BARBARA HODGSON discovers there’s a youthful vibe around Live Theatre’s new autumn season.

AMID a flurry of activity as talented young actors, writers and aspiring comedians prepare to share the spotlight in Live Theatre’s new autumn season, chief executive Jim Beirne has announced the purchase of a 1753 schoolhouse to nurture more rising talent.

Talking about the ambitious plans at the season launch, Jim said their newly acquired property, which is connected to the back of the Broad Chare theatre, marks a further step in their commitment to children and young people – considered as an important part of its new writing agenda.

Bought for £430,000 with the help of Arts Council funding, the idea is to house cultural and creative organisations, such as design companies, in the former school to part-finance its plans and use the top of the four-floor property for a young people’s project.

“It’s really an extension of what we already do and we hope kids will just drop in and there’ll always be someone there to help them with their comic book writing or film project or whatever,” explained Jim. “It’s a question of how we raise money to do that, but the most important thing is that we’ve acquired the building.

“We’ve always had our eye on it.”

Access will be opened up through Live’s atrium to the school, which in more recent years was used as barristers’ offices. It has since stood empty for about a decade.

The building’s frontage is Grade ll-listed so will remain untouched but, having steered the historic Live Theatre building through an extensive and sensitive revamp, Jim says the refurbishment of the interior is unlikely to present any particular problems once enough money is raised – hopefully by the end of the year – to get started.

“Internally, there’s nothing of any real historic value, ” he added.

The venture is the latest of the theatre’s “enterprising solutions” drawn-up to secure its financial future and follows the launch of The Broad Chare down the street – its gastro-pub venture with Terry Laybourne – and its online play-writing course. A fourth commercial venture is earmarked for next year, but details are yet to be released.

With lots in the pipeline, including a revival of Close The Coalhouse Door and London runs for previous hits A Walk On Part and, again, Lee Hall’s The Pitmen Painters, the mood at the season launch was upbeat and excited.

“We produce work as varied and adventurous as the audiences we serve,” said artistic director Max Roberts, who highlighted the work of the education and participation team in unlocking potential in those ranging from aspiring writers to technicians.

Members of Live’s Youth Theatre – teens David Stanners, Emma Crowley, Jacki Edwards and Simeon Zack – were on hand to discuss roles in Jonathan Likes This, a Facebook-themed play by Lee Mattinson, a product of the young writing programme, and “a fantastic example of what can be achieved with young people in theatre,” said Max.

Following a successful run at Live in April, the play returns this month.

Lee Hall is a former Youth Theatre member and has said: “What distinguishes Live’s work with young people is that it acknowledges that their talent can be as good and important as the ‘grown-up’ actors around them.”

A perfect example of this is young writers’ project First Draft, which this year sees nine and 10-year-olds from three primary schools in Newcastle, Gateshead and Sunderland make up stories to be performed by professional actors in October as part of Juice children and young person’s festival. Their fertile imagination have conjured up time-travelling alligators and poisonous frogs. A second First Draft project, called The Write Stuff, involves 13 to 14-year-olds.

Jim added: “There’s a lot of tosh talked about children and young people at the moment and I think this underlines that they have boundless talent and will always surprise you with their imagination and skills.”

Also part of Juice is Standing-Up, a night where the floor is handed over to 16 to 25-year-old budding comics such as 17-year-old Lauren Pattison who, at the launch, gave us a taste of what to expect with a stream of consciousness taking in what not to do if you want to survive in a horror movie.

For details of the full season visit www.live.org.uk or call 0191 232 1232.