From The Scotsman:

Sam Heughan hopes to inspire the next generation of Scottish acting talent by encouraging grassroots youth network.

As a star of the global smash-hit TV series Outlander, Sam Heughan has the acting world at his feet.

Before landing the Outlander role, Heughan was involved in various aspects of youth ­theatre in Edinburgh where he was encouraged to apply for drama school.

“When I was going through school, I joined the Lyceum Youth Theatre and that kind of cemented it”, he explains. “Through being in and around the building and watching shows, I realised that there was something I really loved about it, so I went into the stage management side. I did a bit in the Traverse where I worked with them on the festival and realised quite quickly that I wasn’t cut out for that but the youth theatre gave me an understanding of theatre and the community involved, and I met a lot of friends there.”

Read the interview and see more pics after the jump

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The belief that access to the arts shouldn’t be limited by where you live or your ability to participate is at the heart of what YTAS do. A recent survey by the group found that about 60 per cent of its 100 members offer their activities for under £5 or free, and nearly all of them offer bursaries for people to attend.

“I think there can be the perception that you have to have money and you have be middle class, when actually there’s a lot of youth theatre’s running and targeting areas that face multiple barriers”, Kenny explains.

“Youth theatre isn’t just about a precocious child that wants to sing and dance in front of people”, Sam adds. “It’s for everyone; it’s about a community, it’s about being supported by your peer group. You learn skills, not just acting but all the other sides – working in the TV, film and theatre industry.”

Read the rest of the interview at the source