Be part of the next generation of new musicals
New musical theatre is one of the fastest growing and evolving areas of creative practice in the UK, with many new voices emerging in recent years who will make musical theatre as diverse and relevant to a wider audience. Our members are at the forefront of this and need the advice, recognition, skills, encouragement that MMD can provide, in order for their projects to reach an audience.
MMD is a registered charity, dedicated to the development of musical theatre as an art form for the benefit of the public, and to talent development to secure the form’s future. In addition to our funding from Arts Council England (making up approximately one third of our costs) we rely on the support of trusts and foundations, corporate sponsors and individual donors in order to fulfil our mission and support new musicals and their writers.
If you love musical theatre and want to help exciting new shows come to fruition, please consider supporting our work.
Ways to support
By making a donation to MMD, you are supporting the next generation of writers. A donation of £50-100 can fund one membership bursary, allowing a writer to access our extensive range of development opportunities and transform their career.
For supporters making significant donations we offer a bespoke range of benefits including complimentary tickets, facilitated introductions to writers and potential naming rights to a project or development programme.
If you are a composer, lyricist or book writer of musicals you can support us by becoming a member and experiencing our extensive range of membership benefits.
We provide sponsorship opportunities for our public facing events such as BEAM, the UK Musical Theatre Conference and the Stiles + Drewe Best New Song Prize. These provide exposure to your brand to an audience of industry professionals and musical theatre enthusiasts. A range of sponsorship packages is available for each event.
If you are looking for a new musical to stage, whether in a professional context or an educational/amateur setting, we can put you in touch with writers who are working on shows of all scales. We are always delighted to provide our members with opportunities to see their work realised on stage.
I do hope you give generously, because emerging talent is what is vital in the theatre, and we need it now more than ever.
Dame Judi Dench, MMD patron
Member Spotlight
Hilmi Jaidin
Hilmi Jaidin is originally from Southeast Asia and his songs have been performed in and off the West End, most… Read more
Visit Website Hilmi Jaidin
Hilmi Jaidin is originally from Southeast Asia and his songs have been performed in and off the West End, most recently at the Sondheim Theatre. He has written songs with Gary Barlow and Shaznay Lewis for Gurinder Chadha's upcoming feature film Christmas Karma which will be performed by an ensemble cast including Billy Porter and Boy George and led by Kunal Nayyar.
He provided additional lyrics for the RSC’s original run of My Neighbour Totoro at the Barbican. He was a Stiles and Drewe Best New Song Prize Finalist in 2021 and he is in the BOOK Music & Lyrics Advanced Group.
Karen Bishko
Seeking a novel way to present her heartfelt songs, in 2009 Karen left for New York to develop her musical,… Read more
Visit Website Karen Bishko
Seeking a novel way to present her heartfelt songs, in 2009 Karen left for New York to develop her musical, Therapy Rocks. The musical was staged at NYMF 2010 (The New York Musical Theatre Festival) with a cast of five and its performance run not only sold out but was extended.
Karen was hired to write a sequel to the much loved existing show Menopause The Musical. Her version opened in North America in May 2023 and is now touring Canada and the US extensively.