Bursary and Scholarship Support
Helping Every Child Access Opportunity
At Stagebox, we believe talent, creativity and ambition should not be limited by financial circumstances.
Our Bursary Fund provides fully funded places and hardship grants for children and young people who would otherwise be unable to participate in Stagebox programmes.
The fund is designed to ensure support is allocated fairly, transparently and based on genuine financial need.
The fund provides support for the acting or musical theatre training and is available for up to 1 training programme.
How the Bursary Fund Is Supported
The Stagebox Bursary Fund is fully funded by Stagebox through its own resources.
Every bursary and hardship grant awarded is made possible through Stagebox's direct investment in widening access and creating opportunities for children and young people who may otherwise be unable to participate.
The Stagebox Bursary Fund is not dependent on external sponsorship, charitable donations or government funding and is provided entirely by Stagebox.
Stagebox is committed to ensuring that financial circumstances do not prevent talented, motivated and enthusiastic young people from accessing high-quality creative and personal development opportunities.As the fund is financed entirely by Stagebox, all applications are carefully assessed to ensure support is awarded fairly, transparently and to those who genuinely meet the published eligibility criteria.
What Support Is Available?
Full Bursary
A Full Bursary covers 100% of Stagebox programme fees for one academic year.
Full bursaries are awarded to eligible applicants who meet our financial criteria and where funding is available. Funding awards are reviewed annually on the basis of evidence & commitment to training and the Stagebox community.
Scholarships
In addition to our Bursary Fund, Stagebox offers a limited number of Scholarships each year to recognise exceptionally gifted young performers.
Scholarships are awarded through an audition and assessment process and are based on demonstrated talent, potential, commitment and performance ability.
Stagebox is proud to work with talented young people from a wide range of backgrounds. We recognise that every young person who joins Stagebox brings talent, enthusiasm and potential. As a result, the standard required for a scholarship award is exceptionally high and places are very limited.
Scholarships are awarded solely on artistic merit and audition performance and are not linked to a family's financial circumstances.
Families seeking financial support should apply through the Stagebox Bursary Fund, which is assessed separately using our published financial eligibility criteria.
Stagebox reserves the right not to award scholarships in any given year if the required standard and commitment to training is not met.
Who Can Apply?
Applications are welcomed from families whose children would benefit from Stagebox but who are unable to afford participation without financial support.
Young people can be represented by any agency/management or can be unrepresented and access scholarship and bursary funding under the published criteria.
Priority is given to children who are currently eligible for:
Free School Meals (FSM)
Your child must be receiving benefits-related Free School Meals.
Please note that Universal Infant Free School Meals alone do not automatically qualify for a bursary.
Universal Credit
A parent or legal guardian must currently be receiving Universal Credit.
Evidence of entitlement will be required.
Additional Consideration
Where funding is limited, additional priority may be given to children who are:
- Looked-after children
- Previously looked-after children
- Young carers
- Living in temporary accommodation
- Receiving support from social services
- Experiencing exceptional financial hardship
These factors do not guarantee a bursary but may be considered when allocating available funds.
What Evidence Will Be Required?
To ensure bursary funding reaches families who genuinely need support, applicants will be
asked to provide full and thorough evidence which will be handled confidentially.
Examples include:
Free School Meals
One of the following:
- School confirmation of FSM eligibility
- Local authority eligibility letter
- Official FSM award notification
Universal Credit
A recent Universal Credit statement showing:
- Claimant name
- Current entitlement
- Assessment period
Stagebox may request additional information where clarification is required.
How Are Applications Assessed?
Our bursary process is designed to minimise bias and ensure every family is assessed fairly.
Applications are reviewed using published eligibility criteria and supporting evidence.
Decisions are never based on:
- Race or ethnicity
- Religion or belief
- Gender
- Nationality
- School attended
- Family background
- Personal relationships
Applications are assessed solely on financial eligibility and the information provided.
Verification Checks
As a responsible steward of bursary funding, Stagebox may carry out verification checks.
This may include:
- Confirming Free School Meal eligibility
- Reviewing evidence
- Requesting clarification where information is incomplete
Providing false or misleading information may result in an application being rejected or a bursary being withdrawn.
If Applications Exceed Available Funding
Demand for bursaries may sometimes exceed available funding.
Where this happens:
- Eligible applications will be prioritised using Stagebox's published criteria.
- If two or more applicants have equal priority and insufficient funding remains, places may be allocated using a random selection process.
This approach helps ensure fairness and prevents subjective decision-making.
Annual Review
All bursaries are awarded for one academic year only.
To continue receiving support, families must reapply to the bursary fund each year and provide confirmed evidence of eligibility.
Annual reviews help ensure funding continues to reach those most in need.
Reviews will consider:
- Current Free School Meal eligibility
- Current Universal Credit entitlement
- Any significant changes in household circumstances
- Engagement with Stagebox programmes
Attendance and Participation
As Stagebox is investing directly in every bursary recipient, families are expected to support regular attendance and participation.
Recipients should:
- Attend sessions regularly
- Engage positively with programmes and activities
- Notify Stagebox of any prolonged absence
Absences due to illness, disability, caring responsibilities or exceptional circumstances will always be considered appropriately.
Our Commitment
Stagebox believes that every child deserves access to opportunities that build confidence, develop skills and unlock potential, regardless of their financial circumstances.
Through our fully funded Bursary Fund programme, Stagebox invests directly in children and young people who would otherwise face barriers to participation.
We are committed to administering this funding fairly, responsibly and transparently, ensuring that support reaches families who genuinely need it and that every application is assessed consistently against published criteria.
By providing funding directly through Stagebox, we are proud to create opportunities that help young people thrive, grow and achieve their potential.
Prospectus Information
This prospectus is reviewed annually and may be updated to reflect changes in funding availability, eligibility requirements and operational procedures.
Stagebox reserves the right to amend or withdraw the bursary and scholarship programmes at any time. Any changes will not affect awards already confirmed for the current academic year unless exceptional circumstances require otherwise.
