The first of 40 young people to receive Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries – paid vocational training placements in arts organisations around the UK – will be announced today, Tuesday 16 June 2015.
The Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries programme is developing talent and diversity in the arts by committing £430,000 directly to young people from lower income backgrounds. The programme is run by Jerwood Arts with the support of Garfield Weston Foundation, Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation and J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust. It aims to create a more level playing field for talented individuals to break into competitive arts careers.
Between now and September 2016, 40 outstanding recent graduates will undertake paid vocational placements in 40 of the UK’s most dynamic arts organisations including: Citizens Theatre, Donmar Warehouse, Hepworth Wakefield, The Lowry, Opera North, National Theatre Wales, Prime Cut, Sadler’s Wells, and Turner Contemporary. During their placements, bursary recipients will have the opportunity to kick-start their careers by working directly on major productions and events with some of the country’s leading artists, performers and cultural leaders.
The first recipients to be announced are:
- Citizens Theatre, Glasgow – Siobhan Hermitage, Trainee Assistant Stage Manager
- Eastside Projects, Birmingham – Danil Boparai, Digital Assistant
- Manchester International Festival – Tayah Preece, Trainee Production Manager
- NoFit State Circus, Cardiff – Sasha Goslin, Development and International Relations Assistant
- Somerset House, London – Olivia Barratt, Made at Somerset House Assistant
- The Common Guild, Glasgow – Brodie Sim, Programme Assistant (Events and Engagement)
- Cryptic, Glasgow – Salome Wagaine, Digital User Researcher
The programme will be officially launched this evening at Jerwood Space in London by award-winning writer and director David Lan, who is Artistic Director of the Young Vic, London, and Chair of the influential What Next? movement. He will be joined by representatives from the supporting charitable foundations, the 40 host organisations and a number of bursary recipients, both from this edition of the programme and alumni of the 2010-2012 pilot programme, the DCMS Jerwood Creative Bursaries.
Kate Danielson, Programme Director of the Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries comments:
‘The 40 placements on offer exemplify the extraordinary range of roles available within arts. They range from Trainee Dancer at Phoenix Dance in Leeds and Business Development Assistant at Writers Centre Norwich to Digital Artist in Residence at Clean Break in London and Gallery Technical Officer at g39 in Cardiff. They are all vital new roles which seek to develop talented individuals whilst providing the capacity and resources needed to sustain innovation and quality in our finest arts organisations, and in the sector as a whole.’
In addition to their placement, bursary recipients will receive support outside their host organisations through a dedicated mentor, and professional development through the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Training Programme, which will run as a central component of the Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries.
Whilst recruitment for each placement is being carried out by host organisations directly, all roles will be advertised on the Jerwood Arts website: For more information please visit: hosts-and-recipients
