British Youth Music Theatre

BRITISH YOUTH MUSIC THEATRE
AddressMountview, 120 Peckham Hill Street,
Peckham
London SE15 5JT
United Kingdom
Public transitNational Rail Peckham Rye
Opened2003; 21 years ago (2003)
Website
britishyouthmusictheatre.org

British Youth Music Theatre (BYMT), formerly Youth Music Theatre UK, is a UK-based national performing arts organisation founded in December 2003. BYMT provides music theatre training to young people aged 11–21 and a stepping stone to drama school or conservatoire. Members can join either through auditions in January and February onto productions or, without audition, onto summer camps. Most of its productions and summer camps are residential and situated around the UK with productions taking place in both regional and London theatres.

The company traded as Youth Music Theatre UK from its incorporation in 2003 until its 15th birthday on 4 December 2018 when it formally changed its legal name to British Youth Music Theatre. This coincided with moving its London office to the new Mountview building in Peckham, south east London. It is one of Arts Council England's National Portfolio Organisations[1] and one of seven National Youth Music Organisations.[2] It receives funding from both the Department for Education and Arts Council England. It is also sponsored by the teachers union, the NASUWT.[3]

The BYMT training programme focuses almost entirely on new music theatre and by 2019 had produced 127 productions of 101 new works [4] including, in 2009, Loserville which went on to become a professional West End production at the Garrick Theatre in 2012.[5] A number of these productions including Loserville are available for licence either through Music Theatre International[6] in London or directly from the writers.

The company's founder and Executive Producer Jon Bromwich retired[7] in April 2022 and his successor Emily Gray became CEO and Creative Director[8] after leaving her post as Director of Mercury Musical Developments.

  1. ^ "ACE Data". Artscouncil.org.uk.
  2. ^ "Music Education Programmes". Artscouncil.org.uk.
  3. ^ "Sponsorships and Affiliations", NASUWT.
  4. ^ "Past shows – Youth Music Theatre UK". Britishyouthmusictheatre.org/.
  5. ^ "Loserville The Musical". Loservillethemusical.com. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Loserville – Music Theatre International". Mtishows.co.uk.
  7. ^ "BYMT's Executive Producer steps down | British Youth Music Theatre".
  8. ^ "Emily Gray is appointed Chief Executive & Creative Director of BYMT | British Youth Music Theatre".