Announcing our nominees for the Evening Standard Future Theatre Fund
We’re thrilled to nominate seven artists for the Evening Standard Future Theatre Fund to support emerging talent in our industry
Earlier this year, the Evening Standard announced the Evening Standard Future Theatre Fund (in association with TikTok and in partnership with the National Youth Theatre), a £120k fund that has been set up to help new talent who have been struggling due to the pandemic.
Ten recent graduates from the UK’s top drama schools and nominees from theatre programmes, working across different disciplines from acting to design, will be awarded £10,000 each to help with their chosen career path, as well as being allocated a mentor from the industry to provide support and guidance. Two promising candidates will also be selected for the TikTok Breakout Award – the first of its kind to award funding to those who may not have received formal training in drama to begin their career in theatre.
In a year that has brought theatre to near-breaking point by the pandemic, we recognise the need to support creatives in the industry, many of whom are freelancers. Photographer: Clive Sherlock.
In a year that has brought theatre to near-breaking point by the pandemic, we recognise the need to support creatives in the industry (both established artists and emerging talent), many of whom are freelancers. That’s why we’re delighted to nominate seven artists, all who have worked with us in recent years, for the Evening Standard Future Theatre Fund in the following categories: Acting, Directing or theatre-making, Visual design, and Musical theatre. Read on to find out more about our nominees…
Jessie Bedrossian: Acting
Jessie is a recent graduate from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and performed in the chilling ghost story I Am Karyian Ophidian as part of our online festival Shakespeare and Fear in October 2020. A committed artist who has had the start of her career stripped away due to Covid-19, we know Jessie has so much to offer the future of our industry.
‘A deliciously spooky dive into Armenian folklore for the modern age’
— Audience feedback, I Am Karyian Ophidian (2020)
Erica Tavares-Kouassi: Acting
Erica performed as part of the ensemble in Matthew Dunster’s thrilling, reclaimed version of Shakespeare’s Cymbeline, titled Imogen, in 2016. A brave actress at the start of her theatre journey, Erica fully deserves this endorsement to support what will be a bright and vital future in our sector.
‘The pure dynamic energy that the ensemble provided made for an entertaining evening’
— The Panoptic, Imogen (2016)
Jessie in I Am Karyian Ophidian filmed in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.
Erica performed in the ensemble for Imogen in 2016.
Nina Bowers: Theatre-making
Part of our Globe Ensemble experiment in 2019, Nina appeared in our cycle of Shakespeare’s History Plays in the Globe Theatre and Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. She is a unique artist with a fresh and important voice to be heard in this wonderful world of theatre.
‘Similar to Henry IV’s comedy is this play’s strength, with standout performances from Nina Bowers…’
— The Londonist, Henry V (2019)
Prime Isaac: Directing
Prime was Assistant Director to Sean Holmes for A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the Globe Theatre as part of our Summer 2019 season. An incredible young, raw talent, our Dream would not have been the dream that it was to make without her support.
‘[A] bombastic spectacle…one of the funniest Dreams out there’
— Whats On Stage, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2019)
Nina was part of our theatrical experiment with the Globe Ensemble in 2019.
Prime filled the Globe with riotous laughter, colour and spectacle as Assistant Director on A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Eleanor Bull: Visual Design
Eleanor was Associate Designer on Bartholomew Fair in 2019. Lending her amazing eye to this kaleidoscopic production, Eleanor ensured this complicated play was brought to technicolour’d life in our Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.
‘The Playhouse interior now gleams with its own mirrors…’
— Broadway World, Bartholomew Fair (2019)
Eleanor was Associate Designer on Bartholomew Fair in our Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.
Sophie Creaner: Musical theatre
Sophie is a wind-instruments player, specialising in the clarinet and recorder. Most recently, Sophie formed part of the band of musicians for Swive [Elizabeth] in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in our Winter 2019/20 season. An incredible musician, Sophie has so much to offer the world of music and theatre.
‘[The] wonderfully ominous percussive score…imbues the whole thing with a visceral air of doom’
— Time Out, Swive [Elizabeth] (2019)
Midori Jaeger: Musical theatre
Midori is a cellist and singer who’s performed in many of our productions, including Music Supervisor for Richard II, and most recently with the 2019/20 Ensemble in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. An amazing artist who has played such an important part in our industry so far, we cannot wait to see what the future holds for Midori.
‘Midori Jaeger has created a percussive backdrop that raises the pulse…’
— The Arts Desk, Richard II (2019)
Sophie formed part of the band of musicians for Swive [Elizabeth] a piece of new writing in our Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.
Midori served as Music Supervisor for our all-women of colour production of Richard II in 2019.
Entries to the Evening Standard Future Theatre Fund close on 31 January, 2021 – we wish all our sensational nominees the best of luck!
