Interchange 2025

Join youth theatre, creative learning, and teaching professionals from across Scotland for this practical, two-day skills development event designed to inspire anybody who uses drama and theatre in their work with young people.

We’ll be taking over the Lanternhouse at Cumbernauld Theatre on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 April 2025 with a programme of dynamic, interactive workshops led by inspiring theatre professionals Wonder Fools, Ned Glasier, and Birgit Freitag. We’ll also have plenty of opportunities for networking, discussion, and debate.

We can’t wait for you to join us (for one day or both) to connect with colleagues from across the sector and refresh our creative practice together.

Youth Theatre Arts Scotland gratefully acknowledges investment from Creative Scotland and the Gannochy Trust, and partnership support from Cumbernauld Theatre Trust.

From 9.15am: Arrivals and Registration Networking over teas and coffees

10.15am: Welcome and Warm Up YTAS and event partners Cumbernauld Theatre will welcome you to the Lanternhouse and get you warmed up and ready for the day ahead.

11am: Workshop (Part One) You will select one workshop, out of a choice of three, to participate in each day you attend Interchange. Each workshop will be split into two parts over the full day.

1pm: Lunch Tuck in and catch up with fellow participants.

2pm: Performance A chance to watch some work created by local young people, followed by a Q&A.

3pm: Workshop (Part Two) Take part in the second half of your selected workshop and immerse yourself more deeply in the topic.

5pm: Networking Drinks Connect with sector peers and colleagues old and new, share updates and debrief after the days activities.

From 9.30am: Arrivals and Registration Networking over teas and coffees

10am: Welcome and Warm Up YTAS and our event partners Cumbernauld Theatre will welcome you to the Lanternhouse and get you warmed up and ready for the day ahead.

10.30am: Workshop (Part One) You will select one workshop, out of a choice of three, to participate in each day you attend Interchange. Each workshop will be split into two parts over the full day.

12.30pm: Lunch Tuck in and catch up with fellow participants.

1.30pm: Panel Discussion Attend a panel of drama teachers, artists and educators as they discuss the challenges and benefits of collaborations between the youth theatre world and education sector while sharing their unique projects and experiences.

2.40pm: Workshop (Part Two) Take part in the second half of your selected workshop and immerse yourself more deeply in the topic.

4.50pm: Wrap Up and Goodbye Reflect on the weekend and find out what’s next in store for YTAS and our members.

Across the weekend there will be three workshops to choose from. Attendees will take part in one workshop each day.

You’ll make your choice when you book your ticket.

The Co-creation Playspace with Ned Glasier

Let’s play! Join Ned Glasier in a four-hour explorative workshop for any artists and facilitators who lead co-creation projects to make and play, free from the pressure of leadership, room management and having to be 'good'. The workshop will involve playing games and making things; to experience a co-creation process as a participant and regain your sense of creative freedom.

Embodied Stories with Birgit Freitag

The body is the central element in the work of choreographer Birgit Freitag. In this workshop, she will give an insight in various choreographic principles and improvisation scores she has found and developed in the course of her creative work in order to create dance productions with professionals as well as with children, young people and amateurs.

Text with Teenagers with Wonder Fools

Join the Wonder Fools team for Text with Teenagers, an engaging workshop as part of this year’s programme exploring the relationship between youth theatres and the education sector. A workshop perfect for drama teachers and youth theatre practitioners, this interactive session will offer practical tools and fresh approaches to finding, preparing, and developing texts for teenage performers.

Interchange is open to anyone over the age of 18 who uses aspects of drama and theatre in their work with young people. This skills development event welcomes…

• Freelance and volunteer youth theatre facilitators and directors;
• Artists who work in participatory settings;
• Creative learning managers;
• Primary and secondary school drama teachers and student teachers;
• Youth workers and CLD professionals who use creativity to engage young people, including health and social care practitioners;
• Undergraduate and postgraduate students studying the performing arts, education, or community development.

With thanks to funding from the Gannochy Trust, we are delighted to be able to subsidise the cost of attending Interchange again this year. We’ve kept prices as low as possible to enable more people to attend, and for the first time we are also offering a group booking discount to help member organisations send as many staff as possible to the event.

Practitioners attending Interchange may choose to join for one or both days, and tickets will include lunch and refreshments during the day.

Full price tickets

• YTAS Members: £70 full weekend ticket or £46 for one day
• Non-Members: £110 full weekend ticket or £60 for one day

Early Bird (YTAS Members only, until Friday 14 February)

• YTAS Members: £60 full weekend ticket or £38 one day

Group Booking Discount (YTAS Organisational Members only)

• YTAS Organisational Members: £50 each for full weekend tickets when booking 4+ spaces for your staff

YTAS membership is made up of independent youth theatres, arts organisations with their own youth theatre provision, drama teachers, volunteer-run charities, freelance practitioners of youth theatre arts, and many more. If you’re interested in joining a national network of like-minded people, be sure to read more on our membership page.

YTAS strives to create and hold events and spaces where everyone feels welcome and the safety of others is valued. This commitment applies to all our online and in-person services, activities, and communication channels.

We have a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour which creates feelings of unease, discomfort, offence, embarrassment, humiliation, or intimidation, whether intentional or not. This includes but is not limited to; transphobia, homo or biphobia, racism, ableism, sexism, or class discrimination.

For more information about YTAS’ commitments to safety and best practice, read our full statement here.

If you have any access requirements of which you’d like to make us aware, please complete this Access form and return it to us via [email protected]

Thanks to funding from Creative Scotland, the Gannochy Trust, the Stafford Trust, and the Hugh Fraser Foundation, we are delighted to be able to offer an Expenses Support fund to help YTAS members attend Interchange.

Expenses Support is available to any YTAS Member who would be unable to attend the event without it.

This might be used to cover costs of ticket fees, travel, accommodation, caring costs or access requirements.

If you would like to request expenses support please complete the application form linked here: https://forms.office.com/e/MLCLZTdQvn

Support will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, until funds run out, so we encourage you to submit your claim as early as you are able to.

We’ll let you know if you have been successful within two weeks of receiving your application.

Lanternhouse at Cumbernauld Theatre is easily accessible by public transport. For more information visit https://lanternhousearts.org/your-visit/

YTAS is committed to reducing the carbon emissions we cause, so we encourage all Interchange attendees to consider using the greenest transport options possible. To help with this, YTAS has set up an online car share page for those interested in sharing lifts to and from the event.

More information on this will be shared in the Attendee Information Pack which will be sent to attendees upon booking.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Lanternhouse, Lanternhouse, Cumbernauld, United Kingdom