Newsletter 2020 Supporting the Children of Actors
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SUMMER Newsletter 2020 Supporting the children of actors ACT’s A.G.M. Chair’s message is provisionally booked for It’s bothered me for a while that we trustees Friday 20 November 11 a.m. don’t have much contact with the people who help so much to keep ACT going, so I’m RADA Studio Theatre very glad of this chance to introduce myself. 16 Chenies Street, WC1E 7EX I’m an actor mostly, with some writing on the ••• side. A parent, too, of two daughters who are The trustees will decide in September whether now 25 and 23 and both starting out (and to go ahead or postpone until the Spring. stalling, of course, just now) on their own ACT’s constitution allows up to 15 months acting careers. I’m married to the actress and between AGMs, which gives us a latest date of writer, Amelia Bullmore. So, despite not coming from an arty or theatrical 20 February 2021. If you are a member and background, I’m now fairly steeped in the acting world. interested in standing for election as a Trustee, My own upbringing was in a family struggling with unemployment and please get in touch for more information. addiction in inadequate rented accommodation and I can testify to the transforming power of the arts in our lives, whether or not we make a career of them. @ActorsChildren I first got involved with ACT ten years ago when Peter Forbes, then a trustee, now a greatly-missed ex-chair, asked me to run the London Marathon for If any actor-parent is struggling please get the charity. Peter and I had met on the hit National Theatre of Scotland in touch with @ActorsChildren they really are show Black Watch, and he knew I was a runner. I’m very glad he asked wonderful x because I loved running the marathon – I highly recommend it, by the way, and ACT can get you a place – and sometime later he asked if I’d consider becoming a trustee. I’d never thought about how charities are run, or that I Would really recommend looking into this might do my bit, and the experience has been an education and a privilege if you need it! ACT supported me and my family (though painful at times). throughout my educational years, they are beyond wonderful. Plus run by some of the loveliest and Peter’s time as chair elapsed at the end of last year. I was asked to take most understanding people you could imagine. over, and here we are in these strangest of times. Robert and Lydia have provided seamless support for ACT’s families, and the trustees have adapted quickly to ACT’s (temporarily, we hope) altered role. On your behalf, we’ve ensured ACT has remained a steadfast and understanding friend to This is an extraordinary organisation! Helped beneficiaries old and new. We don’t know what’s next, be we’ll do our best us in the past. Kind, non-judgemental and a belief that Actors have a right to do their jobs and their to ensure ACT stays responsive and responsible. children be supported. Thank you for your support in the past and, please, in the future. Good Health, Actor-Parent pals I can’t recommend ACT Paul Higgins enough. They have helped us out not just with the money side of things, but they have a wonderful way with the words that make the scary times feel We trustees would love to find out more about the members of ACT. How a little more manageable. did you get involved with ACT? What can we do to improve ACT? Could we have social events and activities for members? Do get in touch with ideas. Thank you to the truly wonderful @ ActorsChildren. They have been supporting me for years and at the moment are making things so Follow ACT on Twitter @ActorsChildren ♥ much easier and helping to ease my anxieties. I ACT’s Trustees are Rakie Ayola, Helen Black MBE, Peter Forbes, Caroline Harker, ACT. Paul Higgins, Nicola Horton, Lloyd Hutchinson, Philip Large, Ann Queensberry, Sakuntala Ramanee, Joy Richardson, Lucy Robinson & Malcolm Sinclair. ACT’s emergency Advice and support ACT’s distinctive stance has been positive Lockdown has been complicated for some funding throughout. Working from home for separated families, and a great stress for several months, Lydia Hodges (head of families who also care for a relative with Thanks to donations from members family support) has kept families up to dementia. ACT Twitter feed has signposted and supporters ACT has been able date with the changing rules – particularly resources to protect actor-parents’ mental to pay crisis grants to families every for education, special needs support, and health: a growing concern as the impact month, in addition to specialist access to services. ACT has welcomed of the industry’s closure becomes clear, support for children where this has many new families during the crisis, and a past job translates into months of been able to continue. including mothers who have given birth in emptiness. hospital during these scary months. We were honoured to receive So many of the actor-parents have £25,000 from the Noel Coward Almost all support for children been as resourceful as ever – perhaps Foundation, reminding us of the with additional needs has stopped. the essential requirement for all actors continuing importance of Sir Noel’s Several families depend on specialist who are parents! From delivery jobs, to supermarket shelf-stacking, actors have 22 years at the helm of ACT. physiotherapy and speech therapy for their children, and worry whether this gap scoured their locality for new income. ACT is very grateful to the “Acting will impact their development. ACT has Several have established channels online for Others” umbrella group of been able to fund therapies the moment to show new monologues and works charities, which has awarded ACT they resume. featuring actors cohabiting in lockdown. Actor-parents have also been a great £40,000 from its social media Lydia has also found and shared many fundraising income. success on supermarket checkouts and in online resources for parents in lockdown, many voluntary jobs. The excellent Equity Charitable Trust including creative activities and core curriculum support. She has helped Families continually contact Lydia to generously awarded ACT £35,000 families through the extraordinary process celebrate success – whether a small from its Arts Council England of exam grading, including how to get milestone or a major event – and this funding for actors. calculated grades if you have home- underlines ACT’s emphasis on the positive. schooled your child. On the Socials It has been very humbling to work as about the charity as a whole that were freelance Social Media Manager for ACT especially humbling and the number during the lockdown. It is always moving of actor-parents who stepped forward to see the warmth of feeling towards the on social media openly sharing their charity expressed on Twitter in comments, experience of ACT. feedback and supportive retweets, but Mufrida Hayes, for example, commented: during this period the necessity of ACT has “This is an extraordinary organisation! been so acutely felt and communicated. Helped us in the past. Kind, non- In March and April we saw a significant judgemental and a belief that actors have Action in the crisis increase in people visiting our Twitter page a right to do their jobs and their children Before the markets fell, ACT drew down - at one stage this was more than double, be supported.” When thanked by us she £150,000 from capital, on top of our with the number of people mentioning went on to say: “I mean every word. One regular £40,000 monthly drawdown and us also up by 150%. Whenever we have of my daughters’ lives was transformed by in addition to investment income. The mentioned the £300 monthly Corona- you all.” trustees’ Zoom meeting in July agreed crisis grants this has also had a big Matthew Woodyatt shared one of our unanimously that ACT must continue impact, with our most recent tweet so tweets with his own words attached in a to support our community of actors’ far receiving 20,994 “impressions” (the comment: “These people are amazing and families. We are likely to drawdown a number of times the tweet pops up in have provided the only financial help I’ve further £250,000 in the coming weeks users’ Timelines). got during this lockdown. Without them to cover more crisis grants. This is the In anticipation of this and urged on by things would be a hell of a lot worse than rainiest day in our history – a greater families, we also increased our output they are.” challenge than ACT faced in two of positive Twitter content, thinking world wars. We are very grateful our The entertainment industry is incredibly of additional ways that we could help investment manager, Sarasin, for their tough at the best of times and especially followers feel connected – not only as defensive and effective stance. hard for parents, but in this period of part of the ACT family online, but also as extreme financial uncertainty and with suddenly home-schooling parents. ACT the future of theatre under threat, your signposted and shared free activities, continued support for ACT is making a ideas and resources, with everything significant difference and this has been so from virtual comic book drawing lessons ACT Crisis Fund clearly evident on Twitter. to Scottish ceilidh dancing tutorials! We If you are one of the lucky few publicised free online family events, and Thank you from a very humbled Social with income, please support actors’ gave links to support available beyond Media Manager.