York St John University students' TakeOver festival showcases emerging talent at York Theatre Royal

TakeOver Festival 2023 is a week-long theatre festival run by final year performance students taking their first leap into the entertainment industry. We’ve partnered with York Theatre Royal to give students the opportunity to perform their own work on the main stage, as well as learn about key roles in the theatre.   

The students work as producers, production managers and front of house staff as well as marketing the festival on their social media platforms. They've booked local theatre companies to perform, as well as forming their own theatre companies to show-case their talents. TakeOver Festival also works with the wider community, making theatre with young people at York High School and sharing the joy of theatre with families.   

Megan Price, TakeOver 2023 Producer said: 

“TakeOver allows people to have a voice and share their creativity on a bigger platform.” 

For this year’s theme: In Living Colour, York St John students aim to get people talking about what’s important, shedding colourful light onto meaningful issues. The festival will bring to light new possibilities and provide a platform that celebrates each other.   

David Richmond, Senior Performance Lecturer at York St John University describes the impact of the festival on all involved: 

“TakeOver is a fantastic opportunity for students to make that important first step to being professional theatre makers. It gives the Theatre royal an opportunity to see what the next key developments in theatre are going to be - as this generation really is going to be doing things differently. For the audiences it will give them an insight into the future of theatre, and on their own doorstep.” 

Zoe Colven-Davies, from York Theatre Royal adds: 

“It’s been wonderful to work with third year performance students, to see them bring to York Theatre Royal stage their own work as well as the work of creators in York." 

TakeOver runs from Monday 22 to Saturday 27 May 2023. Find more information and book tickets for events and performances on the York Theatre Royal website.  

Image shows students taking part in a dance flashmob