OUR FRIENDS AND PARTNERS
A theatrical production would not be the same without stunning lights, sound and media. Also, all our hard work would be fruitless without access to accommodating rehearsal and performance venues. Youth Connection uses some of the best companies to help bring our creative dreams to the audience at a professional standard. While we have worked with many companies over the years, some of our regular partners are listed here. Click on their logos to visit their websites.
For many years now, the team at Hi-Lights have consistently provided us with first class technical equipment and service. Their founding Managing Director, Martin Warden, is a good friend to the group and we are proud to showcase his engineering skills as our Technical Director for our larger productions. The quality of their lighting and sound systems always helps to blow our audience away. Couple this with their own hard work and creative ideas, it makes for a truly great company to work with!
Founded in 1991, Hi-Lights has now been providing lighting, sound, staging and audio visual equipment for over thirty years, becoming the North East's largest hire and production company.
Being a community based charity, we make it our mission to partner with, and support local businesses and love the mutual support they offer. Over the years, we have developed a great relationship with CP Print Services who cater for all our printing needs. Our design team work closely with theirs to ensure all printed media truly does the effort put into each and every production justice. Whether it's posters, leaflets, programmes or banners they print it all. And best of all; nothing goes to print until all parties are happy!
CP Print Services are based in County Durham and have clients all over the country. Owned by Carole and Clive Pritchard, we are proud to say we only ever deal with them directly and they always make us their priority and ensure we receive the personal treatment they pride themselves on.
After the closure of Roseberry School, our original base and home, we relocated our rehearsal space to Ouston Community Centre, which has quickly become our new adoptive home. Here we spend every week rehearsing and preparing for our numerous theatrical activities. Although we still miss the drama workshop, Mrs. Watson's desk and the countless cups of coffee, tenaciously stirred with pencils, the support we get from tour good friend Trina,is certainly more than we could have hoped for.
While we spend most of our time at Ouston Community Centre, our larger productions are performed at Park View Community Centre Theatre. While it hasn't the emotional ties that we had at Roseberry, Park View has proved to be a brilliant new theatre for us- we love the space and have embraced the venue as our new performance base. The association team here are great to work with and very accommodating. Park View was often seen as a rival to Roseberry, but we embrace the new partnership- just like Maria and Tony in West Side Story, but with a lot less finger clicking!
Chester-le-Street Methodist Church and Cornerstones, is our go to venue for our annual winter Concert, as well as a home for a great number of our supporters. Located at the bottom of Chester-le-Street front street, this gorgeous venue is always a pleasure to perform at. We always enjoy filling the church with song and being welcomed by our friends there. You will often find us hosting coffee mornings in their cafeteria, as well as utilising their fabulous hall as a performance space.
From just starting out to centre stage; village halls to professional venues; NODA exists to celebrate, connect, support and amplify amateur theatre and theatre groups across the UK. They provide invaluable services, expertise and resources - that help thousands of our member groups create and produce theatre, that enhances lives and benefits communities everywhere.
Whatever your passion, level of experience or stage of life, they are here to help everyone enjoy the unique benefits, opportunities and sense of community that live performance can bring.
(They also review some of our larger productions!)