The winners of the two-part Future Theatre Fund have been announced.
Ten recent graduates working across a range of disciplines will receive £10,000 apiece to further their theatre careers under the programme.
The winners are:
- Musical Theatre – Beth Hinton-Lever & Emily Aboud
- Acting – Adam Fenton & Selina Jones
- Directing/Theatre Making – Omar Bynon & Jamie Hale
- Visual Design – Caitlin Mawhinney & Nikki Charlesworth
- Audio Design – Francesca Amewudah-Rivers & Nicola Chang
Emily Sheffield, editor of the Evening Standard, said, “congratulations to all the recipients—we are so proud to be supporting some of the emerging talent that will form the heart of theatre in London’s West End and beyond. This initiative is a crucial investment in our cultural capital that has taken such a beating in this last year in the pandemic, and we cannot wait for all our theatres to reopen.”
Another two winners without formal drama training were selected under the TikTok Breakout Awards scheme:
- Ewan Fellows
- Jesse Chuku
Rich Waterworth, general manager UK & EU at TikTok, said, "it's been our privilege that TikTok has become a creative outlet for so many over the last year. As one of the judges, I've loved watching the many incredible applicants, and we were all seriously impressed by the raw talent, passion and drive the winners showed as they work to become a success in the industry. We hope the Fund can help support a sector that makes a vital contribution to the social and cultural fabric of the nation, at a time when we need the next generation of theatre-makers more than ever."
As previously reported, the twelve were selected by a panel of judges chaired by artistic director of the National Youth Theatre, Paul Roseby. The Evening Standard Future Theatre Fund, was created in partnership with the National Youth Theatre.