AACT YOUTHFEST
Celebrating the Next Generation of Theatre Artists
Current & Upcoming YouthFest Cycles
June 13–15, 2027
A national celebration of youth theatre, featuring performances and opportunities for schools and youth organizations.
June 16–19, 2027
Festival details, registration timelines, adjudicator nominations, and updates for the next national AACTFest cycle.
Why YouthFest?
AACT YouthFest is AACT’s national celebration of youth theatre—bringing together student performers, directors, and educators for inspiring performances, learning-focused feedback, and unforgettable community.
YouthFest is designed to be supportive, educational, and fun: groups share their work, connect with peers from across the country, and take part in workshops and festival experiences built specifically with young artists in mind.
- Schools and youth theatre programs
- Community theatres with youth productions
- Educators, directors, and teaching artists
- Students who want to grow, perform, and connect
- National youth performances
- Encouraging, learning-centered feedback
- Workshops and youth-focused activities
- Connections that last beyond the festival
Explore a Recent YouthFest
Looking for a real-world example of the YouthFest experience? Explore highlights, award recipients, photos, and video from AACT YouthFest 2025 to get a feel for the performances, learning environment, and community that define YouthFest.
Note: Festival formats, schedules, and offerings vary by year. Details for upcoming YouthFest cycles will be shared on their respective pages.
Getting Started
YouthFest participants are selected through AACT’s state and regional festival process. Schools and youth theatre companies begin by participating in their local AACT-affiliated festivals, where productions are adjudicated and selected to advance.
Each state and region manages its own timelines, eligibility requirements, and festival structure, so early planning is encouraged.
Applications to perform at YouthFest 2027 will open in Summer 2026. Full guidelines, timelines, and application details will be posted here once available.
Questions about where to start or how the process works? Contact AACT at info@aact.org and we’ll help point you in the right direction.
YouthFest & AACTFest: How They Connect
YouthFest is intentionally scheduled in the days leading up to AACTFest, allowing youth participants and their leaders to take part in both events if they choose.
While YouthFest focuses on adjudicated performances, youth-centered workshops, and community-building experiences, AACTFest offers an expanded slate of performances, educational sessions, and networking opportunities with theatre-makers from across the country.
Many YouthFest groups choose to stay on for part or all of AACTFest, giving students a chance to observe national-level productions, attend workshops, and experience the broader AACT community. Participation in AACTFest is optional — but for many, it’s a meaningful extension of the YouthFest experience.
The Jack K. Ayre and Frank Ayre Lee Theatre Foundation
AACT YouthFest is made possible in part by a grant from the Jack K. Ayre and Frank Ayre Lee Theatre Foundation.
Jack K. Ayre celebrated his 90th birthday before passing away in December 2011. At his birthday party, he sang with a barbershop quartet, one of his favorite activities, and celebrated with his cousin and lifelong friend, Frank Ayre Lee.
Though as adults they lived on opposite sides of the country, the cousins kept in touch through letters that showed a love for the written word and an irreverent sense of humor. Jack participated in theatre productions at Drew University in New Jersey and at a community theatre in Connecticut in his younger years, and continued that interest when he moved to California. Mr. Lee was also an avid theatre supporter and dabbled in playwriting, adapting Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book for a children’s theatre production, and penning McSteg, a tongue-in-cheek discourse, ribbing his cousin Jack and based on a scene in Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
The Jack K. Ayre and Frank Ayre Lee Theatre Foundation was created by the children of Frank Ayre Lee as a tribute to their father, who passed away in August 2012, and a legacy for the creative endeavors of Jack, who was an advertising executive and public relations director.
