What we do

Zest Theatre reaches 20,000 young people in communities right across the country every year. We tour across the length and breadth of the nation, working in theatres, schools, colleges, festivals, secure units, youth centres, high streets, market squares, public gardens, shopping centres and libraries. 

We make productions for young people that educate, empower and entertain. Most of our work can be accessed for free! But we know there is always more we can do.

Why we do it

Why? Because young people are incredible! We exist to bring innovation and inspiration to captivate a new generation of theatre audience. All our work is inspired by young people under 25. But this is more than putting on some shows for teenagers.

Zest makes space to listen and respond to young people. We make work that represents them, putting them at the heart of our story. Our work is transformative; being seen and heard in a meaningful way changes lives!

We believe that great art should be for everyone, not just the privileged few. We want our work to reach even more young people from ALL parts of the community!

The Numbers

Each year we reach around 20,000 young people. This costs around £200,000 per year. But with no core funding, we rely on grant funding and fundraising to make all this happen. That’s £10 per young person.