The Luke Westlake Scholarship 2024

Applications are now OPen

We’re delighted to announced that applications are now open for our 6th annual scholarship.

  • Actors can apply via the link below

  • You must be an actor in training in your 2nd year at drama school/university/college

  • Applications close Friday 25 Oct 2024 at 6pm

Tickets

Tickets for the Luke WEstlake Scholarship

For the first time in our the scholarship’s history, we’ll be opening the scholarship award evening to the general public.

Come and support the next generation of working class talent, with a night of captivating stories and excellent entertainment. Tickets* are £12.50 and go straight back into the running costs of the scholarship.

Lyric Hammersmith Theatre - Thursday 05 December 2024

*Tickets are non-refundable

2024 prizes

  • Spotlight

    1yr Subscription

  • The Stage

    1yr Subscription

  • Act On This

    1yr subscription

  • Nick Hern Books

    £100 Script Voucher

  • AKT

    1yr Subscription & Gift Package

  • Andy Brown Photography

    Full Headshot Session

  • Kate

    Self tape backdrop

  • True Edge Combat

    Standard Level Stage Combat Course

  • Becky Paris (Head of Casting at The Globe)

    1-to-1 Lunch/Meeting

  • Theataccounts

    1yr Accounts & Tax Return

  • London Theatre Direct

    £100 theatre ticket voucher

  • Think Move Change

    Alexander Technique Workshops

  • Self-tape.co.uk

    1 Filmed Monologue Reel

  • Just Add Milk (JAM)

    £250 JAM Workshops Voucher & £500 Towards Living Costs (Upon Graduating)

  • The Bespoke Folk

    1 Full Voicereel

  • Faye Timby-Taylor (Casting Associate at Sophie Holland Casting)

    1-to-1 Lunch/Meeting

  • Gavin Mills (Agent at Olivia Bell Management)

    1-to-1 Lunch/Meeting

  • Rob Kelly Casting

    1-to-1 Lunch/Meeting

  • Career Development Sessions

    With Spotlight’s Success Manager Emma Dyson

  • David Lazenby (Agent at Conway Van Gelder Grant))

    1-to-1 Lunch/Meeting

  • Isabelle Sweetland (Agent at Curtis Brown)

    1-to-1 Lunch/Meeting

Last Year’s Winner

The Luke Westlake Scholarship on BBC

Watch Tamzin’s BBC interview from January 2024 discussing her scholarship win and looking towards her acting future.

You can also read the BBC’s article below.

The shortlist

shortlisted actors

All 2024 scholarship shortlisted actors will be invited to take part in a selection of online sessions and Q&As with leading casting directors and agents this Autumn.

  • Agent session: Oliver Campbell (BWH) & Max Latimer (JAG)

    • Thu 07 Nov - 7-8pm on Zoom 

  • Agent session: Cordelia Keaney & Jill Giffard (Curtis Brown)

    • Tue 19 Nov - 7-8pm on Zoom 

  • Agent session: Ryan Iosco-Holmes & Nadine Charles (The Foundry)

    • Tue 26 Nov - 7-8pm on Zoom 

  • Casting session: Ollie Scullion

    • Wed 20 Nov - 7-8pm on Zoom 

Bafta

BAFTA Partnership

As part of our partnership with BAFTA, all actors who make the shortlist will automatically be eligible for the prestigious Prince William BAFTA Bursary.

After graduating from their drama school or university, shortlisted actors will be invited to apply for the bursary to support their early career.

2024 Panel

  • Bex Elliff

    Agent at CAM

  • Raffaella Covino

    Applause for Thought

  • Rob Kelly

    Casting Director

  • Liam McLaughlin

    Executive Director of JAM

  • Varada Sethu

    Actor (Andor, Disney+)

  • Akaash Meeda

    Director

  • Kristian Wall

    Executive Director of JAM

  • Bridgette & Lee Westlake

    Parents of Luke Westlake

  • Thomas Coombes

    Actor (Death of England: Michael)

About luke westlake

Now in its sixth year, The Luke Westlake Scholarship is an annual award set up for working class actors (BA) in their 2nd year at Drama School or University in the UK.

The winner receives over £6000 worth of financial and developmental support as they complete their training and graduate.

The scholarship was established in 2019 when we realised that many actors were being priced out of their careers before they even graduated. After spending tens of thousands of pounds on training, actors must then pay for subscriptions, plays, headshots, equipment for self-tapes and other necessities to support themselves - with those from working-class and low-income families losing out due to financial demands of the industry.

The scholarship is named in memory of Luke Westlake, a friend of JAM and a talented actor who trained with them at ArtsEd (2014-17). A diligent, fierce, working-class actor, he represented everything the scholarship stands for and JAM are grateful to be supported his parents, Bridgette and Lee, in keeping the memory of Luke alive.

Luke Westlake

“We are delighted that the scholarship so kindly dedicated by JAM to the memory of our son Luke continues to grow from strength to strength. It is an amazing opportunity and we urge all those eligible to apply.

We look forward to seeing another excellent field of candidates and this year we hope to meet in person to celebrate the fantastic talent that we know will come forward.”

Lee & Bridgette Westlake

Sponsors

sponsors

This year’s scholarship is sponsored by Act on This TV. Their support means that we can continue to deliver and support working class actors through the scholarship.

We’d also like to thank our other supporters this year:

  • Pendley Theatre Company

  • Thomas Hopkins Productions

  • InterTalent Group

  • Pine Tree Productions

  • Simon & How Associates

And the following industry members who delivered fundraising workshops in August: Faye Timby-Taylor, Rachel Chambers, Sara Short, Lindsay Kutner, Oliver Campbell, Max Latimer and Ceri Bedingfield.