It is felt by many that ‘The Arts’ are the preserve of the upper or ruling classes, usually of middle age, and are far beyond the reach or comprehension of the ‘Average Joe’, let alone the average teenager or young adult. The Arts Council has a new scheme aimed at changing that.
A Night Less Ordinary is a scheme launched by the Arts Council, aim at encouraging more under 26 year olds to visit live stage performances.
Half a million tickets are set to be handed out for free, as a way to leverage more youngsters away from their Nintendo Wiis, and in place them in front of the stage.
To try to ensure the scheme has as broad a reach as possible, venues from as many regions as possible will be included in the scheme, from the small Cornish village halls, to the Nation Theatre London. In total, over 200 venues will take part.
Rupert Penry-Hones, of ‘Spooks’ fame, went on record as saying that Theatres needed to attract newer audiences in order to survive in the long term, in a conversation with the British Broadcasting Corporation.
“If young people don’t start going now then nobody is going to be going to the theatre in about 10-20 years’ time. We’ll have no audiences there,” - Penry-Jones, who is backing the scheme.
Mr. Penry-Jones is trying to convince youngsters that the Theatre can offer more of an ‘intense’ experience than simply staying at home to watch a movie, or visiting the cinema, and is urging them to at least give the Theatres a go.
To get free tickets, people under 26 years old can visit the Night Less Ordinary website. Barbara Mathews, from the Arts Council England said that the scheme was expected to last for two years.
So, if you are under 26, and feel like a free ticket to see a theatrical performance, visit the Night Less Ordinary website.
