Michael Grandage today announced the recipients of the second annual MGCfutures Bursaries awarded across a range of theatrical disciplines including directing, writing, producing, video design, choreography and performance makers. Offering both financial and ongoing mentoring support from the MGCfutures team, the recipients come from across the UK.
This year, for the first time, the charity partnered with the Mercury Theatre, Colchester. Frances Rafferty, the recipient of this (£5,000) bursary, will work as Assistant Director on two Made in Colchester productions.
Artistic Director Michael Grandage said today, “We received more than double the number of applications for this year’s MGCfutures bursaries – from a range of disciplines across all areas of the theatre world. It’s testament to the health and vibrancy of the emerging talent in our industry, and of that we should be very proud. Supporting and nurturing this talent is central to the work of MGCfutures, and we’re genuinely thrilled to be able to award these bursaries to such an incredible group of people and we look forward to collaborating with them and supporting them in the coming years.
“We are also delighted to partner this year with Mercury Theatre, Colchester in offering a Trainee Director role at their theatre. It was at this theatre I began my own directing career, and I will be forever grateful for the opportunity.”
Michael Grandage founded MGCfutures in 2013 – a charity designed to encourage and support the next generation of theatre makers and theatregoers. The bursaries programme was launched in 2016, and reaches out across the UK to seek the very best creative talent showing a commitment to their chosen career and looking to progress to the next stage of their development. Applicants could apply for bursaries of up to £5000.
The recipients of this year’s bursaries are:
Samuel Bailey – Writer
Poonam Brah – Director
Oliver Dawe – Director
Ellie Dubois – Performance Maker
Rebecca Durbin – Producer
Sophie Gunn – BSL Advisor
Debbie Hannan – Director
Alexandrina Hemsley and Jamila Johnson-Small – Project O – Choreographers and Performance Makers
Polina Kalinina – Director
Lanre Malaolu – Choreographer
Eve Nicol – Director
Margaret Perry – Writer
Danny Prosser – Massive Owl Theatre Company
Frances Rafferty – Mercury Theatre, Colchester – Assistant Director
Oscar Toeman – Director
Alex Turner – Producer
Daniel Turner – Theatre Technician
Ash J Woodward – Video Designer
