{"id":13,"date":"2025-07-30T18:23:42","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T17:23:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theatreartists.fund\/?page_id=13"},"modified":"2026-02-27T16:57:43","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T16:57:43","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/theatreartists.fund\/","title":{"rendered":"Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Behind every great performance<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Supporting world-class technicians and theatre artists<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Pilot Programme<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Working in conjunction with Backstage Trust and Theatre Development Trust, we have designed a programme which will help to nurture and develop the creative workforce, in collaboration with performing arts venues across the UK.<\/p>

Starting in Autumn 2022 and culminating in Winter 2026, the pilot will realise twenty full-time jobs, each running for two years, for people working in craft and technical disciplines at emerging and mid-career level. Alongside economic stability, each person will be supported with integrated training and mentoring from established freelance theatre artists.<\/p>

Through this process, our aim is to identify new ways of working to help people develop their careers, understand how to improve working culture for freelance practitioners, encourage positive change and new frameworks for organisations, and benefit the wider creative industries and our communities.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Programme Headlines<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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2022\u201326<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Programme duration<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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20<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Full-time, salaried roles<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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2 years<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Two-year contracts with training, networking and mentoring support<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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16<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Performing arts partners, UK wide<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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13<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Disciplines including Sound, Lighting, Costume<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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70%<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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mid-career and 30% emerging career level roles created\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Advisory Group<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Our thanks to: Kash Bennett, Liz Botros, Paule Constable OBE, Mark Dakin, Alan Finch, Katie Kerry, Shelley Maxwell, Sir Sam Mendes CBE, Caro Newling OBE, Tom Piper MBE, Indhu Rubasingham MBE, Dame Susie Sainsbury<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Our Story<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Between July 2020 and March 2022, Theatre Artists Fund realised emergency funds for theatre freelancers across the UK in need of critical financial aid, due to the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the theatre sector.<\/p>

\u00a39.9 million, including \u00a31.9m from Department for Culture, Media and Sport through Arts Council England, was raised to distribute 9,964 emergency grants, towards living costs such as rent, food, and electricity, alongside signposting to mental-health support.<\/p>

In July 2021 Sir Sam Mendes announced that a pilot programme – focusing on employment opportunities – was going into development.<\/p>

Why have we created the Pilot Programme?<\/h3>

The impact of Covid-19, exacerbated inequalities within the UK theatre industry and illuminated how precarious the industry is for craft and technical disciplines. There is now an urgent need to give confidence to and sustain the creative workforce.<\/p>

To address this issue, we designed a pilot study which enables twenty new positions, salaried over two years, alongside enhanced training and networking opportunities, in disciplines identified as \u2018in need\u2019, including: Lighting Electrics, Sound Engineers, Wigs, Hair & Make-Up, Scenic Construction, Company Management, Automation, Costume, Wardrobe and Production Management.<\/p>

Our aim is to enable people to become more robust and explore a new way of working for the benefit of the workforce, venues, audiences, communities and the wider creative sector.<\/p>

Our Objectives<\/h3>

Nurturing and supporting the creative workforce, in collaboration with performing arts venues across the UK, our aims are to:<\/p>