Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation 2024 Performing Arts Grants

Image: Julian Louis from NORPA and Peter Lowry

Over $200,000 in Grants to the performing arts were announced on 21 November 2024, to a packed audience of theatre practitioners and supporters by Peter Lowry AM, President of the Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation in the Seaborn Library, Neutral Bay, the Foundation's headquarters.

Established by Dr Rodney Seaborn AO OBE in 1986 to support the performing arts, the Foundation has since donated well over $2 million to assist groups and individuals develop and produce worthwhile projects. The presentation event commenced with a toast to Dr Seaborn and his legacy.

The guests, who had gathered in the Seaborn Library for the Foundation's the end-of-year Christmas & Awards gathering, enjoyed the splendidly decorated Library with its tinsel and Christmas lights, warm atmosphere and delicious food and wine.

A nice touch was added when accomplished pianist and singing coach Donna Balson, who regularly uses the library as a music studio, accompanied one of her professional singers, one of Opera Australia’s principal baritones Michael Honeyman, singing Christmas carols. He held the room spellbound with his rendition of 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas', while everyone joined him in singing 'Silent Night’.

The Foundation's significant record of supporting the performing arts includes seed-funding the Actors Benevolent Fund’s COVID Emergency Fund during the pandemic. Its Performing Arts Library and Archive is a valuable resource in its preservation of the wide-ranging and significant stories of Australia's theatrical past. It has been listed in the UNESCO Memory of the World Australian Register.

Image: Kevin du Preez and Eva di Cesare from Monkey Baa with Peter Lowry

The 2024 Grants cover a wide range of performing arts projects:

$40,000 to NORPA, Northern Rivers Performing Arts project re Lismore disaster for bravery, resilience and flood stories

$20,000 to Genesian’s Theatre to continue low-cost entertainment in new theatre space

$20,000 to Luminescence Chamber Singers to engage international creatives to help produce a new Australian work

$20,000 to Pinchgut Opera to enable Faerie Queen to transfer to the Ros Packer Theatre, engaging new audiences

$15,000 to Monkey Baa for Where’s the Green Sheep puppetry and imagination production

$15,000 to Bondi Pavillion to produce puppet theatre from WA for Sydney Festival

$10,000 to Sydney Symphony for an education program for children

$10,000 to the Old Fitz to take Sitting Screaming to an Edinburgh Festival

$10,000 to Ensemble Theatre for an education program for less advantaged children

$10,000 to Hayes Theatre to develop Phar Lap the Musical

$10,000 to singing student Emilia Bertolini for overseas lessons and language tuition

$5,000 for Nautanki Theatre - Saray Project

There were two other discretionary grants and scholarships:

$10,000 to Les Tod for a book to accompany a film on the history of local Australian theatre

$14,000 to Sydney Theatre Awards to hold the 2025 Awards ceremony