Connections is the National Theatre’s nationwide youth theatre festival. Each year it offers a unique opportunity for youth theatres and school theatre groups to stage new plays written for young people by some of theatre’s most exciting playwrights, and to perform in leading theatres across the UK.
This year we will work with 300 youth theatres and schools to stage ten fantastic plays especially commissioned by the National Theatre for Connections. We’ll provide all the support you’ll need and you’ll have the chance to stage your play in one of our leading partner theatres across the UK.
APPLY
Applications for Connections 2023 are now closed.
CONFIRMATION
Once we have approved your application, we will let you know if you have a place by the end of July 2022. When you are given a place, we will share the ten play scripts so you can begin reading to select your play. Shortly afterwards you will also be issued with an invoice for your participation in Connections.
SCRIPT SELECTION
We will ask you to choose two plays you would be happy to work on, and we will then confirm which you have been allocated. We ask for two choices because we need to ensure an even spread of plays at each Partner Theatre Festival.
DIRECTORS' WEEKEND
We host a weekend of workshops for the 300 directors of each Connections show. Over the course of the weekend, directors will spend time working with the writer of their chosen play. You will also have the chance to take part in other workshops and theatre skills sessions.
This year the Directors’ Weekend will be a mixture of digital and in person activity and run from Friday 21 to Sunday 23 October 2022. The Directors' Weekend is a compulsory part of the Connections process, and we ask that everyone attends the writer's session on Saturday 22 October. You are welcome to come sign up for any of the additional workshops across the week, and can also bring additional directors subject to availability.
