Young people across South Yorkshire are taking part in nationwide celebrations of National Theatre Connections’ 30th anniversary

The participating youth theatre groups are CAPA College, Cast Youth Theatre, Yew Tree Youth Theatre, North Lindsey College, Delanté Détras, NPA Theatreworks, West Yorkshire Drama Academy, and Duckegg Theatre Acting School Limited.

As part of the nationwide celebration, over 5,500 young people from over 270 companies and schools across the UK will perform one of ten specially commissioned plays for young people at theatres nationwide.

Connections champions the power of youth theatre, bringing together some of the UK’s most exciting contemporary writers with the theatre-makers of tomorrow.

Ten youth groups will then be selected to perform their play on the Dorfman stage at the National Theatre Connections Festival in June, representing the vast amount of talent across the UK.

Marking the milestone 30th anniversary of the programme, these young people join over 125,000 people nationwide who have taken part in Connections over the past three decades, including esteemed alumni such as David Oyelowo, Rose Ayling-Ellis, Callum Scott Howells and Keira Knightley.

Former playwrights include Jack Thorne, Chris Bush, Lenny Henry, James Graham and Alice Birch.

For more information about Connections 2025, visit the National Theatre Website.

*Applications for Connections 2026 are now open. Apply now and be part of the story. Application deadline: Monday 7 July 2025 at 12pm.