Acclaimed British theatre and film director Sam Mendes has established the Theatre Artists Fund an emergency fund for theatre practitioners at breaking point having received no funds from the government support fund.
The Theatre Artists Fund established By Sam Mendes will fill a void. For many in the theatre industry, there has been no source of income since mid-March which has caused crisis in families of and and for UK theatre workers.
The Theatre Artists Fund promises quick one-off grants of £1000 per applicant. “We have created a fund to which the most vulnerable freelance theatre practitioners can now apply,” said Mendes. “It is specifically designed for theatre workers who find themselves at breaking point, for those unable to put food on the table or to pay bills, or for those considering leaving the profession altogether.” The fund, said Mendes, “is not for buildings, or regular staff, but for freelance artists who actually make the shows that the public pay to see.
The fund has been set up with an initial £500,000 donation from Netflix after Mendes called for the company to use a fraction of the profits made during lockdown to secure not only the future of the theatre industry but also our film and televison industry will freelancers quite often working in both arenas. Mendes praised Netflix’s “generosity and leadership” and called on other companies, industry figures and charitable trusts to contribute to the fund.
The Theatre Artists Fund is designed to support those who have not been furloughed by employers, not received SEISS and have been unable to work since theatres closed in mid-March due to Covid-19. To be eligible for the fund, applicants must have worked in theatre between 1 January 2019 and 31 March 2020 and must prove they have limited savings. Applications for the first round of the fund open from noon on 6 July and remain open for one week; applicants should know the outcome by 27 July. A range of professions are eligible, from producers and prop makers to choreographers and comedians.
