After an impactful first year, the Speak Up Council has hit the ground running into the third and final year of the programme. This October, we hosted a second national meet-up for Speak Up Council Representatives at the National Theatre in London.
In 2023, young people, artists and teachers taking part in Speak Up were invited to apply to become Representatives on The Speak Up Council. The Council is now made up of 15 students who represent the 11 areas where Speak Up is delivered.
The Council also has an Artist Representative (Sheryl Jenkins, animator based in Sunderland), a Teacher Representative (Erin Braithewaite, Director of Arts, Outwood Grange Academy Trust), plus staff from the National Theatre and our partner venues.
Welcome session
Since our inaugural Council meeting in May 2023, we have held six online meetings and a three day in-person residential. This year’s national meet up marked the second time the group had come together in person. As well as being an opportunity to reconnect, it was an inspiring chance to collaborate and plan for the upcoming final year.
We kicked things off with a welcome session for all our Student Reps and their accompanying parents and guardians. This was hosted by Director of Learning and National Partnerships, Alice King-Farlow.
The Speak Up Council is the first youth board of its kind in the history of the National Theatre. You’re not only sharing your own views, but also the voices of other young people across the country. So, thank you and well done, not only for your work on the Council so far, but for playing your part in the National Theatre’s history.
– Alice King-Farlow
Meeting our Artistic Director
Our second day started with an energising Q&A and warm up with our very own Artistic Director, Rufus Norris. Rufus chatted with the Council members to hear about their experiences of being Student Representatives and talked about the skills they have developed in their roles. One of our Student Representatives said:
Having a joint belief that speaking up, listening, and responding is vital to a sense of belonging and well-being […] I feel like I am doing something important that brings purpose.
Later in the day, we were joined by our Peer Researchers from a school in Wakefield who have been collaborating with our evaluation partner, The University of Leeds. They have developed a youth-centred participant survey designed by young people for young people.
The Peer Researchers shared the survey and asked for feedback from the Council before launching it programme-wide. It was incredibly inspiring to see young people taking the lead in shaping how we understand the impact of Speak Up.
Student Co-Chair Elections
We closed out day two with an election: ten of our Student Representatives put themselves forward as candidates for the next Council Co-Chair role. Each candidate delivered a powerful speech explaining why they should be selected, followed by a round of questions. Our NT studio space was transformed into a polling station, where Council Reps cast their votes after careful reflection.
We are excited to announce Gladness from Havering received a majority vote to be our new Student Co-Chair! Gladness wrote a spoken word piece that he performed to the rest of the group which outlined what skills and experiences he would bring to the role. Gladness will co-chair each Speak Up Council meeting with Kiri Grant, Head of National Partnerships. Together, they will plan and lead the Council meetings and work together to lead discussions and keep the meetings focused and productive.
It was inspiring to witness the dedication and passion each of the Reps brought to their campaign – everyone should feel very proud of what they achieved.
Looking ahead
Our final day was spent planning for how the Council would support the delivery of our Speak Up celebration events in summer 2025. Discussions included potential topics of conversation and creative activities that would resonate with teachers, artists, and changemakers across the country.
It was great to see the energy and focus everyone brought to share their vision and ambition for their local areas, ensuring that young people’s voices are at the centre of our events next year.
This national meet-up was a true celebration of the hard work and passion our Speak Up Council Representatives bring to their roles. We all left feeling united and empowered to begin work on this final year of Speak Up.
A huge thank you and congratulations to all involved!
Our funders
Speak Up is generously supported by The Mohn Westlake Foundation, which shares our belief in the power of youth voice and working with young people to enable positive change in their lives, schools and local communities.
Want more? Visit our Listen Up! page to look, watch and listen to the work being created by young people on Speak Up.
Photography © Matthew Kaltenborn