A number of young theatre and arts critics will be put to the test at the 2015 Hat Fair in Winchester.

Writers on the Young Critics scheme, which is co-run by Theatre Royal Winchester and A Younger Theatre, will be offered professional development over the three day festival in July.

Carl Woodward, the scheme founder and organiser said: “Reviews and coverage are a critical part of the creative process.

“We are thrilled that our young reviewers can feed in to the debate around outdoor arts and respond to a diverse range of performances, from headline acts, to pop-up-performances and unconventional hatters.

“The extension of this project into Hat Fair says a lot about the importance of critical writing, and encourages more coverage responding to the surprise and playfulness of the outdoor and street arts sector.”

The Young Critics will be offered mentoring from blogger Megan Vaughan, aka Churlish Meg, at the festival.

At the Hat Fair they will be given exclusive access to interview artists and performers, and their reviews will be uploaded uncensored to a new blog created for the scheme.

So far, the Young Critics have received training from journalists such as Mark Shenton, Natasha Tripney and Jake Orr from A Younger Theatre.

Jake, the founder of AYT, said: “Outdoor arts, especially work that explores circus and spectacle-driven ideas are rarely covered by the press.

“There’s a distinct lack of formal training for writers looking to explore outdoor art which is why we’re thrilled that Theatre Royal Winchester and A Younger Theatre’s critical scheme is partnering with the Hat Fair Festival in Winchester.

“This will give those on the scheme the excellent opportunity to engage with the festival and develop skills and techniques on reviewing outdoor arts.”

The Young Critics is open to reviewers aged between 18 and 25.

The Hat Fair takes place on July 3 to July 5 in Winchester, and is free entry. For more information, click here.