The Congress Youth Theatre formed in 1993 as a non-profit making youth theatre company. Its clear purpose is to provide young people with an opportunity to explore theatre in a supportive, professional environment.

The Congress Youth Theatre aims to challenge young people to develop confidence, creativity and consideration for others, in the context of a professional theatre.

Our age groups run from 8 - 13 years old (Congress Junior Theatre) and 13 - 18 (Congress Youth Theatre). The company as a whole produces minimum of two productions a year which are performed in the Congress Theatre, Cwmbran.

CYT aims to help its members to:

• Become confident about speaking and participating in groups both on and off stage.
• Discover, or hang onto, the joy of playing and using their imagination.
• Assist decision making in their personal lives.
• Acquiring discipline through organised thought whilst having fun that makes theatre feel like a real achievement when it comes off.
• Taking responsibility and learning about commitment for themselves and others.

A huge amount of time and effort goes into raising the finances required to maintain and improve the current standards of the Congress Youth Theatre. A proportion of this is obtained through member's fees, ticket sales, donations from Torfaen County Borough Council and fundraising activities by the whole company.

The Congress Youth Theatre aims to challenge young people to develop confidence, creativity and consideration for others in the context of a professional theatre.

CYT is for young people of all races and social backgrounds who are keen to develop an interest for drama and performance in a concentrated way.

CYT members have trained in Acting, Musical Theatre Drama and Dance in many Universities and Drama Schools, including:

• Guildford School of Acting
• Arts Educational School
• Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
• Rose Bruford College
• Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts

Since leaving us many of our students are working within the profession as performers, backstage and technicians. We have also had students whose studies and careers have taken them to all over the UK and abroad to places such as Japan, Texas and Prague.

Essentially, The Congress Youth Theatre aim to teach "transferable skills" as well as theatre skills which will stay with them for life.