The Theatre Royal Stratford East launched their Musical Theatre Initiative (MTI) in 1999 to commission and produce a portfolio of new musical theatre work, serving voices traditionally unheard in British theatre. In June 2014, the Trustees of the Foundation awarded a grant to the Theatre Royal Stratford East to fund the MTI over 2 years having already awarded the project a grant 3 years earlier. They were delighted to provide a further 2 year's funding for this initiative which provides professional artistic development for young people at the start of their careers who would otherwise struggle to gain access to the mainstream theatre industry.