Connections
Connections is the National Theatre’s annual, nationwide youth theatre festival. The programme is 30 years old and has a history of championing the talent of young people from across the UK.
Applications for Connections 2025 are now closed.
Got a question? Please get in touch with our Connections team!
How it works
Every year, Connections commissions new plays for young people to perform. The programme brings together some of the UK’s most exciting writers with the theatre-makers of tomorrow. In 23/24, we worked with over 250 youth companies from every corner of the UK.
Connections is open to any company of young people aged 13-19, and up to 26 years old for groups with additional needs. You can be a school, a youth theatre or voluntary organisation. You can have lots of experience staging plays or none at all. Whoever you are, your group can apply to be part of Connections.
For details about the process, casting, how much it costs and our FAQs, please click the button below.
Partner theatres
We are delighted to work with 33 Partner Theatre venues across the UK on Connections 2025:
Connections Partner Theatre map 2025
1. Aberystwyth Arts Centre
2. artsdepot, London
3. Beacon Arts Centre
4. Blackpool Grand
5. Bristol Old Vic
6. Cast Doncaster
7. Chichester Festival Theatre
8. Crewe Lyceum
9. Derby Theatre
10. Exeter Northcott Theatre
11. Gulbenkian Theatre
12. HOME Manchester
13. Kiln Theatre, Kilburn
14. Lighthouse, Poole
15. Lyric Theatre Belfast
16. Lyric Theatre Hammersmith
17. Newcastle Theatre Royal
18. North Wall Oxford
19. Nottingham Playhouse
20. Pitlochry Festival Theatre
21. Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch
22. Royal and Derngate, Northampton
23. Sherman Theatre, Cardiff
24. Soho Theatre, London
25. Southwark Playhouse, London
26. The Garage, Norwich
27. The Lowry, Salford
28. Theatre Peckham, London
29. Theatre Royal, Plymouth
30. Tramshed, London
31. Trinity Theatre, Tunbridge Wells
32. Worcester Theatres
33. York Theatre Royal
Plays
We are delighted to share our Connections 2025 plays.
The Connections 2025 programme includes ten new play commissions, which have been closely developed with input from young people.
The Connections 2025 plays are:
Mia and the Fish by Satinder Chohan
The Company of Trees by Jane Bodie
Ravers by Rikki Beadle-Blair
YOU 2.0 by Alys Metcalf
Fresh Air by Vickie Donoghue
No Regrets by Gary McNair
Their Name is Joy by May Sumbwanyambe
Normalised by Amanda Verlaque
Saba’s Swim by Danusia Samal
Brain Play by Chloë Lawrence-Taylor and Paul Sirett
The Connections 2024 plays were:
Age is Revolting by Abi Zakarian
Shout by Alexis Zegerman
Orchestra by Charlie Josephine
Dy Enw Marw / Your Name is Dead by Elgan Rhys, in collaboration with Leo Drayton (Ysgrifennwyd yn y Gymraeg, and written in English)
Kiss / Marry / Push Off Cliff by Josh Azouz
The Sad Club by Luke Barnes & Adam Pleeth
Wind / Rush Generation(s) by Mojisola Adebayo
The Periodicals by Siân Owen
Replica by Titas Halder
Back in the Day by Yasmeen Khan
I really enjoyed working alongside others that I wasn’t used to. Not only did we perform something with a strong message, but throughout the process I was able to build friendships and connections.
Student, Connections 2024
The visiting mentor, the technical crew and the work shop providers all inspired the students and made them feel what they were doing was professional. Loved how inclusive the whole process was the representation was incredibly validating for my students.
Youth leader, Connections 2024
Our funders
The Mohn Westlake Foundation supports nationwide Learning programmes for young people.
Connections is supported by The Mohn Westlake Foundation, Buffini Chao Foundation, The EBM Charitable Trust, Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, Katie Bradford Arts Trust, Susan Miller & Byron Grote, Mulberry Trust, Tuixen Foundation, The Peter Cundill Foundation, The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust, The Woodward Charitable Trust and The John Thaw Foundation.
Nationwide learning is supported by Buffini Chao Foundation, Clore Duffield Foundation, Tim & Sarah Bunting, MFPA Trust Fund for the Training of Disabled Children in the Arts, Behrens Foundation, Cleopatra Trust, and The Andor Charitable Trust.
Find out more about supporting our work
Contact Us
Kirsten Adam
Head of Young People’s Programmes
Ola Animashawun
NT Associate and Connections Dramaturg
You can contact the Connections team on connections@nationaltheatre.org.uk
Jenny Wilkinson
Project Producer, Connections
Finley Neilens
Connections Coordinator
Photos © Jimmy Lee
Connections Festival 2023
More to explore
Young Technicians
Discover our nationwide Young Technicians programme, for those interested in all aspects of technical theatre.
The Learning Hub
Find teaching tools for curriculum set texts or explore creativity, literacy, and oracy using theatre and drama skills.
Stage Management
This free programme introduces you to the fundamentals of stage management and takes place at the National Theatre.