Exeter Northcott becomes the South-West partner for National Youth Theatre’s Assemble

We are proud to announce that we have become one of the six regional partners in Assemble, National Youth Theatre’s (NYT) groundbreaking project to create systemic change in recruitment of young disabled and neurodivergent people in the creative sector across the UK.

Rooted in NYT’s long and trusted history of working with underrepresented communities, the Assemble Partnership aims to drive long-term change for d/Deaf, Disabled, Learning Disabled and Neurodiverse young people aged 18-25 with a truly inclusive employment prospect over the next three years.

With this partnership, we are looking forward to building future audiences, freelancers, and staff, while strengthening our inclusive practice with expert support.

For Exeter Northcott, this ambitious partnership represents an excellent opportunity to make a difference for young disabled and neurodivergent people by developing career pathways in theatre.

By joining forces with leading venues including The Lowry, Sheffield Theatres, Mayflower Southampton, and Chapter Arts, we are positioning ourselves at the forefront of truly inclusive employment in the cultural sector for the South-West region.

This project will enable us to build on our work with Ramps on the Moon, strengthen our values in action and deepen the culture of disability equality across every part of our practice.

Through this partnership, we will be increasing our confidence as an employer, building capacity to support disabled talent, and cultivating a national cohort of skilled young creatives, Creative Support Workers and Facilitators.

The Assemble Partnership is a three-year long project funded by a landmark grant of £2.3 million by The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK.

The funding will be used to support the professional and personal development of D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent young people, expanding their skills through training and creative placements with the partnering venues across the UK.

Recognising that the career prospects for young disabled people are significantly limited, Exeter Northcott Theatre will be working with three local partners such as the Deaf Academy to remove the barriers that stop young creatives from stepping into the cultural sector.

For the next three years, we will be providing opportunities to a group of 45 young people in total, to support in their career development in theatre and creative world through:

• Training a network of Creative Facilitators who will then deliver trainings and workshops with the local partners and charities
• Welcoming young people for tours and career conversations in our venue
• Hosting up to 3 days of supported work experience at Exeter Northcott Theatre (access support provided)

Trained Creative Support Workers will play a crucial role in enabling young people to thrive in professional environments. With full logistical support from NYT’s Inclusion Team and trained Creative Support Workers, we will be able to open sustainable career paths through supported work experience, practical skill-building.