This half term the Royal Exchange Theatre is turning up the volume, striking up the band, and welcoming young people to join our Musical Theatre Half Term Project!
16 young people joined us at the Royal Exchange over October Half Term 2025, taking part in our Musical Theatre Project for 14–18 year olds. The first edition of this year’s Young Company Shorts, the project takes inspiration from on our Christmas extravaganza, SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN, the project will be run by Kirk Jameson.
Across the week, participants got the chance to:
- Create memories over the course of a jampacked week
- Learn more about Musical Theatre and how it’s made
- Work with professional artists
- Make new friends and build confidence along the way
It was all about creativity, collaboration and – most importantly – having a lot of fun. No experience was required to take part in this all singing, all dancing introduction to Musical Theatre.
“I loved the dancing! The acting!”
“I’ve really enjoyed this week. I’d never done any musical theatre before and its really boosted my confidence.”
“My favourite part was the group becoming a family!”
Kirk is a Manchester-based theatre director known for his dynamic work across the UK and international stages. With a career spanning musical revivals, new writing, touring productions and digital innovation, he has established himself as a versatile and imaginative presence in the industry. Recent works include Simon Stephens’ play Song From Far Away starring Will Young.
Committed to fostering new talent, Kirk has been actively involved in drama training and mentorship across the UK for almost two decades; leading projects at Arts Educational, Guildford School of Acting, Mountview, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the University of Central Lancashire to name a few.