Rising Youth Theatre

Rising Youth Theatre's mission is:

"To create youth driven theatre that is riveting and relevant, challenging audiences to hear new stories, start conversations and participate in their communities."

The company operates on a series of five core values:

We Believe:

• In the radical potential of youth.
• In creating art that is embedded in and reflective of our community.
• That everyone who wants to see or participate in theatre should have access to it.
• In what is possible when people from different ethnicities, genders, ages, social circumstances and cultural contexts come together.
• That youth deserve to see themselves, their values and their experiences reflected onstage in making great art.

RYT was co-founded in 2011 by Sarah Sullivan and Xanthia Walker, after finishing degrees in Theatre for Youth at Arizona State University. Wanting to stay in this community and seeking a venue to create original theatre with young people, they founded RYT, a theatre company centered on the stories and experiences of youth. Through collaborations between professional artists and young people ranging in age from 2-24, youth participants create and perform in age and skill appropriate theatre experiences ranging from short process-based residencies to fully produced productions. RYT is committed to working with youth from a wide range of experiences and backgrounds.

RYT operates on a model of youth working alongside professional artists. RYT youth participants work with highly skilled actors, playwrights, designers, musicians, composers, poets, dancers across artistic disciplines and styles.