BLAST Youth Theatre

New Adventures Ahead

Following the success of Found — our original production exploring identity, belonging, and community — BLAST Youth Theatre is stepping into an exciting new chapter. Our young performers shone in 2024/25, bringing their creativity and voices to the stage in unforgettable performances at the Towngate and Palace Theatres.

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We’re thrilled to share that BLAST Youth Theatre has been awarded BBC Children in Need funding, securing free weekly drama sessions for young people in Southend and Basildon from 2025 to 2028. This incredible support will help us continue breaking down barriers, building confidence, and celebrating creativity through theatre.

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Looking ahead, we can’t wait to launch Gather & Tell, a brand-new immersive project funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. This year, our young company will dive into folk tales and imagination to create a multi-sensory theatrical experience — one that invites audiences to see, hear, and feel stories in new and inspiring ways.

Follow us as we embark on this new journey of storytelling, creativity, and connection — where every voice matters, and every young person has a chance to shine.

Behind the Scenes of Found

To celebrate our Found journey, we’ve created a special behind-the-scenes film featuring rehearsal moments, cast interviews, and insights from the creative team. It’s a chance to hear directly from our young performers about what Found meant to them — and to experience the teamwork, imagination, and energy that brought Archibald’s story to life.

BLAST Youth Theatre is a vibrant hub for youngsters aged 8-12, focussed on those with English as an additional language. Through dynamic and exhilarating drama activities, we ignite the spark of confidence, develop language skills & support well-being.

BLAST Youth Theatre, launched in 2021 in collaboration with Welcome To The UK and expanded to Basildon in 2024 in partnership with Signpost and Towngate Theatre.

Registrations for September 2025 are now closed. If you have any enquiries or would like to join our waiting list, please get in touch.

Contact BLAST Youth Theatre
BLAST Youth Theatre member: Child in colorful, shiny costume with arms outstretched, performing on stage.

“Taking part made me feel happy & very joyful. I have learnt confidence and taking part - expressing myself more through acting.”

— BLAST Youth Theatre member

BLAST Youth Theatre members: Children wearing colorful butterfly and superhero costumes with face paint, standing in front of a yellow curtain.
Group of children and adults celebrating on stage with a projection in the background and yellow curtains, some holding decorative paper dragons and waving.
Children on stage holding colorful paper puppets during a school performance.
Young girl with blonde hair, wearing a blue sports shirt, standing indoors with a smile, hands on her chest.
A woman and two children taking a photo at an indoor event. The woman is smiling and holding a colorful display. The girl has a homemade paper headpiece and is holding a painted stick, while the boy stands next to her. Several people are visible in t
Child smiling and holding a colourful fish-shaped puppet at a BLAST youth theatre performance with other children and puppets in the background.
A young girl dressed in a red costume performing a dance on stage with children dressed as animals in the background.
A group of people seated and standing, clapping and smiling during a BLAST youth theatre event inside a colourful cafe or community space with wall art and a bar area in the background.
Children performing in a colorful stage play, dressed in costumes, with yellow and pink curtains in the background.
A young girl with face paint being decorated with a paintbrush by another person at a festive event.
A young girl dressed as a clown and a young boy in a school uniform are standing indoors, both showing surprised or excited expressions.
A young girl with glasses and long dark hair reading from a colorful pamphlet titled "Magical Stories" in an indoor setting with framed photographs on the wall behind her.
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“My son is less shy, more confident & developed his social skills.”

— Parent feedback

Latest News
BLAST Youth Theatre awarded BBC Children in Need funding
BLAST Youth Theatre awarded BBC Children in Need funding

We are thrilled to announce that BLAST Youth Theatre has been awarded funding from BBC Children in Need to support our work with vulnerable young people in Southend and Basildon.

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BLAST Youth Theatre Wraps Up 2024/25 with Found
BLAST Youth Theatre Wraps Up 2024/25 with Found

This summer, BLAST Youth Theatre closed the 2024/25 year with Found — a magical play about Archibald, a lost puppet discovering where he belongs. Performed by young people aged 8–12, it celebrated belonging, identity, and community.

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Meet the Creative Team Behind Found
Meet the Creative Team Behind Found

We’re so excited to introduce the brilliant creative team behind Found, our brand-new production with BLAST Youth Theatre.

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BLAST Youth Theatre Presents Found – Summer Update
BLAST Youth Theatre Presents Found – Summer Update

Our young company at BLAST Youth Theatre are well into rehearsals for Found – and the energy is electric!

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Ripple Effect: Creativity Springs Into Action
Ripple Effect: Creativity Springs Into Action

We’re feeling incredibly inspired by the creativity and passion that has emerged during the development of Ripple Effect. This term, both groups of Blast Youth Theatre have explored powerful themes of migration, acceptance, and unity, using their unique voices to share their stories.

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Ripple Effect: A New Theatre Project with BLAST Youth Theatre
Ripple Effect: A New Theatre Project with BLAST Youth Theatre

We’re thrilled to announce Ripple Effect, an inspiring new theatre project created by BLAST Youth Theatre and funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

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BLAST Youth Theatre Expands to Basildon This September!
BLAST Youth Theatre Expands to Basildon This September!

Elevator Arts is thrilled to announce the expansion of our beloved BLAST Youth Theatre to Basildon this September! Building on the success of our Southend group, we are excited to bring our innovative and inclusive project to more young people in the South Essex area.

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Celebrating Creativity and Collaboration: BLAST Youth Theatre’s End of Term Show
Celebrating Creativity and Collaboration: BLAST Youth Theatre’s End of Term Show

This past term has been a whirlwind of creativity, hard work, and joy for BLAST Youth Theatre. Last week, our talented members showcased their end-of-term performance to an enthusiastic audience of family and friends at Southend’s Twenty One.

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“My child has learnt lots about meeting peers from other cultures and countries.”

BLAST Youth Theatre 2025/26 Funders & Partners

Registered charity in England and Wales (802052) and Scotland (SC039557)

Arts Council England logo with "Lottery Funded" text and a hand icon.
Graphic with the text 'WELCOME TO THE UK' and a map of the United Kingdom filled with flags of various countries.
Logo of Signpost Resource Centres with black text and a small green circle over the letter 'i'.
Towngate Theatre logo with teal and pink lettering

BLAST Youth Theatre’s past funders

Logos "People's Postcode Lottery" on the left and "Postcode Places Trust" on the right, with a gold ribbon above each. Text reads "Supported by players of" and "Awarded funds from" above the logos.
Community Fund logo featuring a smiling hand with crossed fingers next to the text "Community Fund" in bold pink and black letters.
Queen's Platinum Jubilee 2022 logo next to Arts Council England lottery funded logo.
Logo of Comic Relief, a red square with white text, and the words "Funded by" in black outline.
Basildon Council logo with Basildon, Billericay, Wickford text
Logo with FSJ Charities text and butterfly design
Blue CO-OP logo on black background
Logo of The Rosca Trust with a design of four overlapping hands in different colors and the text "The Rosca Trust."