The Royal Victoria Hall Foundation awards between twenty and thirty grants each year to smaller scale professional theatre projects based in London. There are two rounds of funding, with deadlines in February and August.
The Foundation has two major aims: to help professional productions in need of financial support and to introduce high-quality live performance to groups who are not traditional or regular theatregoers.
Examples of recent grants include those to Polka Theatre towards The Emperor’s New Clothes at the Polka Theatre April 2022, to Donmar Warehouse towards the schools’ performance programme for Marys Seacole at Donmar Warehouse April – June 2022, to Cardboard Citizens towards Bangers in May 2022, to Defibrillator Productions towards Foxes at Seven Dials Playhouse May 2022, to Albany Theatre towards Sun and Sea in June 2022, to Clean Break towards Favour at the Bush Theatre in June 2022, to Lift (London International Festival of Theatre) towards The Making of Pinocchio at Battersea Arts Centre in June 2022, to Sadler’s Wells Theatre towards The Rite of Spring at Sadler’s Wells June 2022, to What More? Productions towards Sumida River in Sign Language July 2022, to Kiln Theatre towards The Darkest Part of the Night at the Kiln July 2022, to Baseless Fabric towards Carmen in August 2022, To Green Opera towards Bluebeard’s Castle in August 2022, to Dash Arts towards Dido’s Bar in September 2022, to Fuel towards Issy, BOSS and Fractal in October 2022.
The Foundation also funds the Lilian Baylis Awards for promising students who attend the accredited drama schools in London. The grants are made at the end of the students’ second year to ease the financial pressures in their final year of study. Each student is recommended for an award by their drama school. We are sorry but this scheme is not open to general applicants. Please note that we do not make grants to individuals for drama training.
The Foundation is funded from the invested proceeds of the sale of The Old Vic Theatre in 1982 plus subsequent gifts and bequests. It has existed as a charity since 1891 and still owns the Theatre’s archives from 1818-1963, which are housed at The University of Bristol Theatre Collection.
The Royal Victoria Hall Foundation is committed to supporting and championing work that represents diverse people and perspectives, challenges bias and inequality (historical, systemic and cultural), and is inclusive and accessible for artists/producers and audiences.
To enable this, we strive to maintain a diverse and inclusive Board of Trustees; in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, age, ability, religion/belief and LGBTQI+ identities.
Royal Victoria Hall Foundation 