24/08/2026
A message from our trustees:
After a period of paused activity and consultation, we have made the difficult decision to formally wind up Barnsley Youth Theatre. Like many youth theatres, BYT has relied heavily on grant funding and the voluntary time of a small number of people. As the recent national Youth Theatre Census also highlighted, this is a common challenge across the sector. The amount of voluntary work needed to keep BYT running was no longer sustainable and placed far too much pressure on those leading the organisation. Since pausing our activity, we are really pleased that the majority of our young people have joined other youth theatres and continue taking part in theatre locally. With that in mind, and the support of the team, we feel this is the right time to formally bring BYT to a close.
We have a small amount of money remaining in the bank and want to ensure it continues to benefit young people in the area. We are therefore opening the "BYT Winding Up Fund" to established local organisations working with young people through drama and the performing arts. Organisations that meet the eligibility criteria will be entered into a lottery, with successful organisations receiving the remaining funds. Applications are now open until the 13th September, with the lottery taking place after the closing date. Further information and the short application form can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14ITEq-UmtvarP85GD0mfjqtjBTDidutp/view?usp=sharing
We are incredibly grateful to all the young people, families, artists, volunteers, funders and supporters who have been part of BYT over the years. We are proud of what we have achieved together and hope that passing on our remaining funds will help support the next chapter of youth theatre in the area.
