The Scottish theatre project that has helped 10,000 young people put on their own plays

It was launched during the dark days of lockdown by two Scottish theatre-makers to try to bring young people around the world together through the power of drama.

Four years later, the project dreamt up by Robbie Gordon and Jack Nurse has seen some 10,000 six-25 year-olds put on specially-commissioned plays.

Now their pair have unveiled plans to expand the initiative - Positive Stories For Negative Times - to a further 3000 young people over the next year, culminating in a series of theatre festivals in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stornoway and Dumfries.

It is hoped at least 200 different schools, drama groups and youth theatre organisations will be involved in the free-to-access project over the next 12 months, with 24 groups expected to be selected to take to the stage in one of the festivals.

All groups singing up to Positive Stories for Negative Times will get the chance to rehearse and perform in one of five specially-commissioned new plays from writers Ella Hickson, James Ley, Travis Alabanza and Hannah Low, as well as Canadian company Mammalian Diving Reflex.

The project was launched in the autumn of 2020 under a collaboration between Wonder Wheels, the theatre company created by Gordon and Nurse, and the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh to instigate a new programme of plays intended to be "gifted" to young people around the world to rehearse and record performances online while Covid restrictions were still in place.

More than 2600 young people involved in 282 different groups got involved in the project in the first year alone, while it has now reached more than 10,000 participants from around 700 groups in 27 different countries as far afield as India, South Africa, China, Japan and the United States.

It has seen 22 specially-commissioned plays brought to life so far, including work by Tim Crouch, Robert Softley Gale, Leyla Josephine, Bryony Kimmings, Hannah Lavery, Sabrina Mahfouz, Douglas Maxwell, Lewis Hetherington, Stef Smith, Debris Stevenson, Chris Thorpe, Bea Webster, Wonder Fools and Ellen Bannerman.

Groups who sign up for the project are offered online workshops with the writers and Wonder Fools to put on their own versions of the new plays, either online or in their local communities.

They can also put themselves forward for the chance to perform at one of the four festivals, which are being held next summer at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow, the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, the Theatre Royal in Dumfries and An Lanntair in Stornoway.

Gordon said: “The project started with conversations during lockdown with young people discussing what they wanted the future of youth theatre to look like. Little did we know that those chats would be the catalyst for creating one of the biggest and far-reaching projects of its kind.”

The new plays which will be performed over the next year include a story focusing on how three generations of the one family help each other through tough times, an adventure story featuring talking paintings and a show focusing on a group of drama students trying to stop their building from being demolished.

Traverse artistic director Gareth Nicholls said "We are thrilled to continue our collaboration with Wonder Fools on Positive Stories for Negative Times.

"It truly embodies the power of theatre to inspire and connect young people across Scotland - and beyond - and by commissioning bold and dynamic voices.

"In creating work with and for young people, we’re not only providing a platform for their creativity but also fostering the next generation of theatre-makers and storytellers.

"It’s an honour to be a part of something that empowers young people to make their voices heard in such a meaningful and impactful way."

Kenny McGlashan, chief executive of Youth Theatre Arts Scotland, said: "We have been a proud partner and supporter of the project.

"We have witnessed first-hand how the free access to new resources and activities has encouraged a rich community of practice to emerge."