About Us

Borders Youth Theatre (BYT) runs weekly drama workshops during 'term time'
​in Duns, Selkirk, Galashiels, Kelso and online.
We also run performance 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'.

          "BYT is just amazing"

"BYT has been brilliant and really.              
​helped develop my confidence".              
"BYT is where I can be myself".                   
​.                                 





Borders Youth Theatre
inspiring young people from across the Scottish Borders


Led by Karen Anderson: 'BEST FRIENDS FOREVER' - A four-day juniors project at Southfield community centre, Duns. TD11 3EL
Inspired by Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” the young people will create a story of division  and how  friendship can change the future.
Play, Improvise, Devise and Perform. Ages 8 - 12. 13th - 16th July 2023 10am – 4pm daily £60 per participant
​​
Showcase performance: Sunday 16th July @ 2pm Southfield Community Centre Duns TD11 3EL
For enrolment form and/or more information contact info@bordersyouththeatre.scot

Borders Youth Theatre
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, Galashiels & Kelso.
The groups are friendly and inclusive.
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 how to enrol and fees email: info@bordersyouththeatre.scot

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.
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'TWIST' - a new version of Dickens' classic tale - Summer 2023 production. Performances 20, 21 & 22 July Volunteer Hall Galashiels book tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/twist-a-new-version-of-dickens-classic-tale-tickets-645949451197?aff=ebdssbeac

What has Borders Youth Theatre been doing? 

At the start of 2022 a10-week project 'Making a Drama out of a Crisis' ran at Tower Mill in The Heart of Hawick. This free-to-participate project was funded by Youth Scotland and supported by Live Borders. In April 2022 'A Series of Public Apologies' - a humorous and thought-provoking look at the power of social media - was performed by seniors at Tower Mill Theatre, Hawick. Also in April 2022 the Juniors devised and performed 'Mars Attacks' in Duns. In Summer 2022, in a 3-day creative writing & devising project, Seniors led by Oli Bisset, created inventive performance pieces based on folk-tales from the Borders and beyond. The result became the October seniors' show 'The Linton Dragon' which toured over 2 weekends to sell-out audiences in Kelso, Coldstream, Morebattle & Walkerburn.

​In April 2021 an online-filmed, pay-to-watch performance of the laugh-out-loud comedy 'Help Desk', directed and edited by Karen Anderson, was streamed for one weekend. In summer 2021 BYT produced its first live show since 2019. The Midnight Gang, adapted from the book by David Walliams, played to sell out audiences at Kelso Racecourse. In October 2021 Borders Youth Theatre participated in 'Voicemail to the World' a Scottish Youth Theatre project  - this was broadcast at COP26. 'In-the-room' workshops were resumed in the latter half of 2021.

In March 2020 Borders Youth Theatre began running online drama activities and workshops to enable the young people to stay connected and combat isolation. In summer 2020 Borders Youth Theatre launched a new YouTube channel to showcase work created by the young people during lockdown. Borders Youth Theatre YouTube channel also showcases recordings of over 30 years of BYT performances. New content created in 2020 includes: ‘Musings in Lockdown’ short monologues and four plays written in 2020 for Zoom performance. In December 2020; 30+ Borders Youth Theatre participants, from across the Scottish Borders, created entirely online: ‘A Borders Christmas Carol'. The YouTube channel also showcases several 'Radio Plays' recorded online during lockdown and decades of archive material.

Borders Youth Theatre Drama workshops and performance projects

"Bringing Theatre to Young People & Communities
​Bringing Young People & Communities to Drama"
​Summer 2023 2-week Performance Project: 'TWIST' adapted and directed by John Haswell, assisted by Oli Bisset.
Rehearsals starting July 8th at Corn Exchange Melrose. Performances: Volunteer Hall Galashiels 20, 21 & 22 July
For enrolment form and/or more information contact info@bordersyouththeatre.scot

'BEST FRIENDS FOREVER' - A four-day juniors project, led by Karen Anderson at Southfield community centre, Duns. TD11 3EL
Inspired by Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” the young people will create a story of division  and how friendship can change the future.
Play, Improvise, Devise and Perform. Ages 8 - 12. 13th - 16th July 2023 10am – 4pm daily - £60 per participant. Contact info@bordersyouththeatre.scot

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: Tim Wilcock - acting treasurer
Trustees:  Rachel Hunter, Esme Babineaux, Jenny Anderson, Catrina Rose,
Struan Henderson & Kyra Tweddle
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 Lindsay Spears.
Borders Youth Theatre is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation SC022282
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