On Saturday 14 February 2026, a group of 50 young people from across Devon (and further afield!) gathered at University of Exeter Roborough Studios to share their original devised theatre work. They were supported by a Lead Artist team as well as 18 Applied Drama students from the University of Exeter. The university Applied Drama students have been delivering outreach workshops in regional schools across the past 3 weeks, honing the craft of facilitation, workshop leading, and directing. Their hard work and commitment was powerfully and vividly present throughout the day of the final platform.
The Devising Discovery outreach programme has run annually every year for the past 16 years. In that time, we have worked with over 5,000 young people, across over 400 workshops. Originating as part of the outreach offer of Devon Youth Theatre, this secondary schools devised theatre outreach programme has evolved and grown since inception in 2010, partnering over time with Doorstep Arts, Daisi (Devon Arts in Schools Initiative), the Exeter Northcott Theatre, the University of Exeter Widening Participation programme.
In those 16 years, the programme has featured the outstanding facilitation craft of a wide range of freelance theatre and dance artists from across Devon, including Polly Ferguson-Carruthers, Jade Campbell, Helen Gilbert, Mich Sanderson, Lisa Hudson, Sam Parker, Michael Smith, Lee Hart, Alix Harris, Jules Laville, Jacob Blackburn, Sian Keen, Abby Stobart, Kay Crook, Josh Lucas, Lucy Hirst, Becky Dobson, Charice Bhardwaj, Meghan Searle, and others.
This incredible Teaching Artist team has made the programme – their energy and commitment to bringing outstanding devised theatre craft, techniques and approaches into classrooms across Devon has been fundamental to its success.
In 2026, we are celebrating the end of this wonderful programme in its current shape and iteration. The programme has been a joy to deliver and we’re so proud of its history and legacy. It’s served a huge number of regional schools, regional teachers and local young people. It’s had a good long run and that season is coming to a natural close. It’s time to take a breath and reflect a bit, and then start to plan forward for a new approach to secondary schools outreach going forward. We’re excited for the next chapter, and grateful to all of you who have contributed to this programme’s story over the past 16 years.
This year’s platform event felt like the perfect way to bring this season to a close. We were especially excited to welcome special guests DreamArts Rep Company, who brought an early-stage sharing of their new show What We Do When We Can’t Dance and shared this first chapter as our headline opening performance.
Huge thanks to Catherine and Alfie and the whole DreamArts Rep crew for making the trek from London to be with us for this event. Their show was astounding – stay on the lookout for their upcoming tour dates later this year!
Lots of photos below from the final performances of the groups who performed at the 2026 platform, and you can also catch some behind-the-scenes photos and some studio rehearsal room photos from earlier in the day here too. What a buzzy, joyful day! A huge well done to all of the performers, teachers, artists, mentors, facilitators, technicians, and the producing team who make this possible.
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DreamArts Rep Company
Paignton Academy
Exeter College Yes Plus Programme
Clyst Vale College
Doorstep Youth Theatre
St Cuthbert Mayne School
