York Theatre Royal Launches Fund For Berwick Kaler

As Berwick Kaler's 40-year reign as pantomime dame comes to an end, York Theatre Royal has launched a fund to celebrate and continue his legacy.

"The Berwick Kaler Foundation will enable us to bring families, friends and communities together to share experiences and enjoy theatre in all its many forms," said Executive Director Tom Bird.

"We want our pantomime audiences and our whole community to support the Berwick Kaler Foundation and help us to grow the YTR family.

"The theatre strives to be a place where everyone feels they are welcome and that they belong. We want to be accessible to all. We want our community to have a stake in what we do. We want to continue to engage, inspire and excite."

The Sylvia and Colin Shepherd Charitable Trust, long-standing supporters of the theatre, has started the Foundation with a donation to support the work YTR does across the year in the community, particularly for children and young people.

The theatre's target is to raise £200,000 in two years.

Berwick, whose final pantomime The Grand Old Dame of York marks his 40th anniversary as York Theatre Royal's Dame, will be the Patron and figurehead of the Foundation. His role will include hosting fund-raising activities.

One of the first projects taken up by the Foundation will be funding the Access All Areas project for 12 months at a cost of £3,800. The project prioritises disadvantaged young people - people who do not already engage with York Theatre Royal, sometimes due to social, cultural or financial barriers.

Access All Areas is a free provision that is referral only and transport costs can be supported. All children are from York and surrounding areas. There are currently 15 children attending the weekly group. The project helps the young people progress into mainstream youth theatre, community shows like Everything Is Possible: The York Suffragettes and the annual TakeOver festival, which then allows new members to join the small supported group. The project has previously been funded by the Ed De Nunzio Charitable Trust.

The BK Foundation Fund will also support a £12,000 transport project around the production of Driving Miss Daisy in June. This will involve providing transport to and from the theatre through charities supporting older people in York.

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