Creative Youth supports work for and by young people between the ages 5 to 26. These may be professional or amateur. Children or young adults may be involved as performers, creators and artists or as producers and event managers. The Festival welcomes work of any genre: theatre, music, dance, film, comedy, circus, cabaret, visual arts and more.

Applications for 2019 have now closed. Thank you to everyone who has submitted an application! You can find the Application Guidelines 2019 for the full festival benefits, terms and conditions.

The International Youth Arts Festival attracts a friendly and supportive audience of many thousands, who return year after year.

We welcome everyone from professional companies or artists who are touring, or testing something new, to festival first-timers looking for the opportunity to show what they can do. We provide a platform for you to showcase your work, whatever your artform. Come and explore and share new ideas with audiences and artists from around the world next summer.

There are no venue hire fees at the International Youth Arts Festival. All selected applicants are programmed into a venue by our Festival Director – from the main auditorium at Kingston’s Rose Theatre to intimate studio spaces and the outdoor stage.

Successful applicants must pay a registration fee of £150. Unsuccessful applicants do not pay a fee.

Link up with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and share your preparations for the festival. We partner with other creative organisations, such as Brighton Fringe, in the UK and around the world, so engaging online can boost your profile too.