News Release

Thursday 2 July 2020

The Noël Coward Foundation, in addition to its recent donation of £50,000 to Acting For Others, has awarded a further £65,000 to a number of theatre organisations, previously in receipt of grants from the Foundation, which have been badly hit by Covid-19.

These range from funding for online streaming of cancelled projects and education work to administrative help. Organisations benefiting include the Bush Theatre, the Royal Exchange Theatre, Kiln Theatre, the Lowry Centre, Mousetrap Theatre Projects, Theatre Peckham, Wise Children, Traverse Theatre, The Mono Box, Imaginate and Salisbury Playhouse.

Alan Brodie, chair of the Noël Coward Foundation said. ‘During these very challenging times, we are very pleased to be able to make further funds available to provide financial support to organisations affected by Covid-19. This is only a drop in the ocean for what is needed and we urge the government to provide the necessary funding to ensure the survival of these vital organisations who do so much for their communities and for the wider economy.

Theatre is at the top of many national and local eco systems upon which thousands of individuals and organisations depend. This includes the Noël Coward Foundation which in the 20 years of its existence has donated nearly £2 million pounds to help companies and organisations develop their arts and education projects.

The NCF is entirely dependent on royalty income from producing Coward works and our funds are finite. No theatre means no royalties and therefore zero income for the Foundation resulting in the NCF being unable to continue funding essential projects. That is just one example of the devastating effect the loss of live theatre has on the industry.’

Further information from

Anthony McNeill 07967 480844 [email protected]

Paddock Suite, The Courtyard, 55 Charterhouse Street, London, EC1M 6HA 020 7253 6226 www.noëlcoward.org

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The full list of organisations who have received financial support from the NCF during this round of funding are as follows:

Atlantic Theater Company, New York Book, Music & Lyrics, UK Bush Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre Donmar Warehouse Exeter Northcott Theatre HB Studios, New York Imaginate, Edinburgh Kiln Theatre Live Music Now Masterclass Trust Mousetrap Theatre Projects National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) Red Bull Theater, New York Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) The Lowry Centre, Salford The Mono Box Theatre Peckham Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Wilton’s Music Hall Wiltshire Creative Wise Children, Bristol Writers Theatre, Wisconsin

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