um ▁was ▁red es igned ▁with ▁a ▁focus ▁on ▁classical ▁text ▁and ▁expanded ▁performance ▁elements ▁to ▁show case ▁its ▁gradu ating ▁students , ▁including ▁the ▁addition ▁of ▁a ▁children ' s ▁theatre ▁show ▁performed ▁by ▁second - year ▁students . ▁ ▁Following ▁P iller ' s ▁ret irement ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁Paul ▁Lam pert ▁served ▁as ▁Art istic ▁Director ▁of ▁the ▁school ▁for ▁three ▁years . ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁the ▁school ▁expanded ▁its ▁training ▁by ▁launch ing ▁the ▁one - year ▁Introduction ▁to ▁Perform ing ▁Arts ▁Care ers ▁( IP AC ) ▁program . ▁ ▁James ▁Simon ▁took ▁over ▁as ▁Art istic ▁Director ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁In ▁December ▁of ▁that ▁year , ▁Paul ▁Card er , ▁the ▁College ' s ▁then ▁Dean ▁of ▁Business ▁and ▁Creative ▁Arts , ▁approached ▁Albert ▁Sch ult z , ▁then ▁Art istic ▁Director ▁of ▁the ▁Soul pe pper ▁Theatre ▁Company , ▁about ▁creating ▁a ▁formal ▁partners hip ▁between ▁the ▁company ▁and ▁the ▁George ▁Brown ▁Theatre ▁School . ▁This ▁eventually ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁Young ▁Centre ▁for ▁the ▁Perform ing ▁Arts , ▁a ▁professional ▁performance ▁facility ▁located ▁in ▁Toronto ' s ▁Dist illery ▁District ▁where ▁both ▁the ▁school ▁and ▁Soul pe pper ▁are ▁now ▁located . ▁Class es ▁officially ▁began ▁at ▁the ▁Young ▁Centre ▁on ▁September ▁ 6 , ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁the ▁Toronto ▁Star , ▁C BC ▁and ▁the ▁Dialog ▁published ▁articles ▁describing ▁bul lying