Netflix supports Sam Mendes’ theater fund, supported by Steven Spielberg – Variety

With the support of Netflix and the support of Steven Spielberg and Armando Innucci, a new United States theater fund has been created under the leadership of “1917” director Sam Mendes.

The London Theaters and the UK Theaters will form the Industries Orgas Society Fund, supported by a নেট 500,000 (23 623,000) grant from Netflix. The initiative will provide small grants for theater practitioners that have become obsolete because theaters endured a four-month shutdown due to the coronavirus epidemic.

The fund is specifically designed to help those who are ineligible for government assistance and have not been able to operate since Venue 1 closed on 16 March. The campaign comes in the wake of the newly announced $ 1.9 billion support package for the arts sector, UK Chancellor Ishii Sunak said on Sunday.

Led by Mendis during the landdown – who was a vocal advocate for the theater community – the fund will provide short-term relief to hundreds of playwrights and freelancers across the UK, and especially to the following groups affected by the shortcomings. .

Grants will be one thousand dollars (1, 1,250) per full criteria for viewing on the Theater Artists Fund website. To be eligible for funding, applicants must have worked in the theater between January 2019 and March 31, 2020. Applicants must provide information on recent work, as well as a reference. For the first round of funding, applications will be open for one week from Monday.

To continue funding, the industry needs the support of personalities, corporations, charitable trusts and individual theater passengers. Spielberg, Innucci and actor David Williams are among those who have donated so far and many more are expected to contribute in the coming weeks.

Netflix previously supported a BFI and film and TV charity-led fund for U.S. film and TV workers, but the initiative marks an unprecedented move in the British theater arena for the streaming giant. This is not entirely surprising, however, as many British film and TV actors have emerged from the world of theater and continue to work for careers in both cases.

Mendes says: “Thousands of theater professionals are fighting in the United States. Many of them have not been able to get help from existing government schemes. They need help now.

“We have created a fund for which the weakest freelance theater practitioners can now apply. It’s specifically designed for theater workers who find themselves at breaking points, those who are unable to put food on the table or pay bills, or those who want to quit the profession altogether, ”Mendes said.

“The fund was started with a grant from Netflix and I am extremely grateful for their significant generosity and leadership. Although initially limited in funding, I hope it will encourage other independent donors and charities. The more money that is donated to the fund, the more grants we can give. So don’t consider grants. I promise it will make a difference. “

Julian Bird, chief executive of the Society of London Theater and UK Theater, added: “Although we do not currently have sufficient funds to support each of us, we call on organizations and individuals who have achieved success in this sector and those who cannot imagine a non-theater. In the future, to generously assist in maintaining this fund for the generation of workers at real risk. “

Ann Mensah, VP of Netflix’s original series, says: “British theater is an important cultural force, because so many emerging talents and original ideas start life on stage. Creativity is all about collaboration, and we are deeply concerned by the potential consequences of the different tones and stories that our friends in the theater now face, especially in the regions and at the heart of our culture.

“Playwrights and directors, playwrights and actors, composers and comedians are also the lifeblood of our industry, although Netflix is ​​more fortunate than many, in the end we are as strong as the people we work with. If we continue to nurture a pipeline of emerging creative talents, cultivate different projects and provide opportunities to face the most exciting new jobs, we are hopeful that the industry can flourish again and satisfy the audience’s insatiable hunger for culture, creativity and entertainment. “