Mark Cornell + Sienna Miller Present THE ATG SUMMER PARTY In Aid Of Sir Sam Mendes + Theatre Artists Fund
Last night Mark Cornell and Sienna Miller presented the Ambassador Theatre Group’s (ATG) Summer Party at Kensington Palace Gardens in support of Sam Mendes and his Theatre Artists Fund (TAF) with an auction hosted by Lord Harry Dalmeny, Chairman of Sotheby’s. The proceeds from the auction will contribute towards the next round of grants, which will open on Wednesday 8th September enabling the fund to reach more freelance theatre professionals during this early phase of the industry’s recovery from the pandemic.
The ATG Summer Party 2021 continues ATG’s ongoing work with charitable causes, and their passion to nurture and support the current and next generation of industry talent, which is at the heart of their ethos.
Theatre Artists Fund was spearheaded by Sam Mendes and launched in July 2020 to provide emergency support for freelance theatre professionals across the UK in need of urgent and critical financial support due to the devastating impact of Covid-19 on the theatre sector. Through generous donations and public fundraising, Theatre Artists Fund has so far supported more than 7,200 industry workers affected by the crisis.
Speaking after this evening’s auction, the Theatre Artists Fund’s founder Sam Mendes said “I am incredibly grateful to Mark Cornell and everyone at Ambassador Theatre Group for their support this evening in assisting us to raise more urgent money to go towards our fund. It’s down to the extraordinary work of everyone that has donated so far that we have now raised over £7.4 million and, with the ongoing support, we can reopen the grants again. We pledge to continue helping freelance theatre artists in these unprecedented situations while continuing to develop a new and permanent way to empower freelancers for the future.”
Mark Cornell, ATG’s Chief Executive Officer said “On behalf of everyone at ATG we are proud to have been working with Sam and Theatre Artists Fund for our Summer Party this year to raise money for such an important cause. It’s no secret that the theatre industry and far too many of its remarkable workers have been, and still are, impacted by the pandemic, so the grants from Theatre Artists Fund are crucial in helping change that, through sustaining freelancers until they can get back into employment. I would like to thank Theatre Artists Fund for joining forces with ATG for this event, and thank you to my fantastic co-presenter this evening, Sienna Miller and to Lord Harry Dalmeny for brilliantly hosting the auction.”
Sienna Miller added “It’s been such a joy to co-host the ATG Summer Party with Mark this evening, and to see the generosity of the guests helping raise invaluable money for Theatre Artists Fund during the auction. Theatre has always been a huge passion of mine, and I’ve been saddened to see the impact of the pandemic on so many talented workers within the industry. That’s why the work that Theatre Artists Fund have done, and continue to do is vital as the industry continues to recover, and I’m so glad that the money raised tonight will go towards helping the workers and freelancers, who are the lifeblood of the Theatre industry, get back to where they belong.”
The ATG Summer Party in aid of Theatre Artists Fund at Kensington Palace Gardens, was attended by theatre industry figures and supporters who donated generously during the auction, bidding on items including a trip to the set of Sam Mendes’ new film Empire of Light starring Olivia Colman and Michael Ward. A two-night stay at the iconic The Dorchester hotel, and two top-tier entry passes to the elusive Kit Kat Club, home to the highly anticipated production of Cabaret, starring Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley. Two business-class return flights to New York, for the opening night of Neil Simon's Plaza Suite, with an exclusive 'meet and greet' photo opportunity with Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, and a chance to step through the door of the red windmill and experience a first-class full-service hospitality package for ten at the spectacle that is Moulin Rouge! The Musical.
In addition to the auction prizes, Providence Equity Partners, the owners of Ambassador Theatre Group, generously donated a further £25,000 to the fund to achieve a significant total of £90,000 raised for Theatre Artists Fund.
All proceeds raised from the auction at the ATG Summer Party will go directly to Theatre Artists Fund, which is administered by the UK Theatre Association and the Society of London Theatre on behalf of the Theatre Development Trust (TDT).
Guests in attendance at the ATG Summer Party included Aimee Atkinson, Alice Eve, Bay Garnett, Bertie Carvel, Caro Newling, Carrie Cracknell, Dame Harriet Walter and Guy Paul, Dame Pippa Harris, David Baddiel, David Hare and Nicole Farhi, Dominic West, Eddie and Hannah Redmayne, Emma Squire CBE, George Osborne CH and Thea Rogers, Griff and Jo Rhys Hones, Helen George and Jack Ashton, Jane Horrocks and Esther Coles, Jenna Coleman, Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE, Julia Cheng and Dickson Mbi, Lady Antonia Fraser CH, DBE and Benji Fraser, Lia Williams and Angus Wright, Liza Sadovy, Louisa Parker Bowles, Lord Neil Mendoza, Mark Gatiss, Michael Landes, Neil Tennant, Nicolas Brown, Nima Telaghini, Omari Douglas, Phil Edgar-Jones, Rob Brydon, Ronni Ancona, Rupert Gavin, Rupert Goold, Sam Lister, Sam Mendes (Founder, Theatre Artists Fund) and Alison Balsom, Sienna Miller (Co-host) and Archie Keswick, Simon Curtis and Elizabeth McGovern, Susan Hampshire CBE, Sir Lenny Henry and Lisa Makin, Sir Nicholas Hytner, Tamara Rojo, Tom and Sabrina Stoppard, Trevor Eve and Trevor Nunn.
Photos: The ATG Summer Party at Kensington Palace Gardens hosted by Mark Cornell and Sienna Miller in aid of Sam Mendes and his Theatre Artists Fund. Photos by Dave Benett.
About the Ambassador Theatre Group
Nothing beats the energy and excitement of a great live experience. That’s why our mission is to bring the very best in live entertainment to the largest possible number of people. Founded in 1992 in the UK, we’ve grown into the world’s number one live-theatre company today. We cover every discipline in the theatre industry, from operating venues to ticketing platforms and producing shows.
We own or operate some of the world’s most iconic venues
We operate 58 venues across Britain, the US and Germany. Our impact on these venues takes significant investment; in some cities, we’ve restored closed and forgotten theatres like The Colonial Theatre in Boston, the Hudson Theatre in New York and Stockton’s Globe theatre, back to their former architectural and trading glory.
Our portfolio includes historic West End theatres such as the Duke of York’s, Harold Pinter, Piccadilly, Savoy, the Apollo Victoria and the Lyceum, home to Wicked and The Lion King respectively. We also operate venues across the UK in major cities such as Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and many more. We programme, present and operate two music-focused arenas; the historic Globe in Stockton, and the brand-new Digital Arena on the waterside in Swansea (opening in 2021).
In the US, we run two theatres on Broadway and manage venues in Brooklyn, New Orleans, San Antonio, Detroit, San Francisco, Boston and Sugar Land, Texas. ATG operates the two venues presenting Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in the US: the Lyric Theatre on Broadway and the Curran Theater in San Francisco. In Europe, we operate theatres in Berlin, Cologne, Düsseldorf and Bochum. In addition, we’re delighted that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has chosen one of our venues, the Mehr! Theater in Hamburg, for its first ever non-English production, which we will produce and open in 2021.
We are the world leader in theatre ticketing
We process more than 16 million tickets a year for hit musicals, acclaimed plays, concerts, comedy shows and a variety of other live events across the UK, US, and Germany.
We run some of the world’s most popular theatre ticketing sites, with ATGtickets.com alone attracting over 40 million unique visitors a year. Our complementary brands include TicketsDirekt.de, LOVEtheatre.com and Group Line which is the UK market leader for group sales and consistently voted “Best Ticketing Agency” by industry peers.
We present the world’s best live entertainment in our venues
Working alongside the world’s leading producers and creative artists, our venues present an extraordinarily diverse range of top-quality entertainment. Our West End and Broadway theatres host long-running hit shows such as Disney’s The Lion King, Wicked and the award-wining Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Newer shows in London include Come From Away, Pretty Woman and the forthcoming Moulin Rouge! The Musical. Star performers appearing on our stages include Jake Gyllenhaal in Sunday in The Park with George, Tom Hiddleston in Betrayal, Uma Thurman in The Parisian Woman, Ian McKellen in King Lear and Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley in the soon-to-open Cabaret. Many of these shows are created by our own in-house producers. Our regional venues in the UK and US present top musicals and plays including Hamilton, The Book of Mormon, Les Misérables, Mamma Mia, Jersey Boys, and in Germany shows such as Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and the long-running production of Starlight Express in Germany. Music also features with the world’s top music artists appearing regularly on our stages. Recent highlights include Billie Eilish, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, FKA Twigs, John Legend, Paloma Faith, Mariah Carey, Tom Jones, Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross. The mix is completed with the very best comedy, dance, opera, and much more to delight audiences in our venues across the globe.
We produce award-winning shows
We produce shows across the entertainment spectrum and are proud to have won many Olivier and Tony awards. Recent ATG productions in the UK include the critically-acclaimed Pinter at the Pinter season, 9 to 5 the Musical scored by Dolly Parton and the West End hit Pretty Woman, The Musical. Ian at Eighty celebrated Sir Ian McKellen’s 80th birthday with an 80-date UK tour and West End season in support of British theatre. On Broadway, recent productions include Sunday in the Park with George, Plaza Suite starring Sarah-Jessica Parker and David Byrne’s American Utopia. Our European production arm, Mehr-BB has produced West Side Story, The Bodyguard and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. ATG’s partner company Sonia Friedman Productions is the acclaimed international producer of dozens of hit shows including Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Mean Girls, The Book of Mormon, Dreamgirls, Jerusalem and The Ferryman.
About Theatre Artists Fund
Launched in July 2020 and spearheaded by leading director Sam Mendes, the Theatre Artists Fund was established by Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and UK Theatre and is administered by SOLT’s sister charity Theatre Development Trust.
So far, £7.4m has been raised, enabling more than 7,200 grants to be provided to struggling theatre practitioners across the UK, who are ineligible for government support. All information about the Theatre Artists Fund, eligibility and how to apply, how to donate and supporters is available on the Theatre Artists Fund website.
Society of London Theatre (SOLT) represents approximately 230 London-based producers, theatre owners and managers, including all the major subsidised theatrical organisations in London.
UK Theatre represents approximately 240 theatres, concert halls, dance companies, producers and arts centres throughout the UK. UK Theatre also operates as a professional association, supporting over 1,400 individuals working professionally in theatre and the performing arts in the UK.
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