideas and techniques in an enjoyable manner to the entire group.
  4. Workshops are action- rather than word-based. Any scripts used will be brief and printed with 1.5 spacing on off-white coloured paper to facilitate dyslexic members. Workshop Leaders will be informed privately of members with poor reading skills.
  5. Workshops involve feedback and members are encouraged to discuss each others’ work in an honest and constructive manner.
  6. LYT does not offer qualifications such as FETAC as workshops are intended to be fun and free from the academic constraints members are under in school.
  7. LYT encourages members to pursue careers in theatre and the arts, academically and/or practically according to their skills.
  8. LYT provides guidance and useful references for members who wish to research workshop/production subjects further.
  9. LYT will offer members the chance to practise auditions for college/professional theatre/film with a professional director.
  10. The Artistic Director will give references for members’ applying for work or college courses, whether the application is for theatre or non-theatre work/college course.