It has been announced that the long-running iconic NSDF Festival will be moving online from 27 March - 2 April.

Over 90 free workshops and masterclasses, four panel discussions and 14 new pieces of work, alongside evening events and collaborations with leading theatre companies.  

Masterclasses will be presented by Clint Dyer, Phyllida Lloyd, Giles Terera, Josh O'Connor, Eleanor Lloyd, Rory Kinnear, Simon Godwin, Bunny Christie, Lucy McCormick, Katy Brand, RSC casting director Hannah Miller and many more; with visiting companies offering workshops including Slung Low, Lung, Barrel Organ, Paines Plough, New Adventures, Curve, Paperbirds, School of Night, LUNG, Filter and more.

There will be a full programme of technical theatre workshops, offering an introduction to every aspect of off stage work; and through their new initiative NSDF CREATES, new work has been created throughout the pandemic. These pieces include Seen by Take a Breath Theatre Company from Newham College; an experimental digital theatre performance called Not Near Enough by Falmouth University students, in partnership with Living Structures; and a new collaboration between NSDF and Big Creative Academy in Walthamstow.

There will be a special daily collaboration with Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures, in a morning movement class led by the company’s dance artists, exploring choreography and devising, inspired by Matthew Bourne’s distinct storytelling narrative style. 

NSDF is also partnering with Indian Theatre Festival Thespo to create a meeting place between young UK and Indian theatre makers.

NSDF Director, James Phillips, said: “This is NSDF’s 65th annual Festival. None have shown more clearly the resilience of young people. NSDF is about new art, new artists and new communities. Throughout the pandemic we’ve been mentoring companies of brilliant young people from across the country. Because of coronavirus many of them have never even met. But against the odds they have been creating work together, helped by our Associates. Finished shows, readings and works in progress. We’re excited and proud of what they’ve made. It’s been a long winter. We think new voices are the birdsong that will let us know spring has arrived.”

This year NSDF welcomes Stephen Fry as a Festival Patron, and Patron of their new Alumni Supporters Scheme.

For more information and to register for free access to the Festival, please click here.