Theatre News

Kevin Spacey Foundation announces Artists of Choice shortlists

Over 1200 applicants were assessed by a panel of industry experts

The Kevin Spacey Foundation, official charity of the WhatsOnStage Awards, has announced the shortlists for its Artists of Choice 2015.

KSF Artists of Choice is a pioneering funding and mentoring initiative, which supports a range of artists working five different disciplines in the UK and US.

Recipients receive £10,000 or $10,000 in funding, year-round in kind support from the Foundation and an industry mentor.

Over 1,200 applications were received. According to KSF, "those shortlisted shone out in terms of creative potential, practical wherewithal and a demonstrable need for funding".

The judging panel included actors Andrew Scott and Cynthia Erivo, director Jamie Lloyd and playwright Samuel Adamson.

Full list of KSF Artists of Choice 2015

Theatre (UK)

Alexander Zeldin; Cressida Brown and Tahmid Chowdhury for Offstage Theatre; David Byrne and Helen Matravers for New Diorama / Pit; Dawn State Theatre Company; Sam Pritchard, Mark Cartwright and Julia Jarcho; Tom Mansfield, Zodwa Nyoni and Michael Sommer for Upstart Theatre; Zoe Cooper, Mark Maughan and Dick Bonham for Telltale and Little Mighty

Theatre (US)

Brad Raimondo and Matt Herzfeld for Dreamscape Theatre; Chad Beckim; Ghazi Albuliwi for West Bank Brooklyn Productions; Layon Gray American Theatre Company; Talya Chalef with Port Cities; Victor Lesniewski and Kareem Fahmy

Musical Theatre (UK)

Barlow & Smith; Chris Bush and Matt Winkworth; Jack Shalloo and James Muller for Working Class Productions; Time Won’t Wait

Musical Theatre (US)

Elliott-Larsen Musicals; Jordan Kamalu for Single Wide; Lisa Diana Shapiro and Georgia Stitt; Valerie Vigoda, Brendan Milburn and Duane Poole; The Village of Vale

Dance (UK)

Avatâra Ayuso for Ava Dance Company; Botis Seva for Far From the Norm; Corey Baker Dance; Ella Robson Guilfoyle and Mira Calix; New Movement Collective with ScanLAB projects; Southpaw Dance Company

Dance (US)

Ana Maria Alvarez for Contra-Tiempo; Amy Campion for Antics; Dana Katz for Danaka Dance; Danielle Agami for Ate9 Dance Company; Jonathan Meyer & Julia Rae Antonick for Khecari; Stefanie Batten Bland with Burnt Sugar Akestra Chamber for Company SBB

Film (UK)

Ben Strebel and Alexandra Blue; Christopher Pencakowski, Adam Baroukh and Eddie Sternberg for Superplex Pictures; Jason Bradbury and Matthew Baskott for Hello Mozart; Jason Wingard and Andrew Oldbury; Michael van der Put and Franziska Lindner for Broken Hearted Youth; Nimer Rashed; Rungano Nyoni with Bethan Marlow and Greg Mothersdale

Film (US)

Isabella Wing-Davey for Powder Room Films; Erin Sanger with Brandon Roots, Cecilia Delgado and Ema Ryan Yamzaki; Henry Chaisson; Hughes William Thompson; India Dupre; Josephine Decker and Kara Elverson for Third Room Productions; Shannon Strong for Miss Sugar Tit

Music (UK)

Beatroutes; NITROvox; Red Kites; Tors; Two Twenty Two Music

Music (US)

Aaron Carter-Cohn; Izzy Gliksberg and Berg for The Writers’ Trilogy; The Renaissance Chamber Collaborative; Schola Cantorum of Eau Claire; The Young New Yorkers Chorus; Typhanie Monique Coller

For further information about the KSF Artists of Choice click here