The BBC Performing Arts Fund as awarded funds, grants and bursaries to over 1,300 people & organisations. It’s just one of the innovative and forward thinking ways that the BBC is nurturing the UK’s best performing Arts talent.
The fund is a registered charity and distributes money raised from phone voting on programmes like ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ – and was originally launched in 2003 off the back of the X Factor copycat show, BBC’s Fame Academy series. To date it has awarded nearly £3.5m to help talented performers achieve their goals – among them singing sensation Adele, for whom the fund provided home recording equipment in the early part of her career.
[blockquote]Every night when I go out to perform in the West End I know that it’s only been made possible by the BBC Performing Arts Fund – Grant winner Chris Cook[/blockquote]
In addition to hard cash, The scheme also supports performing arts individuals, community groups and organisations through top notch mentoring and advice.
In Staffordshire this means any aspiring performance artist, actor, singer or dancer could possibly be living the dream with help from the BBC.
As well as individuals, the scheme supports groups too, and this year has a special focus on theatre, including youth theatre organisations.
You can find out much more about the programme and how to make the first steps here at www.bbc.co.uk/performingartsfund
Pictured: Ceri-lyn Cissone, who won a grant and now performing an many nationwide theatre tours, west end productions and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
