We’re excited to share a new update about our Monday Nighters. Our Monday Night Youth Theatre has moved to a new home at The Mill Arts Centre! This move marks an important step in expanding opportunities for young people across Banbury to explore creativity, build confidence, and develop lifelong skills through the performing arts. This move is a natural next step for the group and will allow us to continue growing and developing what we offer in a fantastic local arts venue. Monday Nighters is a free youth theatre group for young people aged 11–19. Participants gain invaluable experience; from building confidence and public-speaking abilities to developing teamwork, innovation, problem-solving, and effective communication skills.  Working together towards regular performances. We’re absolutely delighted to welcome The Monday Nighters to The Mill! This group brings creativity, energy, and fresh voices into our building, and that’s exactly what we’re about. Partnering with People’s Theatre Collective allows us to support young people in making bold, imaginative work while building confidence, skills, and a strong sense of community. We can’t wait to see what The Monday Nighters create here. Emma Hiorns, Creative Director of The Mill Arts Centre This term the Monday Nighters are polishing their Improvisation skills to perform at the Oxford Improv Festival before preparing to perform in an evening with students from Western Washington University, USA in March.

In July 2024, we celebrated the end of term for Amplify, our community programme offering free and low-cost creative workshops. A highlight of the term was the joyful performance of "The Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Murder Mystery Extravaganza" by adults from Style Acre , a local charity supporting adults with learning disabilities. The play was brought to life with the support of Amplify project manager Kizzy and facilitator Sophie after weeks of rehearsals. Kizzy also curated an art exhibition showcasing work from all the groups involved in Amplify, which was displayed at The Mill Arts Centre throughout July. We gathered our community groups, including participants from Banbury Mosque and Connection Support , a local charity supporting refugees, for a special sharing event. Attendees enjoyed viewing the artwork, participating in craft activities, and listening to a wonderful poem written for the event by Aoife Mannix which you can read over on our Amplify page. We are already looking forward to the start of the Autumn term!

On Tuesday, 29th October, we gathered at Banbury Town Hall to celebrate the achievements of the past year at People’s Theatre Collective. Our Celebration Evening was a reminder of why we do what we do: empowering young people through the arts. The evening was filled with highlights, but the most inspiring moments came from the young people who took to the stage to share their stories. Their heartfelt words about how People’s Theatre Collective has impacted their lives brought our mission, “Arts for All,” vividly to life. A huge thank you to everyone who made this evening possible: The young people, whose passion and courage inspires us all. Our incredible team of staff and facilitators, whose hard work drives everything we do. Families, supporters, and friends who continue to champion our cause. We’re so grateful for the support of our local community and can’t wait to see what the future holds. Here’s to another year of creativity, inclusion, and connection! Keep in Touch: Visit us at peoplestheatrecollective.org.uk  or follow us on social media to stay updated on our upcoming programs and events.

Facilitator Sophie hosted a lively three-day Park Ranger holiday workshop series for 8-11 year-olds this August. The Park Ranger programme is an exciting environmental initiative that encourages young people to get hands-on with nature and learn how to care for their environment. The group had a blast visiting Bridge Street Community Garden , where co-ordinator Tila led fun outdoor activities. The group got creative making flower bracelets, shaping salt dough gardens, and even found time for an adventurous game of hide and seek. Over the three days, Sophie took the group on outdoor expeditions through local green spaces to explore, forage, and discover the wonders of nature. Indoors, the fun continued with nature-themed puppet making, which were brought to life in a final show. There were plenty of messy hands and big smiles all round! And some wonderful feedback from a parent: "I just wanted to send a note of thanks Jemima has had the best 3 days at park ranger camp she has absolutely loved it! Such a variety of fun tasks she has come each day telling me all about it. She already can’t wait to go again!"  To find out more about our Park Ranger project - click here.