Andrew Lloyd Webber Says 'Lucky' Stars Should 'Plug the Gaps' in Arts Funding

Andrew Lloyd Webber, speaking at the opening of the new school theatre at Arts Educational Schools in Chiswick, London -- which was built from a £3.5 million donation by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation -- talked about "plugging the gaps" in today's arts funding.

He said: "I do believe very strongly that people who have been lucky enough to have the success in their profession I have must put it back."

For the original report, head on over to The Telegraph.

The Andrew Lloyd Webber foundation has donated more than £8.5 million to date in support of the arts. Lloyd Webber's observations follow recent cuts in government funding to the UK Arts Council - five percent this year, on top of the 30 percent lopped off in 2010.

Lloyd Webber's foundation is now "trying to do as much as we can around the country."

He added, "One of the most important things is to be able to fund young talent everywhere. In the theatre you've got to cast the best people and train the best people. And the very, very least anyone in my position can do is to give such talented bunch of kids at such a great school a little token of a theatre."

Lloyd Webber is the composer of The Likes of Us, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, By Jeeves, Evita, Variations and Tell Me on a Sunday later combined as Song & Dance, Cats, Starlight Express, The Phantom of the Opera, Aspects of Love, Sunset Boulevard, Whistle Down the Wind, The Beautiful Game, The Woman in White and Love Never Dies. He composed the film scores of Gumshoe and The Odessa File and a setting of the Latin Requiem mass. Recent producer credits include A R Rahman's Bombay Dreams, The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz and films of The Phantom of the Opera and the acclaimed Australian production of Love Never Dies. His new musical Stephen Ward will begin performances in the West End in December 2013.

The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation's principle objectives are to promote the arts, culture and heritage for the public benefit. This Foundation was founded by Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1992. Following the sale of the Foundation's Picasso in 2010, the Trustees have established an active grant giving programme including the provision of musical theatre scholarships, the support of heritage projects through the Architectural Heritage Fund and they welcome applications to support other projects in the areas of the arts, culture and heritage.