Applications Now Open For The Annual Luke Westlake Scholarship

Just Add Milk (JAM) has announced that the applications are now open for The Luke Westlake Scholarship. This year's award is supported by The Foundry Personal Management.

First launched in 2019, The Luke Westlake Scholarship was set up by the charity JAM for working class actors in their second year at either a drama school or university in the UK.

As they complete their training and graduate, the winner will receive over £6000 in financial and developmental assistance. Prizes include a one-year spotlight membership and lunches with leading industry professionals such as Becky Paris (Head of Casting at The Globe).

For the first time this year, actors who make the scholarship shortlist will benefit from JAM's new partnership with BAFTA, making them eligible to apply for the Prince William Bursary, and group meetings with casting directors and agents.

Lee & Bridgette Westlake, parents of Luke Westlake, said: "We are delighted that the scholarship so kindly dedicated by JAM to the memory of our son Luke continues to grow from strength to strength. It is an amazing opportunity, and we urge all those eligible to apply. We look forward to seeing another excellent field of candidates and this year we hope to meet in person to celebrate the fantastic talent that we know will come forward."

The scholarship was created after, JAM executive directors Kristian Wall and Liam McLaughlin realised that many actors were being priced out of their careers before they even graduated. After spending tens of thousands of pounds on training, actors must now pay for subscriptions, plays, headshots, and other necessities to support themselves, with those from working-class and low-income families bearing the brunt of the burden.

The Luke Westlake Scholarship is now in its fourth year, and previous winners have already made significant advances in the acting world, with 2020's winner, Ayomide Adegun, being cast as a lead in the highly anticipated Hunger Games film prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes as well as upcoming John Wick series The Continental for Lionsgate.

Co-Executive Directors Liam McLaughlin and Kristian Wall said: "We are delighted to be able to bring the scholarship back for a fourth year. This is our first year as a registered charity and we'll continue to develop the next generation of working-class actors in the industry and thank all the actors who take part in our workshops and courses, as well as our scholarship partners and sponsors who help us provide these opportunities. We would also like to thank our board of trustees for their immense support and guidance over the past nine months".

Applications are open today, Monday 26th September 2022 from 10am and will close on Monday 24th October 2022 at 6pm.

The shortlist will be announced by Friday 28th October. These applications will be judged by Ian Aryeh (Resident Director for the BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Showcase), Jaz Hutchins (Company Director of GoHub), Mary Burch BEM and Scarlett Maltman (for Industry Minds), Faye Timby (Casting Associate for Sophie Holland Casting), Luke Westlake's parents Brigette and Lee Westlake and Liam McLaughlin, Kristian Wall & Kyle Rowe (for JAM).

This year, JAM has formed a new partnership with BAFTA that will allow all actors who make the scholarship shortlist to apply for the Prince William Bursary after graduating - a fund that financially supports early-career creatives.

Actors are invited to apply today to the scholarship via the JAM website (https://www.justaddmilkjam.com/scholarship/2022) and fill out the application, including a statement on what winning the award would mean to them and a 2 minute self-tape monologue.

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