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World Book Day among latest Mo Siewcharran Fund recipients
The Mo Siewcharran Fund has awarded its latest round of grants to four creative organisations: Blast Theory; World Book Day; Come Play with Me; and Arcola Theatre. The grants cover publishing, theatre, music and art.
The fund was set up five years ago in memory of Nielsen Books’ former director of marketing and communications, Mo Siewcharran, by her husband John Seaton, and is administered by Creative Access.
Mo Siewcharran was passionate about ensuring theatre and publishing were accessible to all and the grant funds internships for talent from Black, Asian and other ethnically diverse backgrounds to improve accessibility and representation in the creative industries.
The grants contribute to the salary of an intern for a six-month traineeship, and trainees benefit from a full programme of support from Creative Access to ensure that they thrive in their new role.
On this latest round of recipients, Seaton said: “If I say I have recently felt personal sadness, you will think I am giving the wrong quote. But, hear me out. The personal sadness was occasioned by the sixth anniversary of Mo’s death at the end of June. Thank goodness, therefore, for this vibrantly good news.
"It is a supreme pleasure for the Mo Siewcharran Fund to be assisting these four wonderful companies, diverse in both purpose and location, but united in their desire to create working communities where there are no barriers.”
Cassie Chadderton, chief executive of World Book Day, said: “Funding from the Mo Siewcharran fund will provide a supported entry route to a charity playing a vital role in encouraging more children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to experience the life-changing benefits of reading for pleasure.”
Brighton-based recipient Blast Theory makes interactive art, including performance and theatre, to explore social and political questions. The group’s work places the public at the centre of unusual and sometimes unsettling experiences, to create new perspectives and open up the possibility of change.
The Arcola Theatre was also a recipient, as one of the UK’s only theatres founded and run by first-generation migrants.
The fund is now open again for other theatre, publishing or music organisations wishing to support internships for those from under-represented communities. Those interested in applying should contact lucy@creativeaccess.org.uk. The deadline for the next round of applications is Friday 1st December 2023.
