Youth Theatre Accreditation Programme

The National Council for Drama Training is set to launch a programme of accreditation aimed at helping parents find drama projects that are safe and well run. The aim will be to show organisations that demonstrate good practice or hold nationally recognised accreditation though will not assess artistic merit.

 
NCDT Director Hilary Strong said, “Institutions like ACE, local authorities and different umbrella groups find it difficult, if not impossible, to recommend participation for young people, because hardly any of it is quality assured. The arts council don’t keep a list of activities or know if the teachers are Criminal Records Bureau checked, if there is insurance in place or if the person running it might be dodgy. It would be an impossible task for them to find out.”
 
Organizations that sign up to the scheme will pay a small fee and be assessed by the NCDT. Once accredited they will be listed on the NCDT’s website and require further assessment every two years. The NCDT will also host workshops and networking groups to champion good practice, Strong continues- “At the heart of this is widening participation. If we want to diversify the intake into the profession, then we need to tackle it at a much earlier stage than when people are applying to drama school.”
 
The National Association of Youth Theatres will also be launching a similar scheme next year. The Excellence and inclusion scheme is designed to assess both good practice and artistic merit. The NAYT executive director, Sid Higgins suggests the two schemes should be linked yet run by NAYT. “It would seem wasteful that there are two parallel systems running, when there is already one that is effective and is going to get stronger. It is a very good intent, but my question would be - how is it going to be managed? Do the NCDT have the capacity to do this?”
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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