Young Company x Crew

Ages: S1+

Tuesdays from 5pm - 7pm, plus additional residency and production periods

entry by audition

We are a contemporary performance company made up of an ensemble of performers and crew aged 12+, working collaboratively with professional artists. Together, we work side-by-side to make original and dynamic dance theatre productions with live music. Artistic integrity is at the centre of the Company's ambition - we believe in processes and productions that are approached with vigour and vision, blurring the lines between the youth and professional performance sector.

Our works explore diverse ideas and concepts which the young people are supported to interrogate - ideas which ask questions about the world we live in, our experience in it and our visions for the future. We meet for weekly training and rehearsals, working towards original shows. As well as making new work, the Company build their skills and creative practice through guest workshops, exchanges and and mentoring from the creative team.

As well as making our own shows, the Young Company x Crew also programme and host key events at Artspace, including a season of professional shows for Young Audiences. They also lead on the planning and delivery of Lyra's annual festival Bright & Wild.

Originally founded by Lyra's Artistic Director, Jo Timmins, the Young Company is led by Director/Choreogapher, Natalia Barua with Composer, Caitlin Mulgrew, Crew Lead Lauren Desjardin and Producer Anna Plasberg-Hill. (Natalia is currently on maternity leave and Caitlin is leading as Young Company Director (Maternity Cover) in collaboration with Dance Artist, Bridie Gane).

Past productions include Take Up Space, That Feeling When, Sampler, This Way Up, and Wild Heart.

How can you become a member of Lyra Young Company x Crew?

Auditions for the Young Company x Crew are held bi-annually in January and August/September.

Interested in auditioning? Please contact us on lyra@lyra.co.uk.

Young Company x Crew Team

Natalia Barua - Director / Choreographer

Natalia is a dance artist and choreographer working predominantly in video dance, interdisciplinary performance and participation. She has worked in participation for over 10 years as a practitioner, facilitator and producer, designing, leading and supporting community-focused and professional projects. Natalia has developed and delivered high-quality dance projects with vulnerable young people, for adults experiencing mental health issues, worked for charities such as Mencap and NACRO, in primary, secondary and SEN schools across England and Scotland, facilitated social development programmes in deprived communities and has been employed by leading dance organisations including East London Dance, English National Ballet School, YDance and Pavilion Dance South West. She co-directed Diverse Dance, an inclusive dance company in London from 2013-2017, presenting work at venues such as Siobhan Davies Dance Studios, Big Dance Bus and Southbank Centre (Unlimited Festival).

Natalia's video dance productions have been awarded at and screened at festivals worldwide and installed at venues throughout the UK. In 2020 Natalia was commissioned by Lyra's Young Artists for the creation of a video-performance-installation, Slumbering Deep.

Caitlin Mulgrew - Composer & Sound Designer.
(Director of Take Up Space)

Caitlin is a musician, composer and sound designer from Edinburgh with over 10 years of experience creating original music and audio experiences for theatre, installations, dance and film.

She is interested in multi-disciplinary artforms and her work often takes an immersive form. She enjoy creating experiential audio spaces, where audiences feel welcome and inspired (hopefully). Caitlin's practice is always collaborative, she strives for inclusivity and welcomes non-traditional approaches to making contemporary music and performance. Her influences are eclectic – from Brian Eno to Beyonce; Dalí to Gilmore Girls and Brecht to Cirque de Solei.

She has worked with the National Theatre of Scotland, Imaginate, Lyceum, Lyra, Buzzcut, National Youth Choir of Scotland, Artlink and Drake Music Scotland amongst many others.

Anna Plasberg-Hill - Producer

Anna has been working with Lyra since 2018 and is delighted to be producing the Young Company's work.

She studied Drama, Applied Theatre and Education at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (2012), and subsequently went on to train in Physical Theatre at St Mary’s University College (2013). She has over 10 years of experience working as a practitioner, project coordinator and producer in a range of arts and engagement contexts, particularly focusing on projects with children, young people and communities. She has worked with a number of organisations including Catherine Wheels Theatre Company, Children’s Parliament, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Aberdeen Performing Arts, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, Kulturmanagement Solingen (Germany) and the National Theatre of Scotland.