Clarion is excited to once again host the Barnet Youth Theatre Festival in July 2026!

Join us for a vibrant celebration of creativity as schools present outstanding original and devised work by Drama students from across Barnet. From GCSE and A-level NEA pieces to extra-curricular projects, this event promises inspiring performances for all.

A guest panel of renowned theatre practitioners will attend, awarding certificates of excellence to the most exceptional teams. A wonderful opportunity to celebrate the incredible talent and passion of these young performers!

This festival is a collaboration between Clarion and schools across Barnet who will also take part, to platform and showcase imagination, foster community connections, and highlight the importance of the arts. We are also kindly supported by Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and the University of West London.

 

We are happy to confirm this years festival will feature:

Clarion

Finchley Catholic School

Mill Hill County School

Saracens Secondary School

St James Catholic Secondary School

Claremont Primary School

Martin Primary School

 

Click the link for tickets and to learn more

 

Date: Thursday 2 July 2026

Location: Clarion, NW2 1TR

 

Our Guest Judges

We are incredibly proud to announce our panel of esteemed judges who have incredible collective experience across the performing and creative arts.

 

Introducing

Kirubel Belay 

 

 

 

Kirubel Belay is a London-based, Ethiopian multi-hyphenate artist working across film, fashion, and music, exploring the body and alternate environments.

Kirubel’s work is experimental and transgressive, informed by surroundings and committed to disrupting conventional ways of seeing. Moving fluidly between creative direction, movement and performance, he builds visual worlds across still and moving image.

He has collaborated with artists and brands, including  J Hus, Bad Bunny, Yungblud, Yachty, Migos, Burberry, Diageo, La Biennale, Nike, Poet in da Corner (West End), The Souvenir Part 2, Street Dance 2 and more.

 

Kirsty MacLaren

Kirsty MacLaren is an actress from Glasgow, Scotland. She is a Senior Lecturer in Musical Theatre at the London College of Music, University West London. Kirsty was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress. She trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the Dance School of Scotland.

Recent theatre credits include: Margot in Restless Natives (UK Tour); Jess in Lifeline (Signature Theatre, Off Broadway); Manda in Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour (West End/National Theatre); Nikki in This is My Family (Chichester Festival Theatre); Chava in Fiddler on The Roof (Menier Chocolate Factory); Alice in Protest (Northern Stage/Fuel Theatre/NTS)   

Film/TV credits include: Carolyn in Boys in the Boat (MGM); Violet in The Crown (Netflix); Stella Jacklin in Doctors (BBC).  

 

Andreas Skourtis

 

 

 

 

 

Andreas Skourtis is an award-winning London-based architect, performance designer, and cultural advisor with over 25 years’ professional experience working across architecture, performance, exhibition, and cultural infrastructure.

Trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, alongside studies in drama at Theatre Lab Thessaloniki, Andreas holds an MA in Theatre Design / Scenography from Wimbledon College of Arts. His professional practice was established in 2003 and was renamed and repositioned as Performing Architectures in 2013, reflecting a focused commitment to performance-led spatial practice and research.

Currently Senior Lecturer in Performance Design and Scenography and Programme Leader of the BA (Hons) Performance Design at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London, where Andreas has taught since 2013. He also co-leads the Scenography Cluster on the MA/MFA Advanced Theatre Practice and regularly deliver invited masterclasses and advisory workshops internationally.

Alongside architectural commissions, Andreas has led performance, exhibition, and spatial projects across theatres, heritage sites, urban environments, and domestic and non-theatrical settings. Selected works include Antigone at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus (Athens & Epidaurus Festival), IN[A]HABIT (Athens), The Human Voice (London), and a series of site-responsive projects engaging homes, landscapes, and everyday environments as performative spaces.

 

Ewa Emini 

 

 

 

 

 

Ewa is a Movement Director and Movement Teacher who translates narrative into dynamic, authentic physical performance, blending Physical Theatre, contemporary dance, and collaborative creativity.

Mentored by Shelley Maxwell, Ewa holds an MA in Movement: Directing and Teaching from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, where she now teaches as a visiting lecturer. Her teaching experience includes Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, LAMDA, BODENS College of Performing Arts, Arts1 in Milton Keynes, and private acting studios like UNSEEN, Actor's Instinct Studio.

Ewa's recent Movement Director credits include movement directing "The Wolves" at LAMDA and Associate Movement Director for "Choir Boy" at Stratford East.