American Theatre Wing Launches Andrew Lloyd Webber Training Scholarships

The American Theatre Wing announced today that their Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative has launched its second initiative program, the Training Scholarships, bridging the gap between talent and opportunity and creating a strong pipeline to the professional theatre for promising artists of all backgrounds.

The deadline to apply is January 6, 2017, with final notifications made by April 2017. For more information, or to apply, visit americantheatrewing.org/program/the-andrew-lloyd-webber-initiative.

"I am thrilled to be launching the second of three phases for our Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative. Through these scholarships, we can ensure that students gain access to arts and theatre training that they might not receive otherwise," said Ms. Hitchens. "I am so grateful to Andrew Lloyd Webber for his continued passion in enriching arts education throughout the country through this initiative."

With the generous support of The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, the American Theatre Wing is investing in direct support for underserved public school students demonstrating exceptional talent and economic need to participate in after school training programs or intensive summer study programs to better prepare for future training at the university level.

Public Middle and High School students who demonstrate talent and ability in the theatre arts, but have a lack of resources to receive high level training prior to college are eligible to apply. The student's area of focus can be from any aspect of theatre from performance, to design, to writing, to stage management and more. Applicants are required to demonstrate their talent through an audition video or portfolio, along with a written application.

Applicants should identify their planned course of study and the program or organization where they plan to attend before beginning the application. Grant funding can be used for Private or Group Voice, Dance, or Music lessons; theatre training programs that stand alone or are housed in professional theatre settings; theatre training camps; and conferences or special training opportunities.

The American Theatre Wing's Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative is a major new national initiative which received $1.3 million in seed funding from the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, and will support theatre education opportunities for underserved young people and under-resourced public schools around the United States. This project is an expansion of the work that the multi-Tony Award winning composer and producer has been doing to promote and fund arts education through his Foundation in the United Kingdom. It serves to both strengthen and expand the Wing's core mission of nurturing the next generation of theatre makers and patrons. Other funders are urged to join Andrew Lloyd Webber in support of these critical opportunities for young people. To join these efforts, contact the American Theatre Wing's Director of Programs, Joanna Sheehan Bell (joanna@americantheatrewing.org).

The Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative consists of three separate components:

1) Classroom Resources: Through a grant-giving program, funding will be provided directly to under-resourced public schools to provide instruments, dance floors, lighting grids, and other necessary materials to help create new and enhance existing theatre programs.

2) Training Scholarships: Funding will go towards covering the costs associated with sending select students to summer study and after school training programs.

3) 4-Year Partial University Scholarships: Financial support will be provided to select students to pursue theatre studies at the University level.

The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation was set up by Andrew in 1992 to promote the arts, culture and heritage for the public benefit; since inception Andrew has been the principal provider of funding for all its charitable activities.

In 2010, the Foundation embarked on an active grant giving programme and has now awarded grants of more than US$17m to support high quality training and personal development as well as other projects that make a real difference to enrich the quality of life both for individuals and within local communities. In the last two years, Andrew and his Foundation have supported various projects in the USA including Little Kids Rock and The Young People's Chorus of New York. The American Theatre Wing Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative will be the largest single grant awarded by the Foundation in the USA to date.

In 2015, the Foundation awarded over US$2.3m in 46 new grants to organisations, made 17 grants totaling US$1.3m to projects in their second and third year of funding and provided 30 musical theatre scholarships worth over US$450k to young performers on the brink of their careers. The grants focus on the enhancement of arts education and participation, improving access to the arts for all, and increasing diversity across the arts, culture and heritage sector. Visit www.andrewlloydwebberfoundation.com for more information.

The American Theatre Wing (Heather Hitchens, President and CEO) is dedicated to advancing artistic excellence and nurturing theatre's next generation: on the stage, behind the scenes, and in the audience. For nearly a century, the Wing has pursued this mission with programs that span the nation to invest in the growth and evolution of American Theatre. Traditionally, the Wing has encouraged members of the theatre community to share their off-stage time and talent directly with the theatre audience at large--whether it was singing for the troops in the Stage Door Canteen of the 1940s, or sharing their stories on a podcast today. As the founders of The Tony Awards®, the American Theatre Wing has developed the foremost national platform for the recognition of theatrical achievement on Broadway. Yet the Wing's reach extends beyond Broadway and beyond New York. The American Theatre Wing is now in a long-term partnership with The Village Voice to co-present The Obie Awards, off-Broadway's Highest Honor. The Wing also develops the next generation of theatre professionals through the SpringboardNYC and Theatre Intern Network programs, incubates innovative theatre across the country through the National Theatre Company Grants, fosters the song of American theatre through the Jonathan Larson Grants, honors the best in New York theatrical design with the Henry Hewes Design Award, illuminates the creative process through the "Working in the Theatre" program and media archive. Finally, the Wing supports theatre education opportunities for underserved young people and under-resourced public schools around the United States with the newly launched Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative. Visitors to AmericanTheatreWing.org can gain inspiration and insight into the artistic process through the Wing's extensive media collection, and learn more about its programming for students, aspiring and working professionals, and audiences.