Access and Barriers to Young People's Attendance at Theatre

Abstract

The four years of research on the TheatreSpace project identified a number of factors relating to young people's attendance at theatre.Family and childhood experiences of live performance strongly influence young people's theatre confidence and often provide a conduit to sustained theatre attendance.Theatre attendance facilitated by a friend is often a crucial factor in inducting young people into live theatre and also supporting ongoing attendance.Young people are deterred from attending live theatre by: lack of information in the media they use and the social networks they trust; lack of social connections to other young theatre-goers; resistance to forward planning; perceptions of the high cost of theatre.