What is the charity about?
The answer is simple, really. We believe that a career in the Performing Arts shouldn’t be the preserve of those who can afford to train or who already see themselves represented on stage and screen; it should be open to anyone who has the passion, determination and dedication to work in this industry. Our commitment to this belief is part of what makes us the UK’s leading Performing Arts Foundation College and why Access To the Arts began.
Our charitable work creates sponsorship and training opportunities for young people, through the full-time vocational courses at READ College but also through outreach workshops across the country. Our Widening Participation and Outreach Co-Ordinator - Amelia Stevenson - travels to venues around the UK to deliver careers advice and mentoring sessions, practical skills workshops and training sessions.
The full-time courses at READ College were founded by Helen and Jamie Read back in 2008 and became a registered charity in 2011, with the ethos of supporting talented young people from underrepresented backgrounds, to enable them to get a foot on the training ladder. Financial and/or family disadvantage doesn’t just mean that students can’t afford to pay drama school fees in the short term – it also means that they haven’t had the chance to attend regular classes and theatre trips throughout their childhood, which puts them at a disadvantage when they come to audition for degree-level Dance and Drama Schools.
Want to support our work? Click here to find out more about our sponsorship programme or read on to see the testimonial of some of our beneficiaries…



Access to The Arts
Through our Access to The Arts scheme, we have been able to provide means tested bursaries totalling over £350,000 to young people who most need assistance, and all of the funds are generated through our charitable activities: we receive no government funding or core grants at all.
We run regular events throughout the year to help support Access to The Arts and we are always looking for businesses and individuals to support our work with volunteering, time, donations or sponsorship.
Here is what some of our past students have said about the support from READ College in their own words:
This bursary has helped me so much. I have been given an opportunity to perform and learn… I am so grateful, because I have the chance to fulfil my dream.
I am from a single parent income household therefore it was crucial that I had a bursary to be able to fund the course…
Without the tuition of Read I can honestly say I would not stand a chance of furthering my career path… without the generous bursary I am in receipt of – none of this would have ever been possible.
There are lots of ways that you can support the charitable work of READ College and Access to The Arts. You can make a one-off donation or pledge towards a students’ training, by contacting us directly. Or you could join or Friends of READ College scheme, or even encourage your company to become a corporate sponsor – there are lots of great perks!
Access to the Arts is the working name for the Read Dance and Theatre College which is a company limited by guarantee (Registered Company Number: 07663677) and a registered Charity (Registered Charity Number: 1142899)
Why is READ College a charity?
We believe that a career in the Performing Arts shouldn’t be the preserve of those who can afford to train; it should be open to anyone who has the passion, determination and dedication to work in this industry.