Spectrum Youth Theatre (SYT) is a puppetry focused youth theatre for neurodivergent young people. A chance to make, create and meet new friends, SYT uses boundless imagination to create fantastic shows about the things that matter to them. Previously this has included prehistoric time travel, outer space, climate change and the monsters that live inside us. Together, we design and build puppets, devise stories and create everything from scratch.
Smoking Apples have pioneered and developed SYT, in partnership with the Little Angel Theatre, since 2016. During this time, we have created four original performances, including a promenade piece and 11 digital films, championing the incredible creative work of young neurodivergent minds.
The latest installment of SYT will see us deliver four week long residencies across the UK; in Canterbury (Marlowe Theatre), London (Little Angel Theatre), Swindon (Prime Theatre) and Burton on Trent (The Brewhouse). Please see below for more information.
Supported by Arts Council England and Enterprise Arts Trust.
Information for Participants and Parents/Carers
Example outline of an average residency day:
This is an example outline of what we get up to during day 1 of a residency week. The activity varies from day to day but can include group makes, puppet design and making, storyboarding, scripting and filming. You can also download a pdf example of our visual timetable here.
10am – 10.15am: Participants arrive and register
10.15am – 10.40am: Circle time
10.40am – 11.10am: Games
11.10am – 11.30am: Introduction to the theme
11.30am – 11.45am: Break
11.45am – 12.30pm: Individual making task
12.30pm – 1.30pm: Lunch
1.30pm – 1.45pm: Games
1.45pm – 2.30pm: Group making tasks
2.30pm – 2.45pm: Break
2.45pm – 3.30pm: Finish group make
3.30pm – 4pm: Games and Circle time
