Bard Youth Fest
A journey of creativity and discovery providing young people with an opportunity to make Shakespeare their own.
Gather a group of young people and collaborate with professional Bard actors to create bold Shakespeare-inspired performances. Then, join other troupes at a Festival Finale, hosted at Bard on the Beach’s own performance space.
Participants will:
- work in troupes with other young people to create their own Shakespeare-inspired piece
- receive mentorship from a professional theatre artist in workshops and rehearsals
- Present their work at a showcase on a professional stage
This multi-week program celebrates the infinite ways young people play, think about, and perform Shakespeare. Thanks to the generosity of our funders, the Pamela and David Richardson Family Foundation, participation is FREE.
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The students enjoyed creating and performing their own story with the guidance of the Bard actor. My students were so pumped after their performance. It made all the work worth it! – Troupe Champion
Program Details
Troupes may be formed through schools or made up of individuals. If you are an individual and you’d like to join, please consider encouraging friends to apply with you as it will increase the likelihood of our being able to form an “Indie Troupe” (or Troupe of Individuals). Troupes will meet regularly with their Bard Coach to create their piece, which they’ll share with other participating Troupes at the Bard Youth Fest Finale!
Click the buttons below to read more about what Bard Youth Fest looks like for your age group.
EXPECTATIONS & OVERVIEW: BARD YOUTH FEST 2023 (youth ages 14+)
EXPECTATIONS & OVERVIEW: BARD YOUTH FEST 2024 (Elementary & Middle School)
Sign-Up
Applications for Junior Bard Youth Fest are open as of October 25, 2023. Whether you are a teacher, a community group organizer, and individual youth or parent, please apply using the link below. The deadline to apply is December 20, 2023.