Deaf Youth Theatre

You'll find information here for parents, guardians and funders, and current and potential new members.  Deaf Youth Theatre is open to young people aged between 12 and 21 and members use a variety of communication methods. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a member of DYT please get in touch with This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

DYT recently had two sell-out performances of their production of GONE at Gilmorehill G12. Click here to view the gallery.

Click here for Reporting Scotland coverage

Future plans for Deaf Youth Theatre include

• weekly workshop sessions
• a series of circus workshops led by Theatre Modo www.theatremodo.com
• a series of visual performance workshops led by award-winning Deaf theatre practitioner Ramesh Meyyappan www.rameshmeyyappan.com
• a programme of specialised master-classes for members who are interested in developing their skills further to potentially become involved in professional theatre
• a three-week full-time creation and rehearsal period in July to stage a new theatre production.
• A project with BBC Blast to learn about acting for camera, using recording equipment and editing, to create a short film
• participating in the Promote YT Festival

Solar Bear established Scotland's first Deaf Youth Theatre (DYT) in January 2008.

In Year 1 a total of 284 people benefited from this project including, at its core, 22 members of DYT and 5 placements. A year round programme of workshops culminated in two weeks full-time over the school summer holidays and offered drama, theatre and performance workshops including movement, mime and signed mime. Workshops also covered stagecraft and technical training, inc. lighting and an introduction to stage management. The members of DYT come from a wide geographic spread, range between the ages of 12-21 and use varying communication methods.

"He has definitely gained confidence from taking part in the Deaf Youth Theatre. It's increased his signing skills and independent skills - he had to travel to Glasgow and on underground in summer to go to summer project"
Quote from feedback sheet received from a parent of a DYT member

"Gives themselves confidence. Which is something that is so badly needed"
Quote from feedback sheet received from a parent of a DYT member

Year 2 of the project started in August 2008. Through this project, the work that Solar Bear has been able to do to raise the profile of deaf theatre within hearing culture has also been significant. This has been made possible by the high profile of the project. Solar Bear's marketing team ensured that the launch of DYT got a fantastic amount of media coverage, the story was covered on Reporting Scotland (lunchtime and evening slots), BBC Radio Scotland and there were press features in leading national newspapers with a distribution of over 147,000. There has been a huge interest in the project from the hearing world, as well as from deaf groups and organisations, the theatre community, theatre practitioners, and colleges and institutes of higher education.

"[We've noticed] a dramatic increase in confidence. For example the 2 week course in summer his mum and I thought he may quit after day 1 but he very quickly grew to love the course and really from day 2 we had to calm him down every night because of the thrills he obtained from the course"
Quote from feedback sheet received from a parent of a DYT member

"[The Deaf Youth Theatre] has led to improvement in his spatial awareness which has been a problem since birth"
Quote from feedback sheet received from a parent of a DYT member

"We thoroughly enjoyed the performance acted out by the young people after their summer project - it showed us that our child felt very much part of the group and really enjoyed taking part in the drama"
Quote from feedback sheet received from a parent of a DYT member

"The kids were brilliant. Brilliant. All the kids were brilliant. They made you laugh...there were sad parts. You saw all their antics and their characters. It was really, really good"
Reaction from a DYT member's mum to the summer showing