Arts Council England is launching the Theatre Breakthrough Fund today - a new £2 million fund that redistributes investment previously allocated to Eclipse Theatre Company and released upon its closure.

The fund will support Black, Asian and ethnically diverse theatre makers in the North of England to make ambitious new work and will maintain the Arts Council’s investment in and support for the types of ambitious new work and artistic opportunities for Black, Asian and ethnically diverse artists that Eclipse Theatre Company was known for.

Applicants will be able to apply for grants of over £100,000 to support the creation, presentation, distribution and/or touring of new theatre works. There is no maximum amount that can be applied for, but we expect to make between 5 –10 awards from a total fund value of approximately £2m.

The fund offers a transformational opportunity to professional theatre makers ready to take the next step in their career. We’re looking to invest in individuals, organisations or consortia who can demonstrate:
how they would use the investment to enable growth and progression in their theatre making
ideas that push boundaries and create new content or new collaborations
commitment and capability to develop new audiences in the North and nationally for ambitious, high-quality theatre.

Full information about the fund is published here and the portal for Stage 1 applications is now open. There is a two-stage application process with funded activity starting after 1 October 2026.

We’re excited to launch this new fund today, which will offer transformative grants to Black, Asian and ethnically diverse artists and organisations in the North who are ready to breakthrough into a new phase of their theatre making. Through this programme, we’re keen to continue to support the type of work that Eclipse Theatre Company championed, enabling opportunities for artists and organisations to create ambitious, new and high-quality theatre at scale, and to reach new audiences across the North and beyond. We know that there’s a talented community of theatre makers and organisations here in the North and we are looking forward to seeing the ideas that are proposed.