The JMK Trust

The JMK Trust provides talented young directors with awards, guidance and development opportunities

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  • The JMK Award
    • About the JMK Award
    • Application process 2023
    • Information for Designers
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    • About the JMK National Programme
      • JMK Birmingham
      • JMK Bristol
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    • JMK Director Practitioners
  • Assistant Director Bursaries
    • Victoria Wood Assistant Director Bursary – Leeds Playhouse
      • Apply: Leeds Playhouse Victoria Wood Assistant Director Bursary
    • Victoria Wood Assistant Director Bursary – Royal Exchange Manchester
      • Apply: Royal Exchange Victoria Wood Assistant Director Bursary
    • JMK Assistant Director Bursary Recipients
    • JMK Bob Carlton Bursary
  • Support us
    • How you can help
    • Support for Free with Online Shopping
    • Legacies
    • JMK Gift Membership & Awards Circle
    • ShareGift
    • Thanks to our supporters
  • Blog
  • More information
    • Learn about directing
    • Archive Playlists
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
  • Exploring the relationship between Director and Movement Director with Vicki Manderson
  • JMK Workshop – GROUPWORK – OUR DEVISING AND REHEARSAL PROCESS

About the JMK Award

What is the JMK Award?

The JMK Award offers one young director the opportunity to direct a full-scale professional play. Since 2019, the JMK Award has been in partnership with the Orange Tree Theatre, with the production values and nurturing guidance the building is famous for.

The JMK Award constitutes an Award of £25,000 plus space at the Orange Tree Theatre. The winning director will receive a fee for their work as director on the production. Runner up prizes may also be awarded.

The most recent winner of the JMK Award was Indiana Lown-Collins, with designer Ica Niemz, for their production of Jack Thorne’s The Solid Life of Sugar Water. A Development Award of £2,000 was given to finalists Emerald Crankson and Zoe Hurwitz in recognition of their effective collaboration on Swallow by Stef Smith.

You can read the announcement here.

The JMK Award 2022 was supported by The Martin Bowley Charitable Trust, The Katie Bradford Arts Trust, The Leche Trust, The Garrick Charitable Trust and all our individual donors.

How do I apply for the award?

Applications have now closed for the 2023 Award. Details for next year will follow later this year.  Make sure to sign up to our mailing list to get the latest news.

In order to apply for the award, you must adhere to that year’s eligibility criteria. You will be then receive a list of plays, which will be sent out via the mailing list here. If you’re already signed up, check your preferences and make sure you’ve ticked to receive news about the Award. Check junk mail folders just in case! If you haven’t received a copy of the list please contact rowan@jmktrust.org.  The play list is released with a good amount of time before the application deadline closes, and copies to read are available on request.

You will then fill out our JMK Award application form, which asks how you would rehearse and stage the play.

What happens to my application?

Applications and CV’s have names removed before they are read by a team, so please don’t send PDF files.

We use the equal opportunities data to help monitor applications, and gauge the impact and reach of our work and this will not be linked to your application when sent to the panel.

Further details of how your application is considered are available on request.

Where do I get advice?

Look at this website. There’s a host of information to help! Alternatively, approaching applications opening, we will host workshops as part of the National Programme that provide some top tips on application writing and clarity on the JMK Award process. Keep an eye out for those.

For other upcoming workshops, sign up to our mailing list.

Ideas for your production should ideally begin with an appreciation of the play, its original context, world and ideas. Put across what you have to say about the play, rather than imagining what we would wish to hear. Whether they are imaginative or purely practical, communicate your thoughts, drives and ideas as clearly and directly as possible.

What happens if I get through?

You will be sent full details of the next stage if you are successful in your first round application. You’ll be asked to put together ideas for a creative team for the production, and work with a designer on some initial visual ideas.

If you are successful in the first round, you will work with a designer to submit a short visual pitch for your production as an extension of your first rounds application. Then, we will shortlist to 8 or 9 candidates (and their designers) to be interviewed by our selection panel in the final stages, with opportunity to work in the rehearsal room with actors on your chosen text.

The final selection aims to announce by the end of March 2023.

 

 

Latest News

  • JMK Trust announces new recipients of 2023 Victoria Wood Bursaries March 14, 2023
  • The Big Give Christmas Challenge 2022 November 29, 2022
  • JMK announce Victoria Wood Assistant Director Bursaries with Leeds Playhouse and Royal Exchange Manchester November 16, 2022

Alumni

Diane Page Tristian Fynn-Aiduenu Winner 2017 - Josh Roche Winner 2016 - Roy Alexander Weise Winner 2015 - Liz Stevenson Kate Hewitt - winner 2014 Winner 2013 - Alex Brown Winner 2012 - Sam Pritchard Winner 2011 - Cathal Cleary Winner 2010 - Matthew Evans Winner 2009 - Caroline Steinbeis Winner 2008 - Michael Oakley Winner 2007 - Polly Findlay Winner 2006 - Jamie Harper Winner 2005 - Natalie Abrahami Winner 2004 - Anne Tipton Winner 2003 - Bijan Sheibani Winner 2002 - Joe Hill Gibbins Winner 2001 - Orla O'Loughlin Winner 2000 - Thea Sharrock Winner 1999 - Mark Rosenblatt Winner 1998 - Tassos Stevens

Click here to view all JMK alumni »

Patrons: Dame Judi Dench, Baroness Howe, Sir Ian McKellen, Clare Menzies-Kitchin MBE and Tom Morris OBE (Founding Chair).  

The JMK Trust is kindly supported by The Martin Bowley Charitable Trust, Arts Council England, The Katie Bradford Arts Trust, The Leche Trust, Scops Arts Trust, The Garrick Charitable Trust, The Victoria Wood Foundation, The Barbara Whatmore Charitable Trust, The Maria Björnson Memorial Fund, The Patricia Routledge Foundation, The Hollick Family Foundation and all our individual donors.

Registered address: Talton Farm Cottage, Newbold on Stour, Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 8UB.

Registered Charity: No. 295080

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The JMK Trust
  • Home
  • About
  • The JMK Award
    • About the JMK Award
    • Application process 2023
    • Information for Designers
  • National Programme
    • About the JMK National Programme
      • JMK Birmingham
      • JMK Bristol
      • JMK Edinburgh
      • JMK Manchester
      • JMK Newcastle
      • JMK Northampton
      • JMK Nottingham
      • JMK Reading
      • JMK Salisbury
      • JMK Stoke-on-Trent
      • JMK Yorkshire
    • #JMKSpace
    • JMK Director Practitioners
  • Assistant Director Bursaries
    • Victoria Wood Assistant Director Bursary – Leeds Playhouse
      • Apply: Leeds Playhouse Victoria Wood Assistant Director Bursary
    • Victoria Wood Assistant Director Bursary – Royal Exchange Manchester
      • Apply: Royal Exchange Victoria Wood Assistant Director Bursary
    • JMK Assistant Director Bursary Recipients
    • JMK Bob Carlton Bursary
  • Support us
    • How you can help
    • Support for Free with Online Shopping
    • Legacies
    • JMK Gift Membership & Awards Circle
    • ShareGift
    • Thanks to our supporters
  • Blog
  • More information
    • Learn about directing
    • Archive Playlists
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
  • Exploring the relationship between Director and Movement Director with Vicki Manderson
  • JMK Workshop – GROUPWORK – OUR DEVISING AND REHEARSAL PROCESS