Arts Council England (ACE) has launched a new £2 million Theatre Breakthrough Fund to support Black, Asian, and ethnically diverse theatre makers in the North of England. The fund repurposes money previously allocated to Eclipse, a National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) that closed in November last year due to significant operational challenges and a period of sector-wide change. Eclipse, founded in Leeds in 2010, focused on producing and touring Black-led theatre across regional venues and had received £563,474 annually in the 2023–26 ACE funding round.
The Theatre Breakthrough Fund allows applicants to seek grants of over £100,000 for creating, presenting, distributing, or touring new theatre works, with no upper limit on funding. ACE expects to award between five and ten grants. Eligible applications must come from organisations where at least 51% of the board and senior management identify as Black, Asian, or ethnically diverse, or from individuals based in the North of England. Artistic directors or equivalent in leading roles who are Black, Asian, or ethnically diverse are also eligible. NPOs and Investment Principles Support Organisations already in receipt of ACE funding can apply, and there is no restriction on the number of applications an organisation participates in, including consortium or co-producing partnerships.
ACE emphasizes that successful proposals should push creative boundaries, generate new content or collaborations, and demonstrate the ability to develop new audiences. Jen Cleary, ACE’s director north, noted that the programme aims to continue the work championed by Eclipse, enabling artists and organisations to produce ambitious, high-quality theatre and reach audiences across the North and beyond.
The closure of Eclipse was widely mourned in the sector. Despite plans for a five-year “artistic evolution” and reserves of £282,676 as of March 2023, the board determined that the company could no longer fulfill its remit. An excess of expenditure over income was approved to reduce free reserves and support post-pandemic relaunch efforts. In its closure statement, Eclipse expressed sadness over the decision but emphasized that redistributing its remaining reserves would support other Black and global majority theatre companies. ACE’s new fund represents a continuation of Eclipse’s mission to foster diversity, innovation, and audience engagement in UK theatre.
