The Ian McKellen On Stage Grant Scheme Gives Up To £25,000 To Theatre Producers

Following the ground-breaking fundraising tour, West End engagement and international broadcast of Ian McKellen on Stage, which raised over £5 million for British Theatre, Ian McKellen, Ambassador Theatre Group Productions, and Sean Mathias just announced a second round of grants which will give up to £25,000 to theatre producers.

The Ian McKellen on Stage grant scheme was set up to support theatre producers staging both new plays and revivals which feature casts including recently graduated actors. The grants of up to £25,000 are to cover actors' fees in rehearsal or performance, where the work would not be possible without the funding.

The deadline for funding applications is 31 August 2022 via ianonstage.co.uk/grant-application

Ian McKellen says: 'Starting out in the professional theatre, ambition and good intentions are rarely enough. Even the most successful production, in a small theatre, cannot hope to raise sufficient funds to cover costs. Too many emerging producers and newly-trained actors live on the bread-line, discouraged as well as hungry. Hence this scheme to support work that would otherwise be done on the cheap or not done at all. Our grants provide the dignity of work for a living wage.'

Sean Matthias added: 'At a time when theatre feels more precarious than ever, this grant is very close to my heart. Theatre constantly relies on young and new lifeblood and a grant which encourages young producers and stipulates they must include recent graduate actors in the shows can play a vital part in helping us to bring theatre into a new post pandemic era. We have to move forward and this grant can contribute to that progress.'

Zareen Walker, Head of Productions at ATG Productions says 'Working with Ian McKellen and Sean Mathias on this unique and ground breaking show embodied all our ambitions at ATG Productions to showcase the highest quality work and talent to as many people as possible. By donating all profits and further income from the production, we are able to support the next generation of talent at the time when our industry faces many unknowns and the pathways to success can be even harder to see. We look forward to following the productions that emerge with the help of these grants and to meet the producers driving them'.

Ian McKellen devised his solo show to celebrate his 80th Birthday year, earning £3 million for over 80 UK theatres. Through proceeds of its extended run at London's Harold Pinter Theatre, which went to multiple British theatre charities, further fundraising and the international broadcast distribution of the show through The National Theatre and Amazon Prime Video, the total money raised for the theatre industry is now over £5million.

Produced by Ambassador Theatre Group Productions, and directed by Sean Mathias, the critically acclaimed Ian McKellen on Stage was positioned by the Daily Telegraph as "the Theatre event of the year" in 2019, and was an intimate mixture of anecdote and acting including Tolkien, Shakespeare and many others.

Ian McKellen received a special Olivier Award in recognition of his fundraising, and was named the #1 most influential person in British theatre as part of 'The Stage 100' 2019.

More information about the Ian McKellen on Stage grant scheme can be found at ianonstage.co.uk/grants

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