A fund in memory of much-loved NE-based director Jackie Fielding aims to help young people pursue a career in the performing arts by contributing to drama training fees.
Jackie Fielding, who died suddenly at the age of 47 in 2015, was a fine actress and a highly regarded director—the BTG named her Best Director in the NE in 2014 for her work on Collector of Tears and Death at Dawn—but she was also an enthusiastic advocate for and supporter of young emerging NE talent.
For this reason, her friends and family set up the Jackie Fielding Fund. She had attended Manchester University where she studied drama and went on to professional training at Webber Douglas, all with the aid of state funding, funding which is no longer available, so the Fund aims to contribute towards fees for training and continued development for actors, directors and musical theatre students.
A maximum award of £1,000 is made annually in July. The closing date for this year’s applications is applications is 15 July 2018.
Applicants must be aged 18 or over. The funding, which is available for full-time and short courses, is paid directly to the training provider for tuition fees only.
Applicants must be from an area no more than 40 miles from South Shields.
To apply, e-mail name, DOB, postcode, course title, course provider and an outline of career goals and how the course will support the applicant in achieving these goals (maximum 500 words) to [email protected].
Alternatively, applicants can fill in an online form at www.bit.ly/jackiefund2018.
In addition, the fund aims to provide support, advice and guidance for prospective drama students. Navigating the audition process and feeling confident with chosen pieces can be difficult and the Fund offers a full day of audition preparation twice a year, in March and October. A maximum of 25 performers per session can take part and more details are available upon application.