Young people get their first taste of Kenton Youth

Excitement is building ahead of the launch of Kenton Youth, after prospective students and their families joined us at The Kenton for a special information evening.

The evening gave young people the chance to meet the Kenton Youth team, hear more about the programme and discover some of the opportunities they can look forward to when sessions begin on Mon 14 Sep.

Kenton Youth is our year-round theatre programme for young people aged 9 to 16, giving participants the opportunity to explore performance, technical theatre and creative skills inside a working professional theatre.

And judging by the conversations on the night, there is plenty they cannot wait to get started on.

Young people told us they were particularly excited about getting into the technical box and learning about lighting, performing on The Kenton stage, designing props and costumes, puppet-making, stage combat and SFX make-up.

For others, one of the biggest attractions was simply the opportunity to make new friends, develop new skills and show what they can achieve.

Parents also welcomed the breadth of the programme, particularly the opportunity for young people to experience much more than acting alone and to discover the many different roles that bring theatre to life.

During the evening, the Kenton Youth team shared more about the specialist workshops planned for the year, performance opportunities at The Kenton, involvement in local community events, a theatre trip and the optional Arts Award programme. There was particularly strong interest from young people in finding out more about Arts Award.

Theatre Manager Lottie Pheasant also spoke about her ambition for Kenton Youth and how creating a programme of this kind has been a dream since she joined The Kenton. At its heart is the aim of creating a safe, welcoming environment where young people can explore every aspect of theatre, whether their interests lie on stage or behind the scenes.

Fully funded bursary places available

We want Kenton Youth to be accessible to young people who might otherwise be unable to take part because of cost.

A limited number of fully funded bursary places are still available for young people aged 9 to 16 who live or attend school in the South Oxfordshire District Council area.

No auditions and no previous experience are needed, and all applications are treated with care, sensitivity and discretion.

Applications close 30 September 2026.

Find out more and apply:
thekenton.org.uk/kentonyouth

Kenton Youth is supported by South Oxfordshire District Council and Thamesfield Youth Association.