- the Fellowships have been open to theatre practitioners who are recent graduates of the Victorian College of the Arts and of the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts as well as of NIDA;
- the period of eligibility has excluded very recent graduates who have not had time to establish themselves in the profession; and
- the total amount distributed annually has been increased to $50,000.
A further development
Mike now wished to acknowledge the talent and achievement of those
theatre professionals who had not studied at a tertiary institution, but who
had either taken a non-tertiary training course, or who had simply learnt
on the job. From 2018 onward the Fellowships were thrown open to all
young theatre practitioners, trained or untrained, but still subject to a time
eligibility criterion. At the same time Mike increased the amount to be
awarded to $60,000. The total amount awarded up to 2018 is more than
$800,000
Eligibility for 2019 Fellowships
An applicant must be a theatre practitioner from any field. All applicants
– whatever the field, whether formally trained or untrained - compete on
an even footing. The eligibility criteria for tertiary-trained and for other
applicants differ (see ‘For Intending 2019 Applicants’ below), but all are
subject to a time constraint.
Scope of the Fellowships
Each applicant must present a proposal outlining the intended use of a
Fellowship. The only proposals considered are those that are broadly in
the field of theatre.
Timing
A Fellowship must be taken up and completed within eighteen months
following its award; otherwise it will be forfeit, and any moneys paid will
have to be returned. An application for extension will be considered on its
merits: in the past, an extension has been given on compassionate
grounds.
Administration
The Fellowships are administered by Terence Clarke AM, with the
assistance of Di Edwards, Mike’s Personal Assistant, and actor Garry
Scale.
Concerning Fellowship applications
The Mike Walsh Fellowships are awarded by interview: not all
Fellowships and Scholarships are. All shortlisted applicants for a 2019
Fellowship will be interviewed in Sydney on Monday 18 November by
a panel chaired by Mike. The other members include Sandra Bates AM,
former Artistic Director of the Ensemble Theatre, Sydney; Nancye
Hayes AM, star of music theatre, after whom The Hayes Theatre was
named; Mr Scale; and Mr Clarke. Applicants unable to make their way to
Sydney at their own expense – the preferred alternative - will be
interviewed by Skype or telephone. As Mike is resident mainly in
London, the interview date is usually not determined until the new
financial year; and because it is important that each year the
Application Form give the date of interview, the website does not
post the current Application Form and associated material until the
third quarter of the year. The previous year’s Form and material may,
however, be regarded as a good indication of what to expect.
Application, however, should not be made on the previous year’s
form.
Intending applicants should first download and read ‘For Intending 2019
Applicants’, below, and then download and complete the Application
Form.
2019 Closing date
Applications close Friday 5:00 pm AEDT,
7th November 2019
Enquiries
Address enquiries to Mr Clarke:
tjoclarke@gmail.com
