Young People

Igniting Bright Sparks 

Whatever you’re here for, we're here for it. No matter if you love dance, drama, visual art, technical theatre, producing, or directing, there’s an opportunity for everyone to get involved.

Keep scrolling to learn more about the projects and programmes we've got going on for young people at Lowry. 

If you’ve got any questions or need some support, get in touch.

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Youth employability

Say 'YES!' to Youth Employability & Skills

If you’re aged 13-25, living in Salford, and not in education, training or work, stop what you’re doing… - we've got a unique opportunity for you to:

  • Learn new skills
  • Gain qualifications
  • Get back into education or employment

Our YES programme delivers tailored creative and work-based learning to young people - from backstage tours of the world of work to longer-term work placements. 

Get the chance to:

  • Focus on your personal development
  • Build transferable skills like confidence, communication and future planning
  • Gain practical skills to get you work-ready or prepped for training

We’ve ensured there are group opportunities suitable for PRUs, alternative education providers, access groups or other groups of young people who need additional support to engage in education.

Individual placements are also available for young people at risk of disengagement from education.

For more information, please get in touch.

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Lowry CAT Scheme

Are you aged 11-16 and love to dance? Our Centre for Advanced Training Scheme (CAT) is a part-time, pre-career, top-quality dance training course for young people with bags of potential, regardless of personal circumstances. 

The scheme covers contemporary dance, ballet, contextual, creative and performance studies. It provides clear training and an exploration of what a career in dance might look like.

Our Lowry CAT is part of part of a family of National CATS and is sponsored by the Music and Dance Scheme through the Department of Education, providing financial support for families through grants.

For more info, visit our FAQs or get in touch. 

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See what our current cohort is up to on Instagram and Facebook.

Lowry Theatre Makers

Theatre Makers create bold, fun and high quality theatre together. In these programmes Salford young people explore drama techniques, develop skills and make friends for life, with trips to professional shows and the chance to perform on Lowry stages. What’s not to love?!

There are 4 groups; 

Onstage Beginners for ages 8-11 from Salford at The Den in Walkden.

Onstage Makers for ages 11-13 from Salford at The Den in Walkden.

Onstage Ensemble for ages 11-16 from Salford at Lowry  

Backstage for ages 14 - 18 from Greater Manchester at Lowry

Lowry Young Company

Lowry Young Company is for young people aged 13-17, from across Greater Manchester, who love theatre and looking for new and exciting performance opportunities. Following workshop auditions in September, the group meets weekly to learn acting techniques, develop drama skills and most importantly, rehearse. 

The group then meets weekly to learn acting techniques, develop drama skills, and most importantly, rehearse together. 

Before the performance date, they also participate in masterclasses and workshops to create an unforgettable show

If you've got questions or would like to get involved, get in touch.

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Arts Award

Our Learning & Engagement programme gives children and young people who take part in our programmes the chance to get Arts Award qualifications.

Arts Award is a range of unique qualifications that allow anyone up to the age of 25 to gain accreditation and even UCAS points as they grow. They'll also have an adviser from Lowry's team to lean on as their assessor, facilitator and mentor. 

It inspires young people to connect with the arts world and explore different art forms, from theatre and spoken word to dance, drama and visual arts. 

Offered at five levels, Arts Awards opens doors to:

  • Discovering the joy of experimenting with art forms
  • Learning and sharing new creativity and leadership skills
  • Working with creative arts professionals
  • Progressing into further education and employment

We run bespoke Arts Award programmes for individuals and groups that complement our Learning & Engagement programme. For more info, get in touch. 

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NT Speak Up Programme

Speak Up is the National Theatre’s co-creation programme working with partners across the country. It empowers young people to tell their stories and nurtures future leaders.

It's a secondary school programme designed to support young people in Greater Manchester who want to speak up about the issues that matter to them. This could be in their schools, in their local communities or even nationally. 

Young people work closely with their teachers, artists, the National Theatre and us lot at Lowry to make local artworks and creative projects. 


“I love Speak Up because everyone is a community. We all just act ourselves, as soon as people know it’s ok to be their proper selves in this group they become more confident for society.” - Speak Up student


We'll be working across 15 schools for three years (September 2022-August 2025) to make the magic happen - 5 in Wigan, 5 in Salford and 5 in Rochdale. These schools were selected by invitation because we want to prioritise areas with low arts engagement and limited access to opportunities for young people

Learn more about NT Speak Up

Interview tips for teenagers

Job interviews can be tough, especially if you haven't done many before. Dive into our Interview Practice for Creative Careers to help you feel prepared. 

Learn some tips from Stage Directions