National Youth Music Theatre

National Youth Music Theatre

Abbreviation	NYMT
Formation	1976
Type	Arts and education charity
Headquarters	London
Region served	United Kingdom
Founder	Jeremy James Taylor OBE
President	Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Patrons	Tom Chambers, Idris Elba, Jude Law, Amy Nuttall, Sheridan Smith
Chair of the Board	Paul Munden
Website	www.nymt.org.uk
Formerly called	Children's Music Theatre

The National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) is an arts organisation in the United Kingdom providing pre-professional education and musical theatre stage experience for young people. Based in London, it is constituted as a private limited company (originally named Children's Music Theatre Limited) and as a registered charity. NYMT was founded in 1976 by director and playwright Jeremy James Taylor. Since its inception, it has produced over fifty productions at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, premièred thirty new musical theatre works, toured several times outside the United Kingdom, and had runs in the West End and on Broadway. Amongst the many alumni of the National Youth Music Theatre who have gone on to careers in the performing arts are Jude Law (one of its patrons), Jonny Lee Miller, Sheridan Smith, Connie Fisher, Idris Elba and Matt Lucas. Alumni have also included directors such as Jo Davies, and songwriters such as Tara Mcdonald.

The NYMT's primary activity is the education of young people in theatre production and performance. It produces and commissions musical theatre works in which young people between the ages of 11 and 23 perform as actors, musicians, and stage crew under the guidance of theatre professionals. The company tours both in the UK and abroad performing established musicals such as Sweeney Todd and Oklahoma!, as well as new works specifically written to be performed by young people. Amongst the thirty new works which the NYMT has commissioned and/or performed for the first time are Howard Goodall's The Dreaming and The Kissing Dance, and Alan Ayckbourn's Orvin - Champion Of Champions. The NYMT also runs residential and day workshops in various aspects of theatre production and performance. The company has no core funding and relies upon participants' fees, ticket sales, and fundraising. Young people who participate in the NYMT's productions and workshops do so as amateurs and meet their own expenses and fees, although the company provides bursaries in cases of need.