Empower Youth Theatre Encounter: Creativity for All, offers a transformative residential experience where young people with disabilities and/or other barriers for participation engage in fun, artistic, skill-building and social activities over three days.
What is Empower Youth Theatre Encounter: Creativity for All?
Empower Youth Theatre Encounter: Creativity for All is safe and welcoming environment for young people ages 12-17 to explore their creativity, learn new skills, and build connections with like-minded young people from youth theatres across Ireland to help develop their social, artistic, and personal development.
Workshops foster confidence, self-expression, teamwork and a chance to flourish alongside their peers. In addition, participants have opportunities for informal social interactions and a host of planned activities.
By bringing together young people from diverse backgrounds and abilities, Empower Youth Theatre Encounter: Creativity for All promotes inclusivity and fosters a sense of belonging within the youth theatre community.
The event empowers participants to realise their creative potential, break down barriers, and inspire positive change both within themselves and in their broader communities.
When and Where?
- 10 Affiliated Youth Theatres took part.
- Youth Theatres brought maximum of 4 young people ages 12 -17. 38 young people took part in 2025.
- Each Youth theatres brought 2 leaders.
- Some parents or primary care givers attended to support the needs of their own young person*
- A full three 3 day residential from July 7th -9th
- Leaders took part in training weekend on May 23rd - 25th at Maynooth University. This training utilised the existing resource ‘A Handbook for Youth Theatre Facilitators; Supporting Young People on the Autism Spectrum’ created in 2020 through a partnership project between Youth Theatre Ireland and AsIAm.
*In the case of parents coming to specifically look after their own children, they did not have to be Garda vetted. Their responsibilities lay only towards their own children, and they would not have leadership responsibilities for other members of the group.
What Supports Were Available For Youth Theatres To Take Part?
- All meals, accommodation, and all activities are provided free of change on-site, ensuring that all participants have equal access to the experience regardless of their financial circumstances.
- Travel expenses for all participants and leaders were covered.
- Bursaris were available for leaders to attend and support their members.
- Accommodation and lunch costs for the training event covered by Youth Theatre Ireland.
This project was made possible through the very generous support of the RTÉ Toy Show Appeal grant from Community Foundation Ireland.
RTÉ Toy Show Appeal: Impact Report
Young lives in every county are being transformed everyday thanks to the continuing generous response of viewers to the RTÉ Toy Show Appeal. It is a remarkable tribute to the magic of The Late Late Toy Show that this generosity continues even against the backdrop of a cost of-living crisis.