Rainbow’s end. Lydia Crosland helps

Youth theatre can be a place to find your voice, be seen, heard and become change-makers of tomorrow writes Lydia Crosland

It’s your crown so wear it

One Saturday last February, a group of York Theatre Royal’s Youth Theatre descended on Spark* in York to take over the YSJ Community Theatre; Platform. Placards in hand, clad in rainbows and glitter, was this a protest about the rising price of Freddos? No, these young people had a definite purpose, to perform an original piece of theatre as part of York LGBT History Month.

The piece, called Wear Your Crown Be Your Truth, was created through a series of devising workshops and directed by Matt Harper-Hardcastle, Lydia Crosland and Anya Agnihotri. This explorative process encouraged the young people to speak up, be unafraid to learn and reflect on their own experiences of creating an identity in the society of today.Wear Your Crown adopted a fusion of styles, taking the audience on a journey of LGBTQ+ experiences and suggestions for further support and change. The cast performed a series of movement sequences, monologues, and a jarring political commentary of Margaret Thatcher’s lack of empathy and intervention during the Aids epidemic in the 1980s.

A classroom format held the piece as we followed one character’s journey toward understanding and support of the misconceptions, adversities and strength of the LGBTQ+ community. The aim was not to preach but to use humour and honesty to convey a message of love, equality and respect.

Throughout the process, one thing was clear: the message had to come from the young people themselves.

Their voices were at the heart of the creative process, the piece and across Spark* on the day of the performance. Youth Theatre should be a place where ‘taboo’ topics can be talked about, individual identity encouraged and collectively; young people’s voices of love can be projected across theatre’s, cities and make real change. ‘Thank you for not only putting up with us but teaching us how to wear our crowns’

Further support: www.yorklgbtforum.org.uk/ www.mesmac.co.uk

Wear Your Crown: Be Your Truth ended with a speech written by Matt Harper-Hardcastle, who works with Converge as has been involved with theatre from a young age and has, for the past ten years, been working as an actor, artistic director, coach, writer and tutor.

I am thankful for those that have gone before me Who paved the yellow brick road for each Friend of Dorothy And allowed us to go somewhere close to the rainbow’s end When lesbians were erased, labelled as ‘just good friends’ For those who marched down streets wearing an armour of pride Waving pink, white and blue: pushing bigotry aside. For those who dragged up, when we were cut down. It takes a Village People to build a home and a town.

I am sorry for those that have gone before me Who suffered atrocities for my right to live free Attacked, left dying, demonised, cast out. But everything you gave will not be forgotten about. Your defiance on flags, and triangles of pink. Are worn with honour, to make us all think. That if children are homeless because of who they love, Or if violence can be justified by some lord up above. If people are scared to hold hands on the street. Rather help, we prefer a life lived incomplete.

Whilst you are allowed to love more than I And equality is seen like the division of pie. When we exist on a binary: us, them: moon, sun. When being trans leaves you stood at the end of a gun When being gay means I stop being my dad’s son. When I have to hear ‘faggot’ and immediately run When compassion subsides, favouring ‘who’s won’ Yes, we’ve come a long way, but there’s a lot more to be done.