The First Minister has expressed "serious concern" over Scottish Youth Theatre's decision to shut after it lost out on arts funding.

Nicola Sturgeon was quizzed on the matter by Scottish Greens co-convener Patrick Harvie as well as a backbencher from her own party, Sandra White MSP.

The theatre company, whose alumni include Gerard Butler and Karen Gillan, announced on Wednesday it would close in the summer.

It came after it missed out on the latest round of grants from Creative Scotland.

The organisation said it would be left with a gap of around a third of its required income and currently had no other option but to cease trading on July 31.

It has been has been providing theatre arts experiences to young people in Scotland for more than 40 years and described the decision to close as "devastating".

Other Scottish Youth Theatre alumni include Kate Dickie and Colin McCredie while Billy Boyd, Brian Cox, Alan Cumming, Emma Thompson and Richard Wilson are among its patrons.

Speaking during First Minister's Questions on Thursday, Harvie said: "Can I read to the First Minister some words from a constituent of mine called Kirsty.

"She says: 'I went to Scottish Youth Theatre summer school when I was 14 and it completely changed my life.

"'I made friends with some of the most wonderful I ever met there, I completely fell in love with Glasgow and I was inspired to eventually move here to study theatre.'

"Kirsty says she has never forgotten that amazing opportunity and that she just took it for granted that the Scottish Youth Theatre would always exist and that she'd be able to encourage her little niece to go the summer school when she was old enough."

He added: "Kirsty is by no means alone and I suspect every member of this parliament will have constituents whose lives have been enriched and even transformed in this way.

"This year is being billed as the Year of Young People. Are we really going to let Scottish Youth Theatre close?"

Sturgeon responded: "The decision about which organisations receive regular funding is for Creative Scotland and, in law, the Scottish Government has no role in that process and is not able to intervene in that process.

"That said, the announcement by the Scottish Youth Theatre, for the reasons that Patrick Harvie has outlined, is of serious concern.

"It will be of serious concern to many people across Scotland and indeed it is to me."

She explained that Creative Scotland had agreed to approve some funding for the theatre company to allow it to keep operating while it explores alternative funding routes.

When Scottish Youth Theatre lost its Creative Scotland funding in 2014, then-first minister Alex Salmond stepped in to provide a £1m funding package to secure its future.

Harvie said he accepted that the Scottish Government could not "instruct" Creative Scotland on funding decisions but said minister have a "direct responsibility... for a national asset like the SYT".

He asked for an assurance that the "appalling" scenario of SYT closing its doors will not come about.

The Green MSP was joined by the SNP's Sandra White in pressing the First Minister on the issue, who has the theatre company's Glasgow base within her constituency.

The Glasgow Kelvin MSP described Creative Scotland's decision as "a very big slap in the face and a kick in the teeth".

She asked Sturgeon to help arrange a meeting between culture secretary Fiona Hyslop and White and other interested parties, which the First Minister indicated would be possible.

Sturgeon added that she had a great deal of sympathy for Harvie and White's positions on the issue, saying that "it would be the desire of all of us" to see Scottish Youth Theatre remain open.

Creative Scotland was heavily criticised for pulling the plug on funding for 20 organisations, including high-profile theatre, music and disabled arts groups, when it announced its three-year regular funding (RFO) decisions in January.

Funding was restored to five of the groups following an emergency board meeting.

The controversy eventually led to the resignation of two board members and a public apology from the group's chief executive last month.