Actor's Workshop Youth Theatre was set up in 1985 in response to the needs of eight lads from Heath Grammar School for somewhere to continue their interest in the Performing Arts, following the closure of their school by the Calderdale Education Department. It became a registered charity (No. 519685) in 1987. As an independent entity, it has a Board of Governors drawn from the Great and Good of Calderdale. The Workshop sees itself primarily as a sociological entity committed to building the self-respect and self-esteem of its teenage members. Very secondary is its role as a stepping-stone to a career in the Performing Arts (although three of its original eight members are now professional actors, and two took up other roles in the Entertainment Industry). It is open to all teenagers from whatever background or religious persuasion though unfortunately, due to its limited facilities, it always has a Waiting List of would-be members. In 1993 the McVities/United Biscuits Trust purchased a building close to Halifax town centre for the exclusive use of the Workshop. This became the training headquarters and, thanks to a grant from the National Lottery, further boosted by financial support from Halifax PLC, a theatre to accommodate 72. Subsequently, when this Trust was wound up, the building's ownership was transferred to the Community Foundation for Calderdale. In November 2001, a group of young men destroyed the building in a calculated arson attack. Absolutely everything was destroyed. Happily, a local benefactor came to the Workshop's assistance by providing accommodation, rent-free, so that activities could continue as usual. Performances were staged at the local Square Chapel Centre for The Arts. The Community Foundation for Calderdale has agreed to use the insurance monies to purchase another building to serve as a new Theatre and headquarters. This sum of money has been supplemented with a grant of £50,000 (fifty thousand pounds) from the Home office. We are currently in the final stages of securing a new home for the Workshop and a new Theatre for Calderdale. The current Artistic Director is Mike Ward; Associate Director is James Smith.