National Theatre Gets £15 Million for Nationwide Youth Scheme

The UK government will give the National Theatre up to £15 million to run a four-year programme reaching more than 100,000 young people across England. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy announced the scheme, called National Theatre Nationwide, at an event on the South Bank attended by actors including Ian McKellen, Imelda Staunton, Jim Carter, Adjoa Andoh, Adrian Lester and Bella Maclean.

The money comes from the Government's Every Child Can programme. The National Theatre will deliver it with 12 regional theatre partners and the National Lottery Community Fund, covering every English region.

What does the programme actually include?

The plans stack several commitments on top of each other:

• Touring National Theatre productions combined with workshops, schools tours and skills development
• Thousands of subsidised £10 tickets for young people
• Productions aimed at school audiences visiting 400 schools across the country
• A music theatre initiative in which young people create and perform original productions in their local communities
• A Skills Roadshow taking opportunities to areas without theatres
• A new Nationwide Youth Council giving young people a role in shaping the programme

Training will cover acting, directing, playwriting and backstage roles, and is designed to introduce participants to potential careers in the creative industries.

National Theatre executive director and co-chief executive Kate Varah said the programme would give young people opportunities to see productions, make their own work and discover careers behind the scenes.

What did the politicians and actors say?

Nandy framed the announcement as a rebuttal to exclusivity in the arts. "I am tired of being told that not everybody can or should have access to the best of what this country has to offer," she said. "Arts and culture gives the chance to live a richer, larger life and that chance should be afforded to every young person."

She added: "Experiencing the joy of theatre shouldn't be restricted to only those who can afford it or who were born in the right postcode. This programme takes the very best of the National Theatre and brings it to the doorsteps of our young people across the country, many for the first time ever, to help them find their spark, expand their horizons and encourage them to see a creative future for themselves."

McKellen welcomed the geographical logic of the scheme. "It is appropriate that a National Theatre should live up to its name by taking their work round the country," he said. "For young audiences living far away from the NT's London headquarters, here is a chance to see them close to home and get involved. If this means that theatre-going becomes a habit rather than an occasional adventure, hurrah!"

He also acknowledged the economics. "Live theatre has been available in this country ever since the birth of modern drama. It is increasingly costly, so it's encouraging to all of us who care about the future of live theatre, that central government is playing its part, supporting theatre people and our audiences."

How big is the wider funding picture?

The £15 million sits inside a larger spending framework. The Government has announced a further £106 million from the Dormant Assets Scheme for Every Child Can, taking that programme's total funding to £238.5 million. A further £173 million will be made available to organisations across England in 2027 to support activities for young people beyond the school gates, including arts, culture, sport and nature.

Every Child Can sits alongside the Government's £450 million Youth Matters Fund, which will pay for improvements to youth facilities and activities including sport, music and volunteering in areas identified as needing investment. The Government has also committed funding for the recruitment and development of 1,000 youth workers and trusted adults.

The announcement is a promise on paper for now. The test will come in delivery: whether 400 school visits, £10 tickets and a youth council translate into sustained engagement with theatre for the 100,000 young people the scheme targets over its four years.