The Peggy Ramsay Foundation

The Foundation was established in 1992 in accordance with the Will of Peggy Ramsay, the well-known play agent. Her executors, Laurence Harbottle and Simon Callow, instituted the Trust by deed and the residue of her estate was the first capital. By means of judicious investment and the arrangements they made for the disposal of her agency the value of the Foundation now amounts to a capital sum of nearly £5 million and spends some £200,000 each year.

Object

The purpose of the Foundation is to help playwrights and writing for the stage.

Expenditure

Grants are made directly to writers who have had at least one full length play produced professionally for an adult audience, who need time to write again for the stage and cannot otherwise afford to do so. Grants are made from time to time to organisations for projects and awards which may help new writing for the stage.

Timing and form of Applications

The Trustees meet some 4 or 5 times a year. Appeals are also dealt with between meetings but a delay of up to 6 - 8 weeks must be expected for a definitive answer. Appeals are usually acknowledged. They should be brief, made by the writer concerned preferably in a simple letter stating the need and the amount requested. A full cv of the applicant must be enclosed. Scripts and previous publicity should not be sent.

Exclusions

The Foundation does not usually support production costs or any project which does not have a direct benefit to individual playwrights or writing for the Stage. Commissioning costs are usually considered as part of production costs. Fees for courses of any kind are not supported. Aspiring writers without a production record are not usually considered. Writers applying must be resident in the British Isles although nationality is not relevant.

The Trustees

At present the trustees are G Laurence Harbottle (to whom correspondence should be addressed), Simon Callow CBE, Michael Codron CBE, Sir David Hare, Baroness (Genista) McIntosh of Hudnall, John Tydeman OBE, Harriet Walter CBE and John Welch

Address

The Foundation can be reached as follows:-

By letter to: Hanover House 14 Hanover Square London W1S 1HP
By telephone at: 020 7667 5000
By fax at: 020 7667 5100
By E-Mail to: laurence.harbottle@harbottle.com