On June 12th, 2016, The American Theatre Wing announced the major new national Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative.
The initiative is being funded with a $1.3 million, three year grant from renown Tony-award winning producer and composer Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, and will go towards supporting theatre education for under-resourced public schools and under-served young people in the United States. This project is an additional link to the work that Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Foundation has done overseas in the Untied Kindgom; promoting and funding arts education. Lord Lloyd Webber expressed, “Arts education has long been a driving passion for me, and delving into the world of School of Rock reminds me daily of the singular power of giving children the gift of inspiration. The American Theatre Wing has been at this for a hundred years, and we are going to work together to make sure these resources get in the hands of those who will benefit from them the most.” It underscores the American Theatre Wing’s central goal of fostering the next generation of theatre-makers and patrons.
The Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative consists of three separate components:
1) Classroom Resources: Through a grant-giving program, funding will be provided directly to under-resourced public schools to provide instruments, dance floors, lighting grids, and other necessary materials to help create new and enhance existing theatre programs.
2) Extracurricular Training Scholarships: Funding will go towards covering the costs associated with sending select students to summer study and after school training programs.
3) 4-Year Partial University Scholarships: Financial support will be provided to select students to pursue theatre studies at the University level.
Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation (ALWF) was founded in 1992 by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation awarded a grant of £125,000 to Theatres Trust in April 2012, to support the launch of its Theatres Protection Fund Small Grants Scheme, providing grants of up to £5,000. The Foundation hopes that its donation will encourage other organizations and individuals to give to the scheme, which will help protect theatres across the country that have significant value in their communities.
www.andrewlloydwebberfoundation.com
As the founders of The Tony Awards, the American Theatre Wing has developed the foremost national platform for the recognition of theatrical achievement on Broadway. The Wing develops the next generation of theatre professionals through the SpringboardNYC and Theatre Intern Network programs, nurtures innovative theatre across the country through the National Theatre Company Grants, fosters the song of American theatre through the Jonathan Larson Grants, honors the best in New York theatrical design with the Henry Hewes Design Award, and illuminates the creative process through the “Working in the Theatre” program and media archive. Beginning last season, the American Theatre Wing has entered into a long-term partnership with The Village Voice to co-present, Off Broadway’s Highest Honor,The Obie Awards. Visitors to AmericanTheatreWing.org can gain inspiration and insight into the artistic process through the Wing’s extensive media collection, and learn more about its programming for students, aspiring and working professionals, and audiences.
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