Our founder, Leigh Boswell (Bachelor of Arts - Theatre / Bachelor of Education - Honours), established TYC as a not-for-profit organisation in 2009 after an extensive consultation period with over 1000 young people from across Cairns with the support of Cairns Regional Council, Regional Arts Development Fund. During this time, young people aged 12yrs through to 17years of age participated in a number of community development workshops where they were posed with numerous questions about what they would like to see within a youth theatre company in the region. The results from this consultation period ended with the organisations first Action Plan. 

Since 2009, TYC has grown rapidly & is now a locally multi-award winning company & nationally recognized. We engage our community in the power of theatre to enrich & transform the lives of children & young people aged 5yrs – 25yrs. Take a look at our timeline of milestones below:

2019
- Will perform in the new Cairns Performing Arts Centre
- Celebrating our Tenth Birthday
- Programing our first performance at TYC in an Australian National Tour

2018
- Attended the opening of the Cairns Performing Arts Centre
- Received funding from The Regional Arts Development Fund in support of ‘The Young King’ Tour.
- Developed Collaborative Partnership with CQUniversity
- Travelled to United Kingdom as part of the Australia Council for the Arts Future Leaders Program.
- Performed ‘The 5FT Giant’ at the Cairns Children’s Festival
- Toured Headstart to High School program to 7 Schools across FNQ
​- Received funding from Regional Arts Fund for ‘The 5FT Giant’

2017
- Received funding for Roundabout Theatre in New South Wales to visit TYCs Roving Troupe
- Began national trainee  Catherine McGuinness with ArtsReady in partnership with Tanks Arts Centre (Cairns Regional Council)
- Inaugural Platform Youth Theatre Festival began in October
- Performed at The Cairns Children’s Festival
- TYC General Manager began participating in the Australia Council for the Arts Future Leaders Program.

2016
- Received The Cairns Post, HIT Award for Best Local Artist or Collective 
- TYCs Roving Troupe performed as part of the Cairns Children's Festival
- TYC Mainstage Production of 'Be-Tween Us' included in Cairns Festival Program
- TYCs Roving Troupe performed as part of the Cairns Festival
- Received funding from Cairns Regional Council to acoustically treat our Adventure Theatre
- Inaugural 'On the Spot Impro Comp: Inter-school Event'  in partnership with REACH
- Participated in the Australia Council's, Youth Arts Summit
- Australian Theatre for Young People visit from Sydney
- Backbone Youth Arts visit from Brisbane
- TYCs Roving Troupe partnered with Sassy Cats for the Cairns Festival Parade, Blue Line Brigade

2015
- First Headstart To High School Program at Cairns State High School
- First production of Wishfly by Dr. Jane Modric
- Received TNQ Business Award for Innovation Excellence
- Began TYCs Mainstage Production Program
- Participated in Australia Council's Youth Theatre Summit
- Danielle Aquilina joined the company

2014
- Received funding from ArtsLink to for our Headstart to High School program
- Extended our office space
- TYC took on four Trainees studying a Cert 3 in Live Production (sobel Grierson, Evelyn McGuinness, Renier Piennar, Tom Williams, I)

2013
- Received funding from Community Gambling Fund for tiered seating and sprung floor for our Adventure Theatre
- Fitted out our Adventure Theatre with lighting

2012
- TYCs Short Cuts Festival initiated (Amelia Pegrum joined the company)
- TYCs Crunch Festival initiated 

2011
- Initiated TYCs Young Internship Program
- Initiated TYCs School Holiday Program Series

2010
- Touring our first new work, Something like Wings by Victoria Carless to the Brisbane Powerhouse in 2010 for Youth Arts QLD Summit.

2009
- After-School Youth Theatre Workshop Program started (Mike Elliott joined the company)
- Initial Freshwater State School, In-School Program 
- Established first Action Plan through Regional Arts Development Fund through Cairns Regional Council with TYCs Youth Reference Group (members included Laura Pegrum, Martin Larkins, Jennifer Laycock). Project assistance from Susan Prince and Velvet Eldred.