History of our beginnings from the founding director Brigid Kitchin

Urban Myth Theatre of Youth, or Unley Youth Theatre as it was first named was founded on a lot of young energy in 1981. I remember the first workshop was on my 19th birthday and that felt pretty auspicious. Urban Myth started because a number of people and events were in the right place at the right time. I had just finished school in Canberra and had been involved with Canberra Youth Theatre since the age of 13. It was there I started directing and like many youth theatres, it’s where I got my first opportunity to direct and discovert this fantastic world.

I came across a cottage in Edmund Avenue, there was apart-time administrator who didn’t seem to have much to do and there was a small group of young people meeting for drama workshops once a week in one of the rooms of the house. I figured I could do a lot better with those workshops, get a bigger space for one and get more people involved. At the same time Unley Council were wanting to get something happening for young people in the area, something creative, so we all met. I had some experience with my time at Canberra Youth Theatre, Unley Council had the resources, so we secured the Unley Library for workshop space, put posters all around the area saying:

“Don’t you think it’s time you had a youth theatre in your area, come and meet on Saturday afternoon.”

About 15 people turned up, I said this is what we can do, what do you think? And that small group decided to give it a go and we had our first workshop the following Tuesday.

And that’s how Urban Myth Theatre of Youth started!

More recent History

Since that time the company has had a rich history spanning 26 years. We have an excellent track record and have made a significant contribution to Australian theatre throughout this period. This contribution is reflected in both the excellence of our practice, and the significant role the company has played in fostering new artists, new ideas and new methods of working.

High calibre professional artists work in exchange with our youth membership aged 5-26 years to create cutting edge theatre performances and artistic activity. Artists such as Sally Chance, Kim Hanna, Chris Drummond, Gaelle Mellis, Hannah Macdougall, James Winter, Steve Mayhew, Dean Hills, Brendan Ross, Jo Coventry, Sean Riley, Fiona Sprott, Ingrid Voorendt, Rosalba Clemente, Michael Hill, Astrid Pill, Alyson Brown, Roz Hervey, Glenn Hayden and Andrea Lemon have worked with the company. Production highlights in the company’s more recent history include The Time of Ashes. Puberty Blues, In My Life I died Once or Twice, Downtown, Grunt, Dream Café, brave, When the Penny Drops, The Crucible, Motion Sickness, My Sister Violet, Out of the Boot, Midsummer Night's Dream and Antigone, Prayer to an Iron God, 1984, Curfew, Romeo and Juliet

The young people at Urban Myth have continually played a central role in the development of new ideas. The history of Urban Myth’s Workshop Program reflects this commitment to giving young people the opportunity to express their culture to their peers through performance and skills development. We have a second tier to our management structure that is comprised of our members called “The Crew” who help inform and report to our Board of Management. The young members of the company invest a great deal of energy, time and professional skills into the company’s planning and development. The Crew are respected experts and advocates of the growth and progression of the company. Urban Myth’s acclaimed workshop program is unique and The Crew acts as an artistic associate to the Artistic Director to guide programming. Urban Myth attracts a diversity of artists to work alongside our members and our work is vibrant and resonant with youth audiences. Our program of workshops is characterised through our integrity of practice, professionalism, the high quality theatre tutors we attract to the company providing professional exchange between artists and our youth membership, and our issue based approach to programming (for instance, workshops often explore a relevant contemporary theme devised collectively by the members, staff and artists). Urban Myth is an accessible creative environment tapping into the imaginative spaces of youth through their participation in the Performing Arts.