Rhode Island Youth Theatre Information

Rhode Island Youth Theatre (RIYT) inspires youth through the arts by providing children and teens with opportunities to create, perform, and experience exceptional theatre. We provide scholarships for students with demonstrated financial needs, and jobs and internships for RI's emerging artists in all aspects of theatre production, design, and management. Our goal is to create a permanent youth theatre organization that is a testament to Rhode Island’s support of its youth, education, and the arts – a model of excellence in developing new works, innovative programs, and educational initiatives. We accomplish this through collaborations with cultural arts organizations, centers of learning, and distinguished artists. Our programs incorporate powerful storytelling, representing a wide array of cultures, themes, and art forms. We are an ensemble company, guided by the values of respect, responsibility, and collaboration. RIYT programs and collaborations are designed to engage, educate, and empower young people. Our facilities, programs, and practices are inclusive and accessible to all. In fact, we make a special effort to reach out to young people who are at risk of being disengaged. Community outreach is an important component of our overall mission. At RIYT, we encourage children and teens to express their unique voices, develop their own works, and take a role in creating programming and policies. We consider it our responsibility to provide a theatre environment in which students feel empowered, a place where their diverse interests, talents, and skills are valued, and a place where each student becomes an integral part of an ensemble through the process of creating performance pieces, presenting them, and generating ongoing conversations about complex issues.