Our journey began back in 1953 when we were founded by Brian Way and Margaret Faulks. Our name was chosen to reflect our founders’ vision to put theatre at the centre of young people’s lives.  

Theatre Centre was a pioneer at a time when theatre for children and young people was in its infancy. British households were only just adopting television as a means of entertainment. The newly established Arts Council of Great Britain was only starting to give out grants. 

Our practice and the way we make our work has evolved since then yet the core of our vision and mission has remained clear and relevant. Brian's own vision for Theatre Centre was to: 

• Make original, outstanding work for young people while tackling social and educational themes. 

• Help teachers see drama as a vital part of education, and for theatres to see theatre for young people as a vital part of theatre as a whole. 

• Create employment for actors and artists to “keep the rust off their work”. 

Since then, we have commissioned over 110 writers and produced over 240 new plays, toured to audiences of over 1 million and worked directly with over 250,000 young people. We have been a vital catalyst for new writing and youth creativity and activism for over 70 years.  

Our original donors, Trustees and alumnae over the years read like a Who’s Who of theatre, film and TV. The writers, directors and actors we have taken into schools have gone on to win the highest awards and honours and become household names. 

1953 was a different world, but throughout our seven decades we've remained committed to diversity, feminism, activism and social justice, whilst placing ourselves in the centre of the conversation young people are having – always – about society and our world.