British Youth Music Theatre
British Youth Music Theatre (BYMT), formerly Youth Music Theatre UK, is a UK-based national performing arts organisation founded in December 2003. BYMT provides music theatre training to young people aged 11–21 and a stepping stone to drama school or conservatoire. Members can join either through auditions in January and February onto productions or, without audition, onto summer camps. Most of its productions and summer camps are residential and situated around the UK with productions taking place in both regional and London theatres.
Address
The company traded as Youth Music Theatre UK from its incorporation in 2003 until its 15th birthday on 4 December 2018 when it formally changed its legal name to British Youth Music Theatre. This coincided with moving its London office to the new Mountview building in Peckham, south east London. It is one of Arts Council England's National Portfolio Organisations[1] and one of seven National Youth Music Organisations.[2] It receives funding from both the Department for Education and Arts Council England. It is also sponsored by the teachers union, the NASUWT.[3]
The BYMT training programme focuses almost entirely on new music theatre and by 2019 had produced 127 productions of 101 new works [4] including, in 2009, Loserville which went on to become a professional West End production at the Garrick Theatre in 2012.[5] A number of these productions including Loserville are available for licence either through Music Theatre International[6] in London or directly from the writers.
The company's founder and Executive Producer Jon Bromwich retired[7] in April 2022 and his successor Emily Gray became CEO and Creative Director[8] after leaving her post as Director of Mercury Musical Developments.