National Youth Arts Trust

What National Youth Arts Trust does

National Youth Arts Trust (NYAT) is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 1152367) founded in 2013 and headquartered in Chessington, operating with 1–10 staff to widen access to performing arts for young people aged 12–25 from disadvantaged backgrounds. Its core service portfolio comprises means-tested bursaries of up to £1,000 covering training costs (tuition, transport, equipment, audition fees), youth theatres providing drama education outside school (including Hull Youth Theatre), a Creative Industry Mentoring scheme for bursary holders and recent drama graduates, a free theatre ticket scheme, drama projects for young offenders in Secure Training Centres (including the Drama Pathways Project), and the Vocalized singing and musical theatre workshop programme for 11–19 year olds delivered with Youth Action Alliance.

NYAT's business model is entirely donation-funded: income is generated from individual giving (one-off and recurring donations via credit/debit card, Direct Debit, cheque, text-to-donate via Donr, and Gift Aid uplift of 25%), corporate and foundation grants (Arts Council England lottery funding plus 40+ trusts and foundations including Garfield Weston, AKO, Foyle, Mackintosh, MacRobert, and Santander), and third-party fundraising platforms (JustGiving, PayPal Giving Fund, Easy Fundraising, Tiltify for Twitch). Go-to-market is community-led, relying on Instagram, email newsletter, the website (nationalyouthartstrust.org.uk), word-of-mouth, and an NYAT Friends network of industry professionals including patron Adrian Lester OBE.

Underpinning the operation is a standard non-profit technology stack rather than a proprietary platform: Donorfy for donation management, Stripe and GoCardless as payment gateways, Donr for SMS donations, and social/web channels for engagement. Strategic delivery is executed through partnerships with professional theatres and industry bodies — The Globe (where former bursary holders Rawaed Asde and Roman Asde currently star in Romeo & Juliet, 2025), Stage Nation UK, Chelsea Theatre, the Casting Directors' Guild, ABRSM, Secret Cinema, and TodayTix — alongside youth-facing delivery partners such as Youth Action Alliance and Middle Child in Hull.

Name

National Youth Arts Trust

Legal name

National Youth Arts Trust

Website

https://nationalyouthartstrust.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

National Youth Arts Trust is a UK-registered charity founded in 2013 that provides bursaries, youth theatres, creative industry mentoring, and free theatre tickets to young people aged 12–25 from disadvantaged backgrounds pursuing performing arts training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Arts Education and Access Charity

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ), Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH), Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)

Keywords

• Youth arts funding
• Performing arts bursaries
• Drama education charity
• Youth theatre programs
• Arts mentoring services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chessington

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals via credit/debit card, Direct Debit, cheque, and text-to-donate. Gift Aid adds 25% to qualifying UK donations.
2. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Funding from corporate sponsors, trusts, foundations, and charitable organizations. Includes Arts Council England lottery funding and major donors.
3. Third-Party Fundraising Platforms: Revenue raised through Easy Fundraising (shopping donations), JustGiving page, PayPal Giving Fund, and Twitch/Tiltify streaming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

National Youth Arts Trust is a UK charity that provides means-tested bursaries of up to £1,000 to young people aged 12-25 from disadvantaged backgrounds to cover performing arts training costs (tuition, instruments, equipment, transport). It also runs youth theatre workshops, creative industry mentoring, a free theatre ticket scheme, and outreach drama projects for young offenders, all financed by donations, grants and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

National Youth Arts Trust operates as a unified charitable service portfolio rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering consists of bursaries (up to £1,000 for training costs including transport, equipment, instruments, and tuition), youth theatres providing drama education outside school, and creative industry mentoring for bursary holders and drama graduates. Supplementary programs include drama projects with young offenders (including the Drama Pathways Project), Vocalized singing and musical theatre workshops for ages 11-19, and a free theatre ticket scheme with partner Stage Nation. These services are connected through shared beneficiaries (young people aged 12-25 from disadvantaged backgrounds) and are supported by the NYAT Friends network of industry professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bursaries Financial support for young people aged 12-25 from disadvantaged backgrounds to participate in dance, music or drama training. Bursaries up to £1,000 cover transport costs, self-tape equipment, ballet shoes, musical instruments, and tuition fees.
• Youth Theatres Drama education programmes delivered outside school for teenagers from low-income backgrounds, including Hull Youth Theatre summer showcases.
• Creative Industry Mentoring Mentorship programme that pairs NYAT bursary holders and recent drama school graduates with industry professionals to support their transition into acting careers.
• Free Theatre Ticket Scheme Programme providing free theatre tickets to help young people experience live theatre, including gifting of Stage Nation tickets to NYAT young members for professional West End-quality shows.
• Drama Projects Drama workshops with young offenders in Secure Training Centres, including original radio plays devised, written, performed, recorded, edited and produced by participants in custody.
• Drama Pathways Project Follow-on support from drama projects that signposts students interested in pursuing drama post-custody with further education opportunities and skills needed to succeed.
• Vocalized Singing, musical theatre and band development workshops for 11-19 year olds, delivered in partnership with Youth Action Alliance, taught by industry professionals, with showcases at venues such as Chelsea Theatre.

Quantifiable outcome

• At least two students on drama projects with young offenders are now more likely to consider studying creative writing or drama in higher education
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Stage NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYAT announced partnership with Stage Nation in 2026 to help create more opportunities for young people across the UK to perform, grow and shine on stage. Stage Nation gifted 10 FREE tickets for NYAT young members to attend their debut showcase at Richmond Theatre. A percentage of the event's revenue is donated to support NYAT's mission.
• Youth Action AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVocalized is delivered in partnership with Youth Action Alliance (YAA), providing safe spaces for young people to explore and develop musical talent while improving self-confidence and wellbeing. First project ran in two schools in North Kensington, culminating in a showcase at Chelsea Theatre.
• The Casting Directors' GuildcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Casting Directors' Guild (CDG) supports NYAT, providing industry connections and expertise to young performers.
• The Globe TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Globe Theatre is hosting former NYAT bursary holders Rawaed Asde (Romeo) and Roman Asde (Benvolio) in their 2025 production of Romeo & Juliet, providing prestigious professional performance opportunities.
• Chelsea TheatresupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerChelsea Theatre hosted the Vocalized showcase, providing performance venue for young participants from North Kensington.
• Secret CinemasupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerSecret Cinema supports NYAT as part of their charitable giving program.
• TodayTixsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerTodayTix supports NYAT through their charitable initiatives, helping promote access to theatre.
• Living Wage EmployersupportingOthersNYAT is a recognized Living Wage Employer, demonstrating commitment to fair pay for staff.
• Left Bank PicturessupportingOthersNYAT Friend Lauryn Jackman works in development at Left Bank Pictures (award-winning production company behind THE CROWN, OUTLANDER).
• Princethorpe CollegesupportingOthersPrincethorpe College supports NYAT, potentially through student involvement or fundraising.
• TurnerssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerTurners supports NYAT, likely through distribution/logistics services or corporate giving.
• ABRSMsupportingOthersABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) supports NYAT, providing connections to music education.
• VitrasupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerVitra supports NYAT as part of their corporate social responsibility.
• Move It DancesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMove It Dance (dance industry event organizer) supports NYAT.
• Rise ArtsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerRise Art supports NYAT through their charitable giving program.
• The Furniture PracticesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Furniture Practice supports NYAT as part of their corporate responsibility.
• Cherry ZestsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCherry Zest supports NYAT through their charitable initiatives.
• Middle ChildsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMiddle Child (theatre company in Hull) likely partners with NYAT's Hull Youth Theatre.
• Anegada TheatresupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnegada Theatre supports NYAT, likely through theatre access or programming partnerships.
• Get Into TheatresupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerGet Into Theatre supports NYAT, helping promote performing arts opportunities to young people.
• Digital Theatre PlussupportingOthersDigital Theatre Plus (DT+) supports NYAT, providing digital theatre education resources.
• Marketing KindsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing Kind supports NYAT, likely through marketing services or promotion.
• Remember a CharitysupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerRemember a Charity promotes legacy giving, supporting NYAT's endowment and planned giving programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Creative Access: Charity focused on under-represented talent entering the UK creative industries through paid internships, mentoring and training. Direct overlap on bursary/mentor architecture and the goal of widening demographic access to arts careers.
• Roundhouse: London-based youth arts charity delivering creative programmes for 11–25 year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds, including music, performance and spoken word. Comparable model of subsidised participation plus development pathways into creative careers.
• National Youth Theatre: UK charity offering accessible pathways into drama for young people, including bursary-supported entry to free membership programmes. Directly comparable mission and beneficiary age band (12–25) to NYAT, with broader scale and stronger brand recognition.
• London Music Fund: Music bursary charity providing instrument costs, tuition and ensemble fees for young Londoners from low-income backgrounds. Most direct music-side analogue to NYAT's music bursary strand with a defined cap per award and trustee-led governance.

Regional players

• Stagecoach Performing Arts: Network of performing arts schools providing drama, dance and singing training to children and teens across the UK and internationally. Comparable performing-arts-training product but commercial rather than bursary-funded, and typically charges parents rather than subsidising access.
• Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) Bursary Scheme: RADA's own bursary and scholarship programme funds students from low-income backgrounds through drama school, including graduates referenced in NYAT's outcomes. Comparable on the access-to-elite-training mission but institutionally anchored to a single conservatoire rather than a multi-school pathway charity.

Broad incumbents

• The Royal Theatrical Fund: Long-established UK charity providing financial support and welfare to theatre professionals. Shares the 'access-money-for-arts-people' model but is focused on working professionals rather than youth training cohorts.
• Britten Pears Arts: Larger established arts education charity in Suffolk delivering year-round performance and training programmes for young musicians and singers. Comparable grant/participation model but a venue-anchored, regionally concentrated operating model.
• The King's Foundation (formerly Prince's Foundation): Major UK charity delivering arts, craft and heritage training programmes for young people, including bursary-supported pathways. Overlaps on youth arts bursaries but with a broader built-environment and heritage remit.

Others

• Awards For All (The National Lottery Community Fund): Small-grants lottery funding programme frequently accessed by UK charities running community-based arts and youth programmes. Comparable as a funder archetype rather than as a direct competitor; represents the same funding pool NYAT draws on.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/nationalyouthartstrust
• Xx.com/NYAT_GB
• Facebookfacebook.com/NYATGB
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-youth-arts-trust

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Youth Arts Trust