FAQs

Enrolments can be made on a semester or yearly basis. Payment options include single or dual semester payments or for the entire year. Enrolments for each semester generally open roughly four weeks prior to the commencement of the semester. Our workshop programs run by semester and are in line with ACT school dates. The start and finish dates for our workshops this semester are displayed in each individual workshop description. If you would like a reminder or would like to stay up to date with our workshops and productions, please subscribe to our eNewsletter or like our Facebook page.

For our school programs, enrolments are made on a term basis. Our intake points are the beginning of Term 1, Term 2, Term 3 and Term 4.

For our ensemble programs, enrolments are made on a semester basis. Our intake points are the beginning of Term 1 and Term 3.

Due to the ensemble nature of our programs, we do not take enrolments in the middle of a semester. However, give us a call on 02 6248 5057 or send an email to workshops@canberrayouththeatre.com.au and we can discuss when the next intake point is.

Our enrolments are processed on a first come, first served basis. We cap our workshops at 16 participants per workshop with a Workshop Artist, and at 20 participants per workshop with a Workshop Artist and Workshop Assistant. These numbers may vary according to social distancing requirements. 

If the workshop you want to enrol in is full, please put your name on the waiting list. We aim to have as many participants as possible in our workshops, and will open additional workshops if there is sufficient demand.

Generally, we do not reserve places for workshops so please ensure you enrol online or contact us as soon as possible. Places do fill up quickly! 

If you have previously been enrolled in a workshop that is now full, please contact us by phone or email to discuss your situation – we might be able to find a creative solution!

If you miss out on a School program you may wish to consider coming to our workshops at Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres or Belconnen Arts Centre.

Yes, we do. If a workshop becomes fully enrolled, we encourage you to put your name on the waiting list so we know that you are interested! We want our workshops to be accessible to as many people as possible – and if we have extra interest, we may be able to open another workshop! We don’t know about demand unless you tell us!

Enrolments are by semester. You must re-enrol each semester online or contact our office on 02 6248 5057.

Although we do not generally reserve places in our workshop without payment, if you are experiencing financial difficulties, please contact our office on 02 6248 5057 to discuss your options.

Please contact our office for further assistance either by calling 6248 5057 or emailing workshops@canberrayouththeatre.com.au. Only once we receive completed enrolment details and the payment required can we confirm your place in a workshop.

You will receive a confirmation to the email address you provide us. If you do not receive a confirmation, please contact us as soon as possible. You will also receive an email 2 days before the start of the semester confirming the date and time of your workshop, and other important details.

Proposed workshops may be cancelled due to an inadequate number of participants. In the event that this occurs, we will let you know and where possible move you to an available workshop, or refund any payments made.

In the rare event that an individual workshop session is cancelled, the cost of that session will be refunded pro rata.

Canberra Youth Theatre’s workshops are tailored to the age group, and specific participants in each workshop. Most workshops follow an overall structure of a warm up, creative play and exercises to introduce a skill or technique, followed by the creation or rehearsal of a performance work, and then a cool down. 

Our workshops are delivered by professional Workshop Artists. Workshops are a collaborative experience between the young artists and professional theatre practitioners. Final performances for younger age groups are based on devised works, while older age groups work on a mixture of devised works and existing texts.

We are not a child care provider and do not fall under the Australian Government Child Care Benefit Scheme.

We are not a registered NDIS provider, however we have participants who participate in our workshops as part of their NDIS plan.

Our workshop programs run by semester and are in line with ACT school dates. The start and finish dates for our workshops are displayed in each individual workshop description. Workshops do not run over school holidays, or on public holidays. We do however run Holiday Workshops during a period of school holidays.

Yes, each semester is a unique program, and caters for experienced and new participants.

You could try a short-term workshop such as our Holiday Program, or get in touch with our office to view an end of semester performance. If you’re still uncertain, you may be able to trial the first workshop of the semester, providing the workshop is not full. Give us a call to discuss further.

WEEKLY WORKSHOPS

If you need to withdraw from weekly workshops, we can offer a refund if it is within the first three weeks of the workshop program. This will be a pro-rata refund less an administration fee of $25 per enrolment. We are unable to provide refunds for withdrawals after week three of the first term.

For full year enrolments, if you need to withdraw for semester two, we can offer a refund of the semester two fees if you withdraw prior to the commencement of the semester. This will be pro-rata refunded at the semester enrolment rate, less an administration fee of $25 per enrolment. We are unable to provide refunds for withdrawals after the commencement of semester two.

Even if you are paying term by term, your enrolment is still for a full semester. You are required to pay for both terms, even if you withdraw from the workshop after week three.

HOLIDAY PROGRAMS

We are able to provide refunds for withdrawals from Holiday Programs up to 7 days prior to the start date.

MASTERCLASSES

We are able to provide refunds for withdrawals from Masterclasses up to 14 days prior to the start date. 

OTHER GENERAL POLICIES

If a workshop is cancelled by us, the customer will be fully refunded. 

In the rare event that an individual workshop session is cancelled, the cost of that session will be refunded pro rata, or credited towards future enrolments with us.

All fees are included in your enrolment. Everyone who enrols and attends a workshop is considered to be a non-voting member of Canberra Youth Theatre for that calendar year. 

If you are not enrolled in a workshop program, but are participating in a production, you will need to pay a Production Participation fee. You can do so here.

If a participant has any access requirements, we will accommodate them as much as possible. If the participant does not have any access requirements, it is our policy that parents are to remain outside the workshop because:

• It is the participants’ time to be creative with their peers.
• It can be disruptive to the learning and creative process having non-participants in the space.
• It can introduce an element of performance when the group is focused on exploration and development.
• Some participants may become introverted or self-conscious with either parents or others watching on.
• All of our staff undergo a Working With Vulnerable Persons (WWVP) Clearance.

If your child is nervous, you are welcome to wait outside the workshop so that they can find you easily. We have an End of Semester Performance for family and friends to see the progress of their child in the program.

Our workshops are grouped by the year they are enrolled in at their school. For primary, either Years 1-3 or 4-6. For secondary, either 7-9 or 10-12. All participants must be seven years old on the first day of their workshop. It is important that all young artists are enrolled in the appropriate ensemble for their age in order to challenge and further develop their performance skills.

Workshop Artists are appointed by the Artistic Director based on their skills and expertise within a professional theatre setting, as well as their experience working with young people. 

Participants should wear comfortable clothing they can move around in, and bring a drink bottle.

If you or your child will be absent from a workshop, please contact our office by phone on (02) 6248 5057 or email workshops@canberrayouththeatre.com.au as early as possible so we can let the Workshop Artist know. 

Although some absences are unavoidable, it is important that all participants do their very best to attend all workshop sessions. In order for every member of the group to get the most out of their experience at Canberra Youth Theatre, we require commitment to weekly attendance.

We hold end of semester performances at the following times: 

• For workshops at Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres, during the second last week of each semester. 
• For workshops at Belconnen Arts Centre and in schools, during the last week of each semester.

These are generally during the regular workshop times and are a wonderful opportunity to see the progress of your young artist.

Performances may be adjusted according to social distancing advice in line with our COVID Safe plan.

If you have any questions regarding the enrolment process, or if you have feedback about our workshops, please put it in writing to workshops@canberrayouththeatre.com.au and we will get back to you within three working days. If it is urgent, please call our office on 02 6248 5057.

All our workshops operate in line with government social distancing requirements and our COVID Safe Plan. 

All staff and volunteers at Canberra Youth Theatre must hold a valid Working with Vulnerable People card, or equivalent from other jurisdictions. In the unlikely event that a volunteer does not meet this requirement, there will be a member of staff present at all times during their interaction with young people, in line with the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011 (the WWVP Act).

You can view our Child Safe – Safeguarding Policy here, and our Disclosure of Child Abuse Policy here.

All staff and volunteers are subject to reference checks prior to engagement at Canberra Youth Theatre.

From January 2021, all staff and volunteers engaged by Canberra Youth Theatre will be given specific child safety training. This training module will be reviewed yearly, and additional training will be provided to all staff where necessary.

Canberra Youth Theatre is committed to the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

You can view our Child Safe – Safeguarding Policy here, and our Disclosure of Child Abuse Policy here.

Canberra Youth Theatre complies with the Australian Privacy ACT (1988) and the associated Australian Privacy Principles. You can read our full Privacy Policy here.

Canberra Youth Theatre is a paperless office. The majority of physical paperwork pre 2020 has been digitised, and is stored securely on the company’s Google Drive. More information on Google Drive’s privacy policy can be found here. Post 2020 paperwork is all digital, and stored on the company’s Google Drive.

Canberra Youth Theatre uses AFI as our server backup. Information on their privacy and data storage policies can be found here. 

Canberra Youth Theatre uses the booking system Class Manager. They store information on Amazon Web Services. Information on their privacy and data storage policies can be found here. Payments made through Class Manager are processed through Stripe. Information on their privacy and data storage policies can be found here. 

Canberra Youth Theatre uses Mailchimp for EDMs, surveys and other mass communications with our mailing list. Mailchimp’s privacy policy can be found here.

If a young artist or the parent of a young artist feels the need to make a complaint, they can contact the Child Safety Officer by email (workshops@canberrayouththeatre.com.au), by phone (02 6248 5057) or in-person during office hours. The Child Safety Officer is the Program Administrator.

When a complaint is received by email, a receipt email will be sent by the next office day. The complaint will be investigated, and where appropriate, the Administrator or Artistic Director will be involved in the investigation. All complaints will be logged using an accident and incident report. All complaints will be investigated and responded to in a reasonable timeframe.

Canberra Youth Theatre is not covered by the ACT’s Reportable Conduct or Mandatory Reporting Schemes. However, we have a moral obligation to act on the behaviours and complaints addressed by both the Reportable Conduct and Mandatory Reporting Schemes as Voluntary Reporters. Where Reportable Conduct is involved, an independent investigator may be engaged. Where a voluntary reporter has concerns, a Child Concern Report may be filed with Child and Youth Protection Services (CYPS). Where a Mandatory Reportable complaint is made, this will be forwarded directly to ACT Policing and / or to Child and Youth Protection Services (CYPS). As outlined by ACT Government Community Services (September 2019), “All adults in our community have a responsibility to report to CYPS if they believe or suspect a child may be at risk of abuse or neglect… In addition, all adults in our community must report to the Police if they believe child sexual abuse has occurred.” 

Where Canberra Youth Theatre is contracted by a designated entity such as a School or Out of School Hours Care, and offers a program such as Workshop by Design, Holiday Workshop or weekly workshop, (ie, not as a hirer at a school), Canberra Youth Theatre is considered an employee of the designated entity. In this instance, the designated entity would need to report allegations about Canberra Youth Theatre staff, if they were to arise.

You can view our Child Safe – Safeguarding Policy here, and our Disclosure of Child Abuse Policy here.

Canberra Youth Theatre is proud to work with a number of organisations, including ACT Together, CREATE Foundation, Canberra Refugee Support and The Companion House to offer scholarships to our weekly workshop programs. We also offer open scholarships to individuals and families in the Canberra Region. If you are experiencing financial difficulties, please contact our office on 02 6248 5057 to discuss your options. 

We do not run classes on public holidays, and these are not included in your fees.

You can withdraw from a workshop within the first three weeks for semester long ensemble programs, or within the first two weeks for term long school programs. If you withdraw within this time, your fees will be refunded pro rata, less an administration fee to the original payment method. After this time, no refunds are made.