MGCfutures Bursaries is a new initiative from the Michael Grandage Company charity that supports theatre professionals financially and with mentoring.
Michael Grandage said of the scheme, “we were very clear from the outset of setting up MGC that we wanted to continue and develop the careers of young theatre practitioners.
"Our charity, MGCfutures, enables this and the Bursaries are a newly-developed annual scheme which sees the charity award bursaries to theatre makers across a variety of disciplines acknowledging the unseen work of the many people it takes to make a production.
“We were thrilled with the quality and diversity of applications we received this year and it bodes well for the theatre industry of tomorrow that such a wealth of talent exists within our ranks.
“It’s our intention also to mentor and support recipients to help them develop their work and careers, and in addition to the 17 who have received the bursaries, we have committed to mentoring a further 4 applicants moving forward.”
Grandage, the journalist Matt Trueman and others were part of the judging panel for the awards. Bursaries range from £500 to £5000.
The Bursary recipients in this inaugural year are:
- Dean Burke - theatrical milliner
- Camisado Club - Performance Company
- Rob Casey - lighting designer
- Shruti Chauhan - performance poet
- Ashley Cook - producer
- Rebecca Frecknall - director
- Ella Grace - singer and songwriter
- Dan Jones - director
- Anna Lewis - designer
- Isley Lynn - playwright
- David Ralf - producer
- Tara Robinson - director
- Rachel Stone - designer
- Selina Thompson - performance artist
- Leigh Toney - director
- Claire Willoughby - theatre maker
- Jingan Young - playwright
Mentoring with MGCfutures has been offered to:
- Oliver Dawe - director
- Oliver O’Shea - director
- Andrew Hughes - producer
- Michael Woods - sound designer
MGCfutures is an initiative to introduce young people to theatre.