Attention, cash-strapped artists across England. Phoebe Waller-Bridge—the Fleabag herself—is launching a new venture: a patron saint for creatives grappling with rent costs.
Specifically, Waller-Bridge will lease a flat to London-based playwrights who come from underprivileged backgrounds. This initiative forms part of a pilot program led by Writers’ Block, a collective devoted to leveling the playing field for disadvantaged writers in the United Kingdom.
Having a flat in London is no small boon, given how the daily grind can overwhelm artists who are working on modest means. The Guardian notes that Waller-Bridge’s arrangement aims to ease that burden; selected writers will gain a tranquil workspace and will be responsible only for their bills.
She isn’t the only one lending a hand. Jack Thorne, a fellow dramatist and co-creator of the show Adolescence, is also pouring substantial funds into the scheme. In a statement to the BBC, he argued that supporting working-class writers should be an industry-wide priority.
“To tell stories about our complex world, we need writers from every background,” he stated. “If you come from privilege, your biggest challenge is deciding what to put on a page. If you don’t, much of your struggle centers on the need to survive.”
Other Writers’ Block backers include Crown creator Peter Morgan, Happy Valley creator Sally Wainwright, and Waller-Bridge’s partner, the prolific screen and playwright Martin McDonagh. (Because only a stampede of chance could keep them apart, I suppose.)
Writers’ Block grew out of the Adopt-a-Playwright Award, established in 2008 by Sofie Mason and Diana Jervis-Read. And as its champions note, the model is highly transferable to other contexts.
I nominate New York City for the next pilot scheme.
