UPLIFT Festival to Showcase Young Theatre Talent

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Four days of events taking place at Putney Arts Theatre

The festival is designed as an accessible platform for emerging talent

November 10, 2025

 The first-ever UPLIFT Festival, a new youth theatre and performance festival created by and for young people, runs from 18 to 22 November at Putney Arts Theatre. Part of Wandsworth’s year as the Mayor of London’s London Borough of Culture, the festival brings together performances, workshops and events shaped by the interests and voices of local 14–19 year-olds and concludes with the presentation of Group64 and Theatre503’s Playwriting Competition.

UPLIFT is designed as an accessible platform for emerging talent. All events are offered on a “pay what you can” basis, with tickets available from £1, ensuring young people who live, study or attend community groups in Wandsworth can take part. The festival programme pairs practical career-facing sessions with playful, experimental workshops and public performances, giving participants opportunities to develop skills, test material in front of audiences and make industry connections.

The festival opens on 18 November with Explore Creative Futures: Careers in the Arts, a careers panel and networking session aimed at demystifying pathways into the creative industries. Industry professionals will share practical advice on training routes, freelancing and in-sector jobs, and young attendees will be able to speak directly with organisations and creatives about potential next steps.

On 19 November Happimess: create and explore theatre crafts invites participants to get hands-on with costume design, mask making and puppetry, including a session with War Horse puppeteer Alex Donnachie. The evening culminates in a performance of Lucy Prebble’s The Effect staged by The Group64 Young Directors, with a repeat showing on 20 November. That night also features a Young Directors Showcase that includes an acting-for-screen workshop led by actor Gabriel Howell and a directing masterclass with a professional director, followed by a panel discussion with cast and industry guests.

Friday 21 November is framed as a celebration of self-expression under the banner Make A Scene. The evening will feature music, DJs, drag and workshops such as a Diva Workshop with Raina Greifer and a Drag Make-Up Demonstration with Visa. Composer and choral activist Kirsty Martin will run a SING YOUR STORY! workshop that turns participants’ words into an anthem performed by an UPLIFT Scratch Choir to launch the night’s party.

The festival closes on 22 November with UPLIFT Finale: UPLIFTING Voices, showcasing nine short extracts from the Group64 and Theatre503 Playwriting Competition and full performances of two 30-minute winning plays. The final night is billed as a celebration of new writing and the next generation of theatre-makers.

Putney Arts Theatre’s compact auditorium provides an intimate setting for workshops and performances, and organisers stress the festival’s focus on inclusion and participation.

For full programme details and ticketing information visit the festival listing at welcometowandsworth.com/events/uplift-festival.

Putney Arts Theatre is on Ravenna Road (SW15 6AW).

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