Nightwalks with Teens needs Teens
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“I liked being in charge… can we do this again?” – Nightwalks with Teenagers participant
If you have a bored teenager within reach, make them read this.
Canberra Youth Theatre, in association with Canadian social theatre company Mammalian Diving Reflex, is thrilled to present the internationally acclaimed Nightwalks with Teenagers during the 2026 Craft + Design Canberra Festival – and they’re on the hunt for teenagers to join this once-in-a- lifetime opportunity.
Through the power of walking, teens and adults are brought together for a unique social experience in a shared place and time, following common paths and connected futures.
Nightwalks With Teenagers is for any teenagers who have ever hung out in the city after school, met up with friends at the park, spent an afternoon wandering the streets of Canberra, or had a story they wish they could share.
The ensemble will consist of approximately 20 teenagers aged 14–17. Canberra Youth Theatre CEO and Artistic Director Luke Rogers says “We’re looking for brave, adventurous and eager teenagers. No performance experience required, and you don’t need to have worked with Canberra Youth Theatre before. We’d love to meet people who are brand new to us.”
While there has been strong interest in the project, there are some spots available before expressions of interest close on Sunday.
Luke noted that Mammalian Diving Reflex was internationally acclaimed for its bold works exploring the social responsibility of art, fostering a dialogue between audience members, between the audience and the material, and between the performers and the audience.
Nightwalks with Teenagers is a work that’s taken place in more than 40 cities around the world, but every version is shaped by the young people and the city they live in.
Canberra’s teenagers will plan and lead the whole experience, taking adults through streets they might think they know and inviting them to see the city differently.
“There’s something really powerful about young people and adults just walking together at night – sharing public space, building trust, being curious and having fun. It’s part performance, part adventure and part conversation. I love that it turns the usual dynamic on its head: the adults get permission to behave like teenagers again, while young people are out front, deciding where we go and leading the way” says Luke.
This presentation of Nightwalks with Teenagers is made possible in part thanks to grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and Ontario Arts Council, as well as support from ArtsACT as part of the 2026 Craft + Design Canberra Festival.
The project runs between 5–14 November, including rehearsals, workshops and performances. A casual, fun recruitment workshop will be held on Thursday 8 October between 4-6 pm). You can read the information pack here, and sign up here!
And if you are and adult, keen to go on the walks, they’ll be happening after dark on 12-14 November, in Civic. Bookings can be made at canberrayouththeatre.com.au and cost $15.
Images by Margherita Caprilli
