Nancy Carroll & Chris Villiers,
MAMA Cofounders
A couple of years ago, actors Nancy Carroll and Christopher Villiers found themselves working together on a film. During long days on set, they discovered a shared passion for painting.
It sparked a simple idea: if two actors loved making art, surely many others did too. Recognising the wealth of creativity in their profession, they set about organising an exhibition — MAMA (Many Actors Make Art).
The first edition took place in 2023, in the basement of Brixton’s Department Store. What began as an experiment became a celebration of actors’ talents beyond the stage and screen.
MAMA continues to grow as a platform for the creative work of actors from all backgrounds.
MAMA Fundraising
Working in conjunction with Backstage Trust and Theatre Development Trust, the Theatre Artists Fund has designed a programme which will help to nurture and develop the creative workforce in the UK.
The programme will realise twenty full-time jobs for people working in craft and technical disciplines at emerging and mid-career level. Each person will be supported with integrated training and mentoring from established freelance theatre artists. Through this process, the aim is to identify new ways of working to help people develop their careers, encourage positive change for organisations, and benefit the wider creative industries and communities.
Whilst visiting MAMA, guests have the opportunity to make a £20 Theatre Artists Fund donation which enters them into the Lucky Dip. They then go home with a surprise A5 sized piece of art at the event! Guests can also purchase art directly from the exhibition, a portion of which goes toward the Theatre Artists Fund.