Artistic Director of MGC, Michael Grandage today announces the fifth anniversary MGCfutures Bursary Programme is now open for applications. MGCfutures is a charity, formed in 2012. The bursaries programme was launched in 2016 for arts practitioners who show a commitment to their chosen career and look to progress to the next stage of their development.
Applicants from across the UK can apply for bursaries from £500-£5,000, to support careers across a wide spectrum of the theatre industry. MGCfutures remain committed to expanding the reach of the bursaries across all the professions that play a vital role in making live performance happen.
In addition, MGCfutures will offer The Stephanie Arditti Bursary for the second time, created in the memory of award-winning costume supervisor Stephanie Arditti for those working in costume; as well as partnering with the Lyric Hammersmith for a Literary Associate (Trainee) and Pilot Theatre for a Creative Assistant. MGCfutures patron Nicole Kidman has committed to a six-year annual bursary to support female theatre makers.
In addition, it is announced today that the Theatre Community Fund, spearheaded by Olivia Colman, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Francesca Moody will donate £300k to MGCfutures to help support and provide bursaries for the next 3 years. When they launched the Theatre Community Fund in July in response to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, they committed to provide hardship funding, and bursaries for creation and innovation. They continue to provide hardship funding through the Royal Theatrical Fund; and this donation today sees them realise their aim to provide funding for bursaries.
Michael Grandage said today, “The pandemic of 2020 has seen theatres shut across the world and yet I remain hopeful that the many people who make up the complex ecology that creates live theatre will be working again very soon. MGCfutures, as the name suggests, is a charity that looks forward and that is now more important than ever as we support theatre makers across the country to return to the industry they love.
“We are enormously grateful to the many generous individuals who make these bursaries happen, and especially today to the Theatre Community Fund whose donation will enable us to provide these vital bursaries to artists to create work across our stages, and rebuild our industry in new and vibrant ways.”
Applications must be submitted via the MGCfutures website – www.mgcfutures.com – from noon on 16 December, and close at 12 noon on 7 January 2021. Please note, bursaries are not available to support training or as commercial investments in productions.
