Now over 25 years old, Activate Youth Theatre is a creative, vibrant, and energetic space for young people aged between 10 and 18. The participants’ creative, artistic, personal, and social skills are developed through weekly workshops with professional facilitators. The workshops are aimed at developing a range of skills for members including performance, writing, movement, design and production. Based at Graffiti Theatre Company in Blackpool, Cork, Activate supports three youth theatre groups: Activate Junior (ages 10-12) Activate Pre-Senior (ages 13-15), and Activate Senior (ages 15-18). Activate is committed to providing high quality, accessible arts experiences, and opportunities for young people from all walks of life. You can also visit their Facebook page here.

Breaking Barriers Theatre Group was established in 2018 by the Crann Centre in Ovens, Co. Cork as a fun, collaborative theatre programme that supports children, teenagers and adults with neuro-physical disabilities to develop their confidence through drama.

Breaking Barriers is a space to socialise & work on emotional development & communication. Drama uses play, story, imagination, improvisation and creative thinking to bring performance to life. An important part of Crann’s Social Capital service, Breaking Barriers is now an established programme that nearly 150 clients have participated in.

Group meet-up’s are held weekly in Crann’s fully accessible centre in Ovens. As well as weekly classes & outings during term, there is a big show to prepare for culminating in our groups delivering live performances at the end of term.

There are three groups, children, youths (teenagers) & adults running two terms per year, starting in September and running until June, and it’s all led by the brilliant Lead Facilitator Donna O’Keeney, with support from Ciara O’Neill and Aisling O’Kane.

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Castletownbere Youth Theatre’s aims to provide weekly workshops and performance opportunities that respond to the needs and interests of young people; to be accessible to all in Beara including the most marginalized members of our community.

Castletownbere Youth Theatre (CTBYT) is for young people aged 10-17 years so they can grow up in an area where there is now a link with the theatre to increase opportunities to access the arts.

Contributing to the young people’s artistic, social and personal development this out of school recreational activity also brings families and visitors together for youth-led performances.

We operate a junior youth theatre group (10-12) and senior youth theatre group ( 13-17). We enjoy performance, script-work, improvisation, movement, writing, dance and singing with the guidance of multidisciplinary, trained facilitators.

To date we have had a variety of specialist theatre workshops and outings to some fantastic productions. CTB YT offer benefits-an opportunity to play, humour, laughter and learning. Creative thinking skills are high on most employers’ wish lists and always valued by industry. Think ahead!

Glengarriff Youth Theatre Group (GYTG) is a branch of the Glengarriff Theatre Group (GTG) and was formed in 2011. Traditionally young people were included in GTG’s annual December pantomimes, and the Youth Theatre Group was instituted to allow help young people develop their theatrical abilities year-round. Glengarriff Youth Theatre Group members are responsible for all aspects of production not just acting. They are responsible for set design, stage management, sound design, and lighting design, showcasing the importance of all aspects of theatre production. GYTG is active from January to June and from September to December.

Lightbulb Youth Theatre (LYT) is based in Mallow, Co. Cork and has been in existence for 15 years, having been established by a group of local people, with support of the Cork County Council Arts Office and Blackwater Development group. The group has been affiliated to Youth Theatre Ireland since its inception. LYT provides drama workshops to youth members aged from 11 to 20 years. Each year LYT produces one to three performances locally and participates in other activities such as youth theatre exchanges and collaborations with other youth theatres both nationally and internationally.

MTU Cork School of Music Youth Theatre embraces secondary students from 3rd class and up in its weekly ensemble class. Each year the Youth Theatre mounts a high calibre production that showcases these talented young theatre artists. Past shows have included: Romeo and Juliet, The Bullying Prevention Circle, Anne Frank: Lockedin, Wide Awake, A Christmas Carol, September 2011, Pride and Prejudice, Julius Caesar and many more.

Rusty Frog Youth Theatre is a high-quality, exciting drama theatre experience for teenagers in West Cork. Rusty Frog is managed by Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre and led by facilitator Maxine Acton. The programme includes weekly training workshops in acting, improvisation, stagecraft, voice, script work, street theatre, puppetry, physical theatre, clowning, dance, percussion, devising, writing, directing, and technical skills plus an annual theatre production and theatre trips.

The Everyman is for Everyone: this is our aspiration.

Theatre Making and Citizenship Cork -Young People (TMACC-YP) youth theatre was set up in 2021. It arose from conversations between The Everyman and YMCA, Cork - regarding theatre making and cultural citizenship, engagement and locality, equality and diversity, health and wellbeing.

Inspired by our friends in Graffiti Theatre and The Abbey, the long-term collaboration between The Everyman and YMCA has created a unique template of youth theatre which is fun, free, youth-led and inclusive. Hundreds of young people (16-19 year olds) have been facilitated in finding their voice, their tribe and stepping into their place as citizen artists. We meet weekly and work towards the creation of theatre for, by and with young people.

TMACC-YP is led by professional theatre-makers together with youth support workers from YMCA.

Based in the Department of Theatre, University College Cork, UCCYT is an inclusive, safe place of self-discovery for young people from differing socioeconomic backgrounds to learn, create and grow together. Over the past three years members of UCCYT have attended weekly workshops facilitated by UCC staff and assisted by final year Theatre Students. Members have taken part in UCC Theatre Artist workshops, the Short Play Festival in Graffiti Theatre Company, hosted Midsummer Festival Meet Ups with other YTs, taken part in Global Water Dances Cork, performed in the Youth Theatre Ireland Playshare event, and staged a full length performance. Keep up with them on IG here.