Over £515,000 of grants is being given by The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation to eleven organisations for their work in arts education, improving diversity and access to the arts.
This round of funding sees £150,000 going to the National Theatre NT Connections festival and £45,000 each for National Orchestra for All, Wilton’s Music Hall's Arts Learning and Participation programme and the Watermill Theatre to fund year-long trainee posts.
Smaller grants have been awarded to Clean Break's performance courses for women offenders, Scottish Opera to fund a year-long training programme for a professional Repetiteur and Children’s Hospice South West for music therapy sessions.
Andrew Lloyd Webber said, "at the very core of my Foundation is the belief that in order to retain vibrancy in the arts, it is crucial for talented young people of all backgrounds and abilities to be nurtured and encouraged. I am thrilled that with these grants we can improve access to the arts and support those taking their first steps towards a successful career in the industry."
The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation was set up 1992 to promote the arts, culture and heritage for the public benefit. The Foundation's grant-giving programme started in 2010 to support training and personal development and projects that enrich the quality of life or individuals and communities.