Ian McKellen
Producer GrantsIn 2019, as a present to himself for his 80th birthday Ian McKellen went on a tour of the UK visiting 87 venues with a one-man show. The aim was to raise money for each venue he visited. Later that year the show transferred to the West End for 88 performances.
The final two shows were captured by the producing team in conjunction with NT Live. In 2021 the show became, and remains, available to watch on Amazon Prime for customers in UK and Ireland and globally via NT @ Home.
All remaining profits from both the West End run and the future broadcast including any salary Ian would have received will be distributed to help emerging producers by providing a one-off grant.
This grant may be used towards both capitalisation and running costs, specifically for the payment of actor wages. Awards of up to £25,000 are available, provided the Producer pays the cast no less than Equity minimum rates and that total actor fees are consistent with industry norms for the venue in which the work is presented.
The Live Entertainment & Arts Foundation and ATG Productions are proud to facilitate these grants to enable ambitious theatre productions that create employment for artists, expand opportunities for emerging producers, and bring high-quality work to audiences that might otherwise not reach the stage.
Between now and April 2029, our ambition is to provide support to a minimum of 30 productions by way of these grants.
See more information on the Grant below.
Producer Grants
In 2019, as a present to himself for his 80th birthday Ian McKellen went on a tour of the UK visiting 87 venues with a one-man show. The aim was to raise money for each venue he visited. Later that year the show transferred to the West End for 88 performances.
The final two shows were captured by the producing team in conjunction with NT Live. In 2021 the show became, and remains, available to watch on Amazon Prime for customers in UK and Ireland and globally via NT @ Home.
All remaining profits from both the West End run and the future broadcast including any salary Ian would have received will be distributed to help emerging producers by providing a one-off grant.
This grant may be used towards both capitalisation and running costs, specifically for the payment of actor wages. Awards of up to £25,000 are available, provided the Producer pays the cast no less than Equity minimum rates and that total actor fees are consistent with industry norms for the venue in which the work is presented.
The Live Entertainment & Arts Foundation and ATG Productions are proud to facilitate these grants to enable ambitious theatre productions that create employment for artists, expand opportunities for emerging producers, and bring high-quality work to audiences that might otherwise not reach the stage.
Between now and April 2029, our ambition is to provide support to a minimum of 30 productions by way of these grants.
See more information on the Grant below.
This grant supports emerging theatre producers and independent production companies to create ambitious work and employ larger casts.
Purpose of the Grant
The grant aims:
- To support emerging theatre producers and independent production companies.
- To enable producers to employ and fairly pay a larger number of creative and production professionals than they otherwise would be able.
- To make productions with larger casts viable that might otherwise be financially unachievable. Grants will favour projects that break even specifically because of this funding.
- To support the production of plays, including both new writing and revivals.
The producer, production company, and proposed production must meet all the following criteria:
- The producer or production company must have previously produced at least one UK production in a venue that is a member of UK Theatre or on the London Fringe, with 21 or more consecutive paid public performances.
- The producer or production company must have paid cast and crew Equity minimum rates or above for that production and be committed to doing so for the proposed production.
- The proposed production must take place in a venue that is a member of UK Theatre, either as a single venue or as part of a tour.
- The proposed production must have a cast of at least six actors, including at least one recent graduate of an accredited theatre training course (graduated in 2024, 2025, or 2026).
- The intention of the grant is that it be used towards actors’ salaries, up to a maximum of £25,000, inclusive of National Insurance and other salary-related costs.
- Funding may cover salaries during both rehearsal and performance periods.
- Applicants must outline pay rates and contract lengths within their application.
- The production must commit to paying cast and crew appropriate union rates. Grant funding must not be used to artificially inflate salaries beyond industry-standard levels.
- Grants are awarded at the sole discretion of the judging panel.
- Due to high demand, applications that meet eligibility criteria may still be unsuccessful. Applicants are advised to allow sufficient time between application and production start dates, or to have alternative funding arrangements in place.
- Successful applicants will receive the grant payment in the week prior to rehearsals, subject to proof that the remainder of the production’s capitalisation is in place.
- Successful applicants are not eligible to apply for future funding rounds. Unsuccessful applicants may reapply.
- Successful applicants must submit a short evaluative report to the Live Entertainment & Arts Foundation within an agreed timeframe following completion of the proposed production, outlining activity delivered and key outputs (e.g. number of performances, participants, audiences reached).
- By submitting an application, applicants agree that Live Entertainment & Arts Foundation and ATG Entertainment may retain their contact details on file.
- All supporting documentation will be treated as confidential, used solely to assess the application, and deleted six months after each funding round.
Submissions for our current round of funding will be open until September 2026. Please keep an eye on Live Entertainment & Arts Foundation social media channels and website to be alerted when they are open and deadline for submissions.
Our ambition is to provide 5 grants per funding round, with 2 funding rounds per year, in April and in September. Please be aware that if your application is for a production which would commence after the next successive round of funding, it will not be considered for the current round.
Your support means we can make a lasting impact and build a vibrant, sustainable future for the arts across the UK
Your donation will:
- Support local talent through mentorship, training and emerging artist programmes.
- Put on performances and workshops that inspire, and connect people.
- Remove barriers so that everyone can take part and get involved.
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