About Us

Borders Youth Theatre (BYT) runs weekly drama workshops during 'term time'
​in Duns, Selkirk, Jedburgh, Galashiels, Kelso and online.
We also run performance & creative drama projects across the Scottish Borders
​during many of the school holidays.

What we do

Borders Youth Theatre's drama leaders deliver a wide-ranging workshop and performance project programme across the Scottish Borders throughout the year.  The drama workshops, which are after-school and/or at weekends during term-time, provide a fun, friendly, welcoming, inclusive environment and high-quality skills development through the medium of drama.
Borders Youth Theatre's inclusive ethos has effectively encouraged young people who are often overlooked by mainstream arts groups to acquire life-skills, grow emotionally, raise their ambitions, and to work effectively as a team - all through fun and creativity.
Many of Borders Youth Theatre's young participants go on to use the transferable skills they have learned to develop their career paths; several have successfully embarked on professional careers in drama and some return to assist the next generation of 'BYTers'.
Here’s the link to the YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyAjLOu9U75kQHNCv8kKi7g

          "BYT is just amazing"

"BYT has been brilliant and really.              
​helped develop my confidence".              

"BYT is where I can be myself".                   
​.                                 

see our youtube channel

Borders Youth Theatre
inspiring young people from across the Scottish Borders

Borders Youth Theatre Workshops
Our 'term time'  weekly workshops are informal, fun,
90-minute sessions that help children and young people to develop transferable skills and build confidence through the creative medium of drama. Currently there are workshops in: Duns, Selkirk, Jedburgh, Galashiels & Kelso. Summer Term starts April 16th with Duns. 
The age range for Juniors is 8 years to 'S1', Seniors: S1 to 25 years.
All are welcome, no auditions needed.
​For more information about schedule, how to enrol and fees email: [email protected] 
Sign up for Summer Holiday projects: "See Me" 4-day workshop for age S1 to 25 years; 5-8 August at MacArts, Galashiels. Facilitated by Oli Bisset; participants will come up with their own ideas around what affects them and then develop the ideas further into potential performance pieces for October seniors project and beyond.
​'Make a Play in 3 days' for Juniors age 8 to 12 years - 5th to 7th August at Philipburn Hotel, Selkirk, facilitated by Eilidh MacDonald & Lukca Best.
Contact [email protected] for information and enrolment forms.

Borders Youth Theatre (BYT) has been inspiring young people from across the Scottish Borders since 1989. Its amazing track record in engaging and empowering children and young adults from all backgrounds, has been applauded far beyond the region.
Borders Youth Theatre has worked in partnership with many organisations including: Scottish Youth Theatre, Live Borders, Youth Scotland, Youth Theatre Arts Scotland & Alchemy Film Festival.

What has Borders Youth Theatre been doing?
2024 kicked off with a fundraising Burns Supper in January and in February 'Tuesday' by Alison Carr was performed Borders Event Centre, Kelso. In April the Juniors performed 'Tammy Troot' adapted from the Lavinia Derwent stories by Karen Anderson.
2023 was a busy and very productive year for Borders Youth Theatre.
In February Remote by Stef Smith (a National Theatre Connections script) was performed at Tower Mill theatre in Hawick. April Juniors show was a production of Pinocchio performed at the Corn Exchange, Melrose. May saw a script-in-hand performance, at Duns Playfest, of the Sherlock Holmes adventure An Illustrious Client, adapted as a radio play. Summer 2023 production; John Haswell's TWIST a dark contemporary adaptation of the Charles Dickens' story played to packed audiences at The Volunteer Hall, Galashiels. The senior participants' production of George Orwell's Animal Farm was performed in Kelso, Walkerburn and Yetholm. 
In April the juniors performed 'The Adventures of Tammy Troot' in Melrose and in May the online Creative Devising / Radio Play Group performed 'Ear Candy' at Duns Playfest.

Borders Youth Theatre Drama workshops and performance projects

"Bringing Theatre to Young People & Communities
​Bringing Young People & Communities to Drama"

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN 2024
Summer Term Workshops restart on 16th April. During the April holidays: The Adventures of Tammy Troot a juniors performance project and 3 days of 'skills up' workshops for seniors both at Melrose Corn exchange.
Find out more about Borders Youth Theatre performances and events at Duns Playfest

The first project in the new year is: Borders Youth Theatre Seniors February 2024 'NotNT' show.
What?: The February Seniors project will be a new production of Tuesday by Alison Carr. This was a NT Connections Play in 2020.
The production will directed by Oli Bisset, assisted by Esmé Babineux and Lewis Teckkam.

Borders Youth Theatre (BYT) is a registered Scottish Charity
​run by volunteers.
BYT contracts experienced qualified professionals to deliver a
wide-ranging workshop and performance project programme to provide high-quality skills development through the medium of drama. ​
​Chairperson:  Susan Stewart
Treasurer: Esme Babineaux
Trustees:  Rachel Hunter, Esme Babineaux, Jenny Anderson, Catrina Rose,
Struan Henderson, Kyra Tweddle & Natasha Smith
Child Protection  Advisor: Kyra Tweddle
Patron: Grant O'Rourke
Advisor to the Trustees: David Bisset
Volunteer helper: Frances Teckkam
Our Current Workshop Leaders:
​Karen Anderson, Oli Bisset and Esme Babineaux

Tammy Troot Info & Form

Borders Youth Theatre is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation SC022282