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Speak Up is a secondary school programme that sees young people working in collaboration with local artists and teachers to co-create artistic responses to issues that are most important to them.

The programme aims to encourage new ways for young people to think, see and bring about change.

About Speak Up

The words Speak Up in thick green font against a bright pink background

Speak Up takes place in areas of low arts engagement where there is an inequality of access to opportunities for young people and their voices are not always heard. Young people work collaboratively as equal partners with their teachers, artists, local arts organisations and the National Theatre to co-create local artworks and creative projects in response to issues which matter to them.

Read all about the impact Speak Up is having nationwide in Year 2

A group of young people and an adult are smiling and standing together indoors. They appear engaged and enthusiastic. The words
Play Video

Speak Up: Volume Two

Watch our new short film on the impact of Speak Up in the second year of the programme.

Impact

Speak Up is taking place in selected schools across England and delivered through our Theatre Nation Partnerships partners. From 2022 to 2025 Speak Up will engage with 140,000 young people in 55 selected secondary schools nationwide.

  • Young people are supported to become leaders, by putting them at the heart of the creative process and decision making
  • Teachers are able to find ways that Speak Up can impact the culture of their school
  • Artists have the freedom make work without any predetermined outcomes

Speak Up aims to develop young people’s self-expression, wellbeing and personal skills, with an open-ended offer to make creative projects in their local area.

A group of young people all dressed in pink shirts that say Speak Up with the words National Theatre and Speak Up: Volume One on the sides
Play Video

Find out about the first year of the programme in our short film Speak Up: Volume One.

Speak Up Council

Launched in May 2023, the Speak Up Council puts young people at the heart of the programme’s decision making.

16 young people from across nine of the Speak Up areas currently make up the council. The Speak Up Council will meet throughout the year. They will raise motions put forward by young people, teachers and artists.

Their role is to help the National Theatre and our partner venues make decisions about and achieve the aims of the Speak Up programme.

Partners

Creative Associate: LUNG

LUNG are the Creative Associate on Speak Up. Their role is to devise, develop and maintain the methodology and creative ambitions for Speak Up. They will oversee the training of artists and teachers.

Founded in Barnsley in 2012, LUNG is a campaign-led verbatim theatre company that tours work nationally. They work closely with communities to nationally shine a light on political, social and economic issues in modern Britain to ensure hidden voices are heard.

LUNG’s Co-Artistic Directors are Helen Monks and Matt Woodhead. Together they have created critically acclaimed plays including E15Who Cares and Trojan Horse. Each project is co-created with the people, often young people, at the heart of the story and puts engagement and campaigning work at its centre. Helen and Matt also design and deliver extensive schoolwork and are honoree Research Fellows at the University of Nottingham.

The logo for LUNG, the word Lung in bold red letters against a white background

Theatre Nation Partners

We successfully piloted Speak Up in autumn 2021 in seven schools across Wakefield, Sunderland and Greater Manchester. In each area, we listened to what the young people wanted and needed, creating a bespoke programme of activity for each school in response to its students’ needs.

As a result, we have expanded Speak Up into 55 targeted schools across Doncaster, Greater Manchester, Leicester, North Devon, Outer East London and South Essex, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland, Wakefield and Wolverhampton. We will connect with schools nationally at key moments to share ideas and outcomes, and to raise the profile of the work happening in schools across the country.

The current partners for Speak Up are:

A photo of the frontage of the Cast building in Doncaster.

Doncaster

with Cast

The image depicts the exterior of The Lowry, a contemporary glass and steel building with an overhanging structure. The entrance has large glass windows and a balcony above it. Several people are walking near the entrance and colorful posters are displayed.

Greater Manchester

Salford, Rochdale, Wigan with Lowry

A modern, curved, glass-fronted building with horizontal slats stands prominently in an urban setting under a blue sky with scattered clouds. Surrounding the building are older, brick structures, trees, and a partially visible high-rise in the background.

Leicester

with Curve

Circular building with a unique, conical structure and large entrance windows, set in a lush green area with trees and pathways. The image captures the building from an elevated perspective, illuminating the detailed texture of the structure in natural light.

North Devon

with Landmark Theatres (The Queen’s Theatre & The Landmark)

A photo of the frontage of the Queens Theatre building in Hornchurch.

Outer East London and South Essex

with Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch

Image of the entrance to Regent Theatre with glass canopy and neon sign. Posters for upcoming shows and events are displayed on either side of the entrance. The building has a tiled façade and large windows above the entrance.

Stoke-on-Trent

with Regent Theatre & Victoria Hall

The front of the Theatre Royal Wakefiled building, a red-brick facade with a glass canopy projecting over the entrance.

Wakefield

with Theatre Royal Wakefield

A night view of the Grand Theatre illuminated with pink lights. The historic building features large, arched windows and ornate architectural details. Street lamps and trees frame the scene.

Wolverhampton

with Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

Our funder

Speak Up is generously supported by The Mohn Westlake Foundation, which shares our belief in the power of youth voice and working with young people to enable positive change in their lives, schools and local communities.

Find out more about supporting our work

Contact us

Email: ntspeakup@nationaltheatre.org.uk 

Annabel Weeden
Participation Producer, Cast, Doncaster
Ella Dufton
Speak Up Manager, Lowry, Salford
Ellie Hart
Speak Up Manager, National Theatre
Gemma Woffinden
Speak Up Producer, Theatre Royal Wakefield
Helen Monks
Speak Up Creative Associate, National Theatre
Kiri Grant
Head of National Partnerships, National Theatre
Liam Smith
Speak Up Project Coordinator, National Theatre
Louise MacNorman
Speak Up Producer, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch

 

Matt Woodhead
Speak Up Creative Associate, National Theatre
Niamh Parker-Whitehead
Speak Up Administrator, National Theatre
Phebe Smith
Speak Up Project Manager, Regents Theatre & Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent
Rachel Hamer
Young People & Communities Producer, Sunderland Culture
Sarah Marsden
Creative Learning Officer, Sunderland Empire
Tamika Gore
Speak Up Programmer, Curve, Leicester
Tristan Jones-Smith
Outreach Co-ordinator, Wolverhampton Grand

Photos © Matthew Kaltenborn and Tyler Whiting