In honor of Gillian Lynne, the famed British choreographer who passed away on this date two years ago, the Lynne and Land Foundation has announced grants to four U.K. arts organizations. The recipients are the Royal Ballet School, ArtsEd, LAMDA, and the Royal Academy of Dance.
“Our scholarships and grants are there to help where they are needed most, and I am sure this is just such a time,” Lynne’s husband Peter Land said, noting that all four recipients were close to Lynne’s heart and “are known and respected for their high level of teaching standards and professionalism in the performing arts, providing creative and supportive environments for learning and development.”
Additionally, the foundation has named 10 new patrons across various artistic fields: Matthew Bourne, Darcey Bussell, Chrissie Cartwright, Janie Dee, Judi Dench, Hugh Quarshie, Ken Robinson, Patrick Stewart, Harriet Thorpe, and Peter Wright.
Among the myriad credits across Lynn’s career are two Andrew Lloyd Webber blockbusters: Cats and The Phantom of the Opera. Shortly before she died, Andrew Lloyd Webber renamed the New London Theatre, where the former played, after her, making her the first non-Royal woman to have a West End venue named after her.
