Shout! celebrates 20 years of youth theatre in Corby with special film screenings

A Corby youth theatre group that made a huge contribution to local culture in our town is celebrating its 20th anniversary with special film screenings this weekend.

Shout! Youth Theatre was founded in the late 1998 by Paula Boulton to help keep kids occupied during the summer holidays.

What began with a week-long drama, dance and club at the town's Festival Hall became a two-decade project that has helped generations of young people in our town.

During the first sessions, the group found topics they wanted to 'shout' about and put on performances at the end of the week.

It was such a success that the group began meeting once a week. It put on a series of shows highlighting issues including domestic violence and other hard-hitting issues.

After the Willows Arts Centre closed, Corby Labour Club became the group's home and, after 108 shows, the project eventually finished in 1998. Paula then decided to hold a Shout! reunion for former members and filmed it.

That then became the basis of a documentary film, completed during the pandemic and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, which is now being screened at the Savoy Cinema this Sunday (February 20).

Screenings of Shouting for 20 Years by Paula Boulton and Shout! Theatre take place at 2pm and 5.30pm on Sunday. Tickets are available here. There will also be a post-screening discussion about how things have changed for the young people of Corby during the past two decades.

You can find out more on the group's Facebook page or website.