Lloyd Webber Foundation Announces Donations To Arts Education Initiatives

Today (Friday 2 November), The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation is proud to announce a series of grants to support arts education across the UK. 

The Foundation believes that in order to retain vibrancy in the arts, it is imperative for young artists of all backgrounds and abilities to be nurtured and encouraged.  Support of these projects is now critical following the government’s proposals to introduce the English Baccalaureate Certificate which leaves the arts out of the ‘five pillars’ of core subjects that students must study.

Madeleine Lloyd Webber, Foundation Trustee, says:  “The Foundation is delighted to be able to support such a diverse range of arts education initiatives as we feel it is hugely important to encourage the next generation of artistic talent.  The UK is currently a global leader in the arts, and by investing in programmes to train young artists, we hope our country can continue to be a creative force.” 

Arts education initiatives to receive funding include:

• £180,000 to be paid over three years (£60,000 per year) to The Royal Ballet School to fund its Dance Partnership and Access Programme to identify, inspire and nurture talented young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.  The PRIMARYsteps Programme provides workshops and weekly tuition for 7 to 8 year olds at 32 schools in Blackpool, Dagenham, Swindon, Bury St Edmunds and Mansfield;  The aDvANCE Programme focuses on teenagers in state secondary schools and specialist dance centres, who participate in workshops and performances with Royal Ballet School students over a 12 week period. The Department for Education core funding for the programme been frozen and the Foundation’s grant will be used to plug the gap of £60,000 per year and help make the programme viable.
• £75,000 one off grant to Creative & Cultural Skills to fund master classes at a new purpose built facility, The Backstage Centre at Purfleet, for the training of technical theatre staff. The Backstage Centre is a state of the art technical facility housed alongside the Royal Opera House’s production workshop.  Participants will include technical theatre students, who will have the chance to experience real-time training with some of the world’s best bands and theatre companies in a large-scale industry-standard venue, strengthening their practical skills. For those already working in the industry, The Backstage Centre offers a facility for rehearsing and preparing productions, testing and developing new equipment, techniques and training.
• £45,000 to be paid over 3 years (£15,000 per year) to The Wales Millennium Centre’s Creative Apprenticeship Scheme, which invests in, encourages and develops future generations of stage technicians, electricians and other behind the scenes roles through hands-on experience in house and on tour over the period of a year. This is complemented by theoretical study leading to a formal qualification in Technical Theatre.  The Foundation’s grant will fund one full time apprentice , including tools and external training costs, each year for three years.
• £50,000 to be paid over 5 years (£10,000 per year) to Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) to support one exceptional scholar per year to complete their college education or train one-to-one with a master craftsman to learn important heritage skills such as stonemasonry, conservation in fine and decorative arts and silver-smithing. QEST is a charitable arm of the Royal Warrant Holders Association, which exists to advance the careers and education of craftsmen and women of all ages
• £10,000 one off grant to Old Vic New Voices (OVNV ) Programme at The Old Vic which funds a huge variety of projects and workshops per year to support and develop careers of emerging actors, directors, producers and writers aged 18 to 25 who are committed to a career in theatre. Programme is open to all from diverse backgrounds, offered free of charge, and includes the OVNV 24 Hour Plays, involving 50 participants, the TS Eliot US/UK Exchange and the OVNV Edinburgh Season.  Participants work with established practitioners - past mentors include Kevin Spacey, Imogen Knight, Michael Longhurst, Jill McCullough - to gain invaluable experience
• £20,000 to be paid over 2 years (£10,000 per year) to Live Music Now, a project founded by Yehudi Menuhin, to fund a 2 year programme to train and support 20 of the best emerging musicians to deliver workshops to children with special educational needs in 10 special schools.