Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Olivia Colman & More Stars Team Up for Theatre Community Fund

A starry group is coming together for a great cause. Some of the United Kingdom’s artists and entertainment professionals have teamed up to create the Theatre Community Fund in support of theatrical artists and professionals whose livelihoods and creative futures are threatened in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. Founded by Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Olivia Colman and producer Francesca Moody, the fund aims to help ease economic strain both immediately and longterm.

The fund, which has received a pledge of £1 million from founder donations, and has amassed £500K thus far, will be separated into two priority strands, giving grants of up to £3000. One strand is intended to help freelancers survive the present by providing hardship grants to those in immediate need, and the other aims to ensure a healthy future for the industry by providing innovation and creation grants for artists to produce work. It will be dispersed and monitored by the Royal Theatrical Fund (RTF) in partnership with the Fleabag Support Fund (FSF).

The list of founding donors also includes Gillian Anderson, Emilia Clarke, James Corden, Stephen Daldry, Arthur Darvill, Tom Hiddleston, Tom Hollander, Ian McKellen, Daniel Radcliffe, Andrew Scott, Imelda Staunton, Emma Thompson and more.