Following a review of the Royal Patronages, we are extremely proud and honoured to announce that His Majesty King Charles III will continue to be our Patron!
His Majesty King Charles III is incredibly supportive of the acting and theatrical profession and has always gone above and beyond to help the vital work we do at the Actors’ Trust during his 24 years as Patron. Imbued with kindness and generosity, His Majesty even recorded a poem in support of Actors’ Trust during the pandemic, a particularly difficult time for those working in the industry.
It is an exciting time for Actors’ Trust, with a vision to make a greater difference to a community dedicated to bringing so much meaning and inspiration to others. In 2022, we spent over £1.6M on charitable support and in 2023, we helped two-thirds more beneficiaries. Our ambition is to continue expanding our reach, and we are excited about the opportunities His Majesty’s Patronage will bring. We are confident that this support will propel us towards making the industry a better place for those facing hardship.
We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to The King and The Royal Family for their continuous support. The Actors’ Trust has held Royal Patronage since the early 1930s, with previous patrons including King Edward VIII, King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth II.
Related articles
Read how research, member feedback, and the Boards vision informed our repositioning in our Chair and CEO's letter.
Today, were lifting the curtain on a new chapter of support - with new mental health and wellbeing resources, preventative initiatives to help with finances, career, and health on their way, plus an expanded grants programme.
Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya? WE do!Were thrilled to welcome Paul Chahidi, Celia Imrie and Danny Sapani as our new ambassadors.
A huge thank you to everyone who took part in our survey to better understand the community and challenges of actors and stage management in the current climate.
Actors' Trust and BAPAM are delighted to bring you a series of free webinars with therapist Heather Turkington to help you support your wellbeing.
We're excited to announce Maxine Peake as our newest Ambassador, joining Christopher Eccleston and Ruth Jones. Together, they will help us to raise awareness and help many more actors and stage managers." - Alison Wyman (CEO)
Obituary of the esteemed actor, Brian Murphy, who served as a Trustee of Actors' Trust (formerly known as the Actors' Benevolent Fund) for over 30 years. This obituary was written by Amanda Holt, an actor and member of Actors' Trust.
Our CEO's brief round up of 2024 highlights a significant increase in support and exciting developments.
We're thrilled to announce Christopher Eccleston & Ruth Jones as our new ambassadors for Actors' Trust.
The trustees and staff are excited to unveil the charity's new strategy, Acting for Impact,'. Acting for Impact aims to help more actors and stage managers in more ways to achieve meaningful and sustainable change. Drawing from research and industry expertise, we have developed an evidence-driven plan to address the needs of our community and maximise the charity's impact.
We are very pleased that in May 2024 the Charity Commission concluded and closed the regulatory compliance case into the Actors' Benevolent Fund (now known as Actors' Trust).
"It has always been difficult for actors and stage managers to earn a full-time living from their craft, and a cost-of-living crisis has made that even tougher. We support people who are unable to work and it would be a tragedy if AI is another factor contributing to that."
Attention to mental health in the workplace has never been higher and mental health awareness has worked its way into our everyday consciousness. However, the performing arts sector, including actors, may not be as far ahead as it needs to be.
We are delighted to share that His Majesty, King Charles III, has selected Actors' Trust to benefit from the sale of a beautiful and limited-edition commemorative pocket square produced by Hackett.
The Actors' Trust was invited by the King (our patron) and Queen to celebrate the contribution of William Shakespeare to the life and culture of the UK in the year marking the 400th anniversary of the publication of the First Folio.
We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Queen Elizabeth II and our thoughts go out to His Majesty King Charles III and the Royal Family at this sad time.
The Actors' Trust is delighted to present a very special reading of 'Twas the night before Christmas, recorded at Clarence House in December 2020 by an ensemble cast featuring the Actors' Trust patron HRH The Prince of Wales, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, Dame Penelope Keith, Daniel Craig, Dame Judy Dench, Ncuti Gatwa, Tom Hardy CBE, Joanna Lumley OBE, and Dame Maggie Smith.
At the 2013 AGM a tribute to the late Richard Briers was made by his friend Brain Murphy.