THE National Youth Theatre (NYT) has announced free auditions in Glasgow for young people.

The process will be open for those aged 14 to 25, and those up to 30 who are neurodiverse can also take part.

It comes amid a bid by the NYT to build on its online presence set up during the pandemic.

In-person auditions will take place on February 11, from 10am to 6pm, at the Theatre School of Scotland in Glasgow – but can also be done online via the NYT Hub.

The hub requires a £2 monthly subscription, but bursary placements are available.

Applicants will put together a two-minute speech, published play, monologue from a book or film script to present to the judges.

NYT artistic director and CEO Paul Roseby said: “Being national means being local and we’re proud to be in seven different arts venues around the country with our summer intake courses for the first time.

“The need to support young talent nationwide is greater than ever and we’re committed to responding to that challenge with this free offer.

“Alongside this activity this year we’ll be boosting our national reach with a dynamic creative partnership with Leeds 2023, opportunities with our 10 Associate Companies around the country and major new programmes in Wales and the Northeast coming soon.”

Since the online NYT Hub was launched in response to the pandemic in November 2020, more than 10,000 young people have signed up.

The platform offers creative leadership training and allows subscribers to connect with a nationwide network of young creatives, access community courses and events and get hold of discounts for masterclasses and merchandise.

To help young people with auditions, free workshops – collaborating with local community groups – are taking place in each area, in addition to accessible auditions in local schools.

Successful applicants will be invited to attend summer intake courses. These courses will take place in cities around the country.

Glaswegian NYT REP alum and Karen Pirie star Lauren Lyle said: “National Youth Theatre is one of the best things I ever did, and it changed my life. It’s the most creative time to explore what you want to do next in the creative industries and I still use the things I learnt there every day. There’s nothing else like it.”

For young people who prefer to be backstage, there are also auditions available via the Hub in costume, lightning, scenic construction, sound and stage management.