Theatre News

Amazon donates $6m to help support theatres, TV and film industry in Europe

The Theatre Community Fund was one of the beneficiaries of the donation

Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Olivia Colman
Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Olivia Colman
© Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage

Amazon Prime has donated $6m to European arts charities to help support institutions and creatives brought to their knees by the ongoing pandemic.

Organisations benefitting include the Theatre Community Fund, set up by Olivia Colman, producer Francesca Moody and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, which has received £500,000.

Amazon also gave £1m to a new grants scheme set up by the Film and TV Charity. Studios head Jennifer Salke said: "The creative community in Europe has been vital to our success in producing high-quality Amazon Original TV series and movies for our global audience, and it is essential for us to help that community through this pandemic."

Earlier this year, Waller-Bridge and Moody worked with Amazon to distribute the West End recording of hit stage show Fleabag, while other streaming platforms supporting the arts community include Netflix, who gave £500,000 to an initiative spearheaded by director Sam Mendes.

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