“Fleabag” creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge has donated a London flat to help aspiring writers from disadvantaged backgrounds pursue careers in the creative industries.
The 41-year-old actor and writer purchased the property specifically for Writers’ Block, a new theatre initiative seeking to address class barriers in the industry. The scheme will allow early-career writers from disadvantaged backgrounds to stay in the flat rent-free, although they will have to cover utility bills. Waller-Bridge has also made a financial contribution to the initiative.
Screenwriter and playwright Jack Thorne, co-creator of “Adolescence” and writer of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”, is among the initiative’s financial supporters.
Thorne said he was fortunate to have accommodation through his brother in Croydon when he began his career. He noted that housing costs can prevent writers without financial support from pursuing professional opportunities in London.
Other supporters include playwright James Graham, “Happy Valley” creator Sally Wainwright, “The Crown” writer Peter Morgan, and filmmaker Martin McDonagh, Waller-Bridge’s partner.
Graham said class remained a significant barrier to entering the creative industries, arguing that efforts to improve representation had not adequately addressed the under-representation of working-class people.
Writers’ Block developed from the Adopt a Playwright Award, established in 2008 by Sofie Mason and Diana Jervis-Read. The earlier initiative provides affordable accommodation to writers who need to travel to London for professional commitments.
Research conducted by the Sutton Trust and the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre found that only 16% of people working in the creative industries came from working-class backgrounds.
