Take two ensemble theatre companies based in the North East of both the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, who have a reputation for making exciting work with young people, Noord Nederlands Toneel from Groningen and Northern Stage from Newcastle. At the invitation and initiation of the British Council, sixteen young theatre makers have taken part in a year-long series of workshops, exchanges and rehearsals in two different cities.

On Top of the Town is an original piece of theatre based around the themes of ‘identity’ and ‘active citizenship’ and created by 16 teenagers from both the Netherlands and the United Kingdom under the guidance of Northern Stage and Noord Nederlands Toneel. It has been performed on the roof of a car park in Groningen during the Noorderzon Festival, and as the first performance in the newly refurbished Northern Stage in Newcastle.

The Newcastle and Groningen groups have spent a year getting to know each other, exploring boundaries, methods and styles of performances, and looking at what it means to be Dutch, British and European, citizens of Newcastle and Groningen. A part of their research and material gathering they’ve also been interviewing some local community groups in their cities to get their perspective. These have included a youth football team, elderly Dutch Molukkan women, local primary schools, and a home-grown band from Newcastle soon to be seen and heard at international pop festivals.

Somewhere along all this, the groups began to explore ideas around belonging and cities. They asked themselves; what would be your ideal city, what would it look like and how would it work? What are the social codes that govern this city? The performances demonstrated how these 16 young people have engaged with this; their personal, private and public identities surrounding them and their cities.