Rising Youth Theatre

To imagine and build the world we want to live in through youth-driven, multigenerational collaboration and justice-centered artistic process and performance that generates reflection, connection and action.

Rising Youth Theatre is a youth leadership organization that uses theatre to position young people in advocacy spaces. The company works primarily in Arizona's Maricopa County, working with young people and professional adult artists to create socially relevant, original plays that have a positive impact on our community. Young people work alongside adults in creating original plays, develop social emotional skills through arts education in their schools, and grow into community leaders through strong relationships and arts learning. Rising Youth Theatre believes that theatre and the arts are powerful tools with which young people can stand up and advocate for themselves and their peers. There is no cost for youth to participate and all performances are presented to the public for free, strengthening access to arts and dialogue across Arizona communities.

Young people work in leadership spaces across all levels of the organization, including the staff, board, and creative spaces. The company's apprentice program provides paths for job training and payment for young people as they move through Rising Youth Theatre's programs. More than 500 young people benefit from these programs each year, and thousands more people of all ages attend and engage with free performances.

Rising Youth Theatre believes that change happens when we listen to young people. There are very few spaces in our state where young people are positioned as leaders, working alongside adults to make a difference. Through artmaking, we are able to make these spaces, creating opportunities for young people to advocate for themselves and their peers.