I ventured to London's Old Vic Tunnels last week for the first time in order to watch a reworking of Orpheus and Eurydice by the National Youth Theatre. It was impressive stuff – haunting, captivating, and peppered with exceptional vocal performances. The fact that it was performed by a cast of teens and young adults made it all the more moving and reminded me, as Charlotte Higgins blogged recently, how powerful youth theatre can be.

It also made me think of a campaign by the National Association of Youth Theatres (NAYT) due to launch, if all goes to plan, in mid-September. It's a worthwhile cause that has far-reaching implications for both the theatre world and local communities. Mark Rylance, Julian Fellowes, Alan Ayckbourn, David Suchet, Zoe Wanamaker, Tamzin Outhwaite, Victoria Wood and Miranda Hart have already agreed to back it. The list is sure to grow by the time of the official launch.

The campaign, called I Heart Youth Theatre – ignore the fluffy name – aims not only to raise the profile of youth theatre, but also to gather support for NAYT, which, after 12 years as a regularly funded organisation, has lost its Department of Education and Arts Council England backing. The umbrella body desperately needs to be shored up by December; if it is unable to raise at least £100,000 by then, it may not survive.

The closure of NAYT would be a blow for the youth theatre sector, given that it supports the work of 1,300 groups around the country, which in turn reach out to about 65,000 youngsters. Obviously, one could argue that the body doesn't directly provide drama activity for young people on a day to day basis, so its closure would not stop youth theatre altogether.

But NAYT does provide invaluable advice, training and networking opportunities for practitioners, all of which helps to keep standards high. This may not be imperative for larger set-ups that receive subsidy, but for the smaller, volunteer-led grassroots groups that make up 49% of NAYT's membership (be they Burnley youth theatre or the Durham Cygnets – which, according to NAYT chief executive Jill Adamson, has, indecently, received only about £500 of funding in its 30 year history) such resources are essential. NAYT has also broadened the way young people interact with theatre through its partnerships with regional venues, giving participants the opportunity to gain experience in a professional environment. And, before funds were cut, it also organised an annual event bringing together youth groups from across the nation.

It hardly need repeating that there are many benefits of youth theatre. Actors David Tennant, Michael Sheen and Sophie Okonedo attended local drama groups as youngsters, while Derek Jacobi, Helen Mirren and pretty much every other heavyweight thespian cut their teeth at the NYT. And it's widely acknowledged that youth theatre encourages confidence and communication skills. It gives youngsters the chance to mix with people from different backgrounds, providing them with a forum where they can explore and discuss issues that are relevant to them. Youth theatre is a place where disenfranchised kids can find a positive role model and be inspired. It's a place where they can spend their time productively. These points are particularly relevant in the context of the brutal youth service cuts going on throughout the country and the rising number of young people not in education, employment or training.

Boredom is too often cited as a reason youngsters get into trouble, and while youth theatre clearly won't be the answer for all of them, it will have a positive influence on many. In order to have an impact however, standards have to be kept high within the drama groups – otherwise, let's be honest, who will bother to go? This is one of the reasons NAYT is important.

Many bloggers have asked how the arts can respond to the riots, and I'm sure the answers are as varied as the reasons for the riots themselves. But maybe supporting the work of NAYT, youth theatres and young people isn't a bad place to start.

• More information about the campaign is expected to be released in the next few weeks, and until then you can give your backing by making a donation or signing NAYT's petition