Theatre Artists Fund to mark a year since UK theatres closed

Stage and screen stars and leading theatre makers are lining up to support a new campaign for the Theatre Artists Fund marking a year since UK theatres were forced to close their doors due to Covid.

Famous names including Michaela Coel, Ruth Madeley, Maxine Peake, Eddie Redmayne, Luke Thompson and Harriet Walter are revealing the ‘turning points’ in their careers where they received a ‘vital helping hand’ to encourage public donations to the fund which was launched in 2020 to provide emergency financial aid to struggling freelance theatre workers.

The video messages will lead up to online activity on 16 March which will encourage more famous faces, theatre lovers and people across the industry sharing selfies using the hashtags #16 March, #TheatreArtistsFund and #FirstInLastOut in reference to the fact that theatres were among the first institutions to enter into full lockdown and will be among the last to return to normal operations.

Set up by stage and screen director Sam Mendes, the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre in July 2020, the Theatre Artists Fund has given out £5.5 million across 5,359 individual grants.

Aimed at providing short-term relief for the hundreds of theatre workers and freelancers across the UK who have been among the hardest hit throughout the lockdown, the Fund’s work has been made possible by donations from a range of organisations and individuals.

Even with a substantial new donation from a previous benefactor, the Backstage Trust, the Fund must raise at least £750,000 a month with every penny going directly to those in need.

While hopes are high for the reopening of venues initially in May and more fully in June raised by the Government’s roadmap, by those dates thousands in the theatre industry will have been unemployed for a year, and will continue to face months of career uncertainty and financial instability.

Appealing for public contributions the fund notes that freelancers, who make up an estimated 70% of the sector have fallen outside Government support schemes, with many of that group in urgent need of financial aid to pay bills and put food on the table.

Anyone wishing to donate can visit theatreartists.enthuse.com/cf/theatre-artists-fund

Or text the following:

THEATREFUND 5 to 70470 to donate £5

THEATREFUND 10 to 70470 to donate £10

THEATREFUND 20 to 70470 to donate £20

Texts cost £5, £10 or £20 plus one standard rate message and you’ll be opting in to hear more about our work and fundraising via telephone and SMS.  If you’d like to give £5, £10 or £20 but do not wish to receive marketing communications, text THEATREFUNDNOINFO 5, 10 or 20 to 70470.

Angela Thomas