And though she be but little, she is fierce!

Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Olivia Colman Launch Theatre Community Fund

By Naman Ramachandran 30th July 2020

Award-winning actors Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Olivia Colman, and theater producer Francesca Moody (“Fleabag”) have created the Theatre Community Fund to support theatrical artists and professionals whose livelihoods and creative futures are threatened in the wake of COVID-19.

The fund has raised £1 million ($1.3 million) so far from founder donors who include Gillian Anderson, Richard Curtis, Tim Bevan, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Daisy Ridley, Danny Boyle and Andrew Scott, among many others. Donors will contribute through initial lump sums and fixed, confidential percentages of their incomes over the next two years.

The fund, which has amassed £500,000 ($651,000) so far, will be separated into two priority strands dispersing up to £3,000 ($3,900) in the form of hardship grants to those in immediate need, and innovation and creation grants for artists to produce work. It will be dispersed and monitored by The Royal Theatrical Fund (RTF) in partnership with the Fleabag Support Fund (FSF). The RTF have been working in partnership with FSF since its inception in April 2020 to award hardship grants to those in the theatre profession who have been directly affected by the pandemic. In May 2020, FSF disseminated its first wave of grants totalling over £83,000 ($108,000).

“As for other fundraising initiatives, we are aware of many of them, including the recently announced Theatre Artists Fund, spearheaded by Sam Mendes,” the fund states. “We have spoken to some of those involved and cheer their work to the rafters — we need to get money into the sector through as many channels as possible.”

The U.K.’s theatre sector has been brought to its knees over the last four months. Although venues have been allowed to reopen, social distancing rules limit most theatres to operating at 30%-40% of their capacity, and have forced them to stay closed. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden confirmed on Wednesday that the earliest date at which theatres can reopen is November. Producer Cameron Mackintosh said earlier this week that “Phantom of the Opera” — a West-End mainstay for 34 years — will close permanently due to the financial impact of the pandemic.

“As for other fundraising initiatives, we are aware of many of them, including the recently announced Theatre Artists Fund, spearheaded by Sam Mendes,” the fund states. “We have spoken to some of those involved and cheer their work to the rafters — we need to get money into the sector through as many channels as possible.”

The U.K.’s theatre sector has been brought to its knees over the last four months. Although venues have been allowed to reopen, social distancing rules limit most theatres to operating at 30%-40% of their capacity, and have forced them to stay closed. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden confirmed on Wednesday that the earliest date at which theatres can reopen is November. Producer Cameron Mackintosh said earlier this week that “Phantom of the Opera” — a West-End mainstay for 34 years — will close permanently due to the financial impact of the pandemic.

Founding Donors:

Gillian Anderson Jesse Armstrong Tim Bevan Hugh Bonneville Stephen Boxer Danny Boyle Jim Carter Emilia Clarke James Cordon Stephen Daldry Arthur Darvill Shaun Dooley Anne-Marie Duff Jane Featherstone Eric Fellner Tania Franks Emma Freud and Richard Curtis Romola Garai Rebecca Hall David Hare David Harewood Kit Harrington Jonathan Harvey Keeley Hawes Tom Hiddleston Tom Hollander Tony Hopkirk Suranne Jones Katherine Kelly Robert Lindsay Lucy Lumsden Gugu Mbatha-Raw James McAvoy Matthew McFadyen Ian McKellen, Sean Mathias and ATG Productions from funds raised by Ian McKellen On Stage David Morrissey Josh O’Connor Al Petrie Daniel Radcliffe Daisy Ridley Andrew Scott Imelda Staunton Meera Syal and Sanjeev Bhaskar Russell T Davies Emma Thompson Harriet Walter Rachel Weisz Jodie Whittaker and Christian Contreras David Yates