Michael Grandage today announces the recipients of the eighth year of MGCfutures Bursaries, awarded across a range of theatrical disciplines including directing, writing, production, design, theatre-making, and for the first time this year, a theatrical tailor. A registered charity, MGCfutures offers both financial and ongoing mentoring support to the recipients who come from across the UK. The bursaries programme was launched in 2016 for theatre practitioners who show a commitment to their chosen career and look to progress to the next stage of their development.
The new recipients were shared in a video on social media by Luke Evans, who joins the charity as a patron, having recently appeared in Backstairs Billy – directed by Grandage, alongside Penelope Wilton who also joins as a patron.
Evans said: “MGCfutures has done excellent work over the last ten years supporting theatre makers at pivotal moments in their careers and today, I am excited to have the opportunity to introduce the new bursary recipients.”
This year’s recipients are: Rachel Bellman in a joint project with Eden Tredwell, Layla Bradbeer, Ben Kulvichit and Clara Potter-Sweet as Emergency Chorus, Emma Higham, Jack MacGregor, Jasmin Mandi-Ghomi, Rebecca Prentice, Eleanor Sikorski,Virginie Taylor, and Xana; andDavid Wood , who receives The Stephanie Arditti Bursaryfor costume makers, and Cai Kennedy, whobecomes Derby Theatre’s Engagement Communications Producer. MGCfutures patron Nicole Kidman continues her generous support by gifting a bursary designed to support women in the theatre industry which this year goes to director Imy Wyatt Corner.
Theatre Director and MGCfutures founderMichael Grandage said today, “In this, our eighth year of the bursary programme, we’re delighted to welcome a further 13 recipients to the futuresfamily, now standing at more than 150 members in total. This year’s diverse group of practitioners represents a broad range of specialist skills in the theatre industry: three writers, a producer, a director, a video designer, a sound artist, a choreographer and three theatre makers, as well as our first theatrical tailor and a new traineeship at Derby Theatre. It’s clear that the need for the unique support that we offer is increasingly urgent. In these uncertain times it’s really tough for those trying to establish their careers, and it’s vital that we nurture and support new talent in order to help them become established in the theatre industry.”
EMERGENCY CHORUS (BEN KULVICHIT AND CLARA POTTER-SWEET)
“We’re absolutely thrilled to receive an MGCfutures Bursary. We’ll be using it for some research and development towards a stage work, Something In Your Voice, and expanding our choreographic practice through a new collaboration with dance artists Hannah Parsons and Lorea Burge. We can’t wait to get cracking.”
JACK MACGREGOR
“The support of the MGCfutures Bursary will allow me to complete the first draft of a new political drama about the 1928 Achnacarry oil conference. Funds like MGCfutures celebrate the role of individual artists who often work unsalaried and outside of buildings. MGCfutures empower freelancers directly, giving us the support needed to make work.”
REBECCA PRENTICE
“It is incredibly meaningful to receive support at this stage in a producing career and the bursary will support an important time of upskilling and developing my commercial practice. The bursary will increase my capacity to support artists through the development process of a script about a lesbian activist with AIDS in the 80s.”
BURSARY RECIPIENTS
RACHEL BELLMAN – WRITER/EDEN TREDWELL – COMPOSER
Rachel and Eden will use the bursary to research, develop and write a new musical about the Jewish immigrants behind the cosmetic trade in Renaissance Italy.
LAYLA BRADBEER – DESIGNER
The bursary will allow Layla to conduct an R&D exploring the language of puppetry and design in a show for children that explores different art movements through history.
IMY WYATT CORNER – DIRECTOR (NICOLE KIDMAN BURSARY)
Imy’s bursary will help her develop a new play about the woman who conned her way into the all-male secret society of magicians The Magic Circle.
EMERGENCY CHORUS – THEATRE MAKERS (BEN KULVICHIT AND CLARA POTTER-SWEET)
The bursary will provide Emergency Chorus with resources to workshop an ambitious stage work about surveillance and privacy in collaboration with dancers.
EMMA HIGHAM – THEATRE MAKER
The bursary will support Emma to create The Girl and the Dinosaur, a sea-inspired, family show including workshops at Worthing Children’s Hospital.
CAI KENNEDY – ENGAGEMENT COMMUNICATIONS PRODUCER (DERBY THEATRE BURSARY PLACEMENT)
Cai Kennedy will receive training as Derby Theatre’s first Engagement Communications Producer, working with theatre makers, artists, participants and community members to diversify and extend their communications.
JACK MACGREGOR – WRITER
The bursary will enable Jack to research and write a play about the 1928 Achnacarry Agreement, a secret meeting between the world’s major oil companies to divide up global energy markets.
JASMIN MANDI-GHOMI – WRITER
Jasmin will use the bursary to write a new play set in a haunted pub, exploring concepts of home within both Iranian and Traveller diasporic communities in Yorkshire.
REBECCA PRENTICE – PRODUCER
The bursary will assist Rebecca and her production company Prentice Productions to develop a new show about Joan Baker, a lesbian AIDS activist in the 80s, strengthening her skills as a theatre producer.
ELEANOR SIKORSKI – CHOREOGRAPHER
Eleanor will employ the bursary to explore hand operated chain-reaction contraptions (aka Rube Goldberg machines) as scenography for dance, establishing herself as a director of group choreography.
VIRGINIE TAYLOR – VIDEO DESIGNER
The bursary will fund Virginie to learn the media platform Disguise, the industry standard for high-end video design.
DAVID WOOD – THEATRICAL TAYLOR (THE STEPHANIE ARDITTI BURSARY)
David’s bursary will support him to set up his own costume making and tailoring studio for theatre and performance.
XANA – SOUND DESIGNER/COMPOSER
The bursary will allow Xana to develop a musical audio play exploring the story of the Maroon warrior Queen Nanny of Jamaica, incorporating a haptic vest to improve accessibility.
MGCfutures is grateful for the support of Ken and Lin Craig and The PwC Foundation.
MGCfutures
Established in 2013 by director Michael Grandage, MGCfutures is a charitable organisation committed to supporting the next generation of theatre makers by providing vital support at pivotal moments in their careers. Their bursary programme was launched in 2016 and they have since awarded more than £500,000 to over 140 theatre makers.
MGCfutures is governed by a Board of Trustees. It is also supported by the charity’s patrons: Emma Corrin, Judi Dench, Luke Evans, Dawn French, Nicole Kidman, Jude Law, Daniel Radcliffe, Simon Russell Beale, Sheridan Smith, Aidan Turner, David Walliams, Ben Whishaw and Penelope Wilton.
- MGCfutures bursaries are funded through donations from the Michael Grandage Company as well as donations and support from generous individual givers.
- The recipients of the awards are selected from an industry panel including Michael Grandage.
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https://www.mgcfutures.com/bursaries/2024-bursary/
DERBY THEATRE
MGCfutures is partnering with Derby Theatre to create a 12-month placement as the venue’s Engagement Communications Producer. This position will help tell the story of Derby Theatre as a Learning Theatre, activating Derby’s communities to be able to shout about the venue’s work and make them feel a part of what they do.
Sarah Brigham said today, “The MGCfutures Bursaries are a truly fantastic and inspiring initiative, providing vital support to artists and theatre-makers across a wide range of disciplines. By offering both financial assistance and invaluable mentoring, MGCfutures are nurturing the next generation of creative talent and ensuring a vibrant, diverse future for the industry. We are thrilled that Cai Kennedy has been awarded the Derby Theatre bursary and will be joining us as our Engagement Communications Producer. This role will be instrumental in sharing the story of Derby Theatre as a theatre with its civic purpose at its heart, amplifying the voices of our communities and ensuring everyone feels a part of what we do. We can’t wait to see the impact Cai will make as part of our team.”
Derby Theatre is known for artistic excellence. They’re committed to education. And they believe that theatre can change your life. Previously Derby Playhouse, they have a long and important theatrical history. As Derby Theatre, they work in partnership with the University of Derby. They produce new plays and projects, collaborate with artists and local people, and welcome higher education students and anyone who wants to learn. They are a charity and a National Portfolio organisation for Arts Council England, and they’re led by artistic director and CEO Sarah Brigham.
STEPHANIE ARDITTI BURSARY
Created in the memory of award-winning costume supervisor Stephanie Arditti who died in 2018, this award is supported for the third year running by designer Christopher Oram and it is intended to support those who wish to pursue a career in any aspect of costuming in theatre from supervision to tailoring, cutting, beading and embroidery to leatherwork and dye work as well as related fields such as wigs, millinery, or shoes.
To date, the bursary has supported:
- Nicola Holter, Theatrical Shoemaker, 2023 Bursary
- Alice Ortona Coles, Dance Costume Maker, 2023 Bursary
- Lauren Martin, Theatrical Milliner, 2022 Bursary
- Claire Powell, Costume Maker and Supervisor, 2022 Bursary
- Kitty Hawkins, Costume Designer, Maker and Supervisor, 2021 Bursary
- Eve Kann, Costume Designer and Maker, 2021 Bursary
- Twan Lentjes, Costume Maker and Embroiderer, 2019 Bursary
THE NICOLE KIDMAN BURSARY
This award has been gifted by Nicole Kidman, a Patron of MGCfutures, and is designed to assist an emerging female director, producer or writer. The bursary is awarded to artists who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to their chosen field.
To date, her bursary has supported:
- Sam Hardie, Director, 2021 Bursary
- Bethany Cooper, Producer, 2022 Bursary
- Ruth D’Silva, Writer, 2023 Bursary
PAST BURSARY RECIPIENTS
More than 140 practitioners have been supported by MGCfutures bursaries since the scheme began in 2016 – for further information:https://www.mgcfutures.com/recipients/
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