Sylvia Young OBE is the founder and Principal of Sylvia Young Theatre School in London, UK.
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Young founded her theatre school in 1981 in Drury Lane, London before moving to its current Marylebone premises in 1983.[1] The school is co-educational and provides a combination of academic and vocational classes for children aged 10 to 16 years. The academic curriculum currently encompasses GCSEs, while the vocational curriculum teaches acting, dance and music. Many SYTS students have gone on to become extremely successful in the performing arts world, including Amy Winehouse, Denise Van Outen, Billie Piper, former Spice Girl Emma Bunton, Lucy Stansfield , I am number four star Alex Pettyfer, Dawn from Eastenders Kara Tointon, Stacey from Eastenders Lacey Turner, Chenelle Olaiya, McFly member Tom Fletcher, ex Busted bass player Matt Willis, member of The Saturdays, Vanessa White and member of The Wanted, Nathan Sykes (singer). The film High School Musical 3 features an SYTS pupil, Jemma McKenzie-Brown.
Young has two children, former actresses Frances Ruffelle (born 29 August 1965), and Alison Ruffelle (born 3 June 1967). Young's granddaughter is pop singer Eliza Doolittle.
Young was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 2005 for her services to the arts.
Sylvia was diagnosed in 2007 with terminal Chronic lymphocytic leukemia.