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The ±«Óãtv Performing Arts Fund has launched a new scheme that aims to encourage young people to take part in musical theatre.

The new initiative, called the Young People's Musical Theatre scheme, is offering £200,000 in grants for training and development, and particularly for projects that encourage new members or audiences. The scheme is open to non-profit theatre groups which have a youth section, or are made up of members who are under the age of 25.

±«Óãtv Performing Arts Fund manager, Miriam O'Keeffe, stated that the fund will help these theatre companies to achieve "more ambitious projects and will open up a wealth of opportunities. We are delighted to play a key part in actively encouraging young people’s interest in musical theatre."

Theatre groups applying should regularly put on musical theatre productions, but funding is also available for those wishing to produce a musical for the first time. These companies may wish to work with other local groups or schools, run workshops with professionals, or apply for funding in order to hire a live band, director or choreographer, for example.

Partners of the scheme include the Voluntary Arts Network, the Media Trust and the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA).

Chief executive of NODA, Tony Gibbs, said: "The support of the ±«Óãtv Performing Arts Fund comes at a much needed time for amateur theatre, with many groups facing the challenges of how to attract audiences, get more young people involved at all levels and addressing the various financial issues which have been exacerbated by the current economic climate.â€�

The scheme is one of several run by the ±«Óãtv Performing Arts Fund, and accompanies the annual Training in Musical Theatre scheme, which this year, has already awarded 30 grants, ranging from £2,500 to £8,000, to assist students undertaking Musical Theatre courses with their tuition fees.

Theatre groups interested in applying for funding should visit the ±«Óãtv Performing Arts Fund website or the Fund's for more details

Each application will be considered by the scheme's independent assessors.

Applications opened on 27 September and will close on 30 November 2010. The winners will be announced in January 2011.

Notes to Editors

The ±«Óãtv Performing Arts Fund helps aspiring music-makers and performers looking for a way to get ahead.

The ±«Óãtv Performing Arts Fund is a registered charity, number 1101276. The charity (formerly Fame Academy Bursary Trust) was set up in 2003 within the ±«Óãtv.

The fund receives revenue from the voting lines of ±«Óãtv One entertainment programmes that seek to find new performing talent (including Fame Academy, How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? and I'd Do Anything).

To date the fund has allocated over £3 million to fund young musicians, from a range of genres, to help them pursue their careers in music.

The fund's mission is to seek out and support excellent aspiring performers and those directly supporting performing artists who, for reasons of lack of existing opportunity, personal background or circumstance, would not have been able to achieve their most ambitious goals, or their talent's greatest potential without the fund's support or intervention.

KT