Outside of his role at Trafalgar Tickets, Liam McLaughlin is dedicated to opening doors for the next generation of theatre talent. Through his charity, Liam is working to break down barriers faced by working-class actors, providing opportunities, support and advocacy to help make the industry more accessible and inclusive.

Here, Liam writes for Ensemble about the inspiration behind his work, the challenges that still exist, and why creating a more equitable industry benefits everyone.

Just Add Milk Productions CIO is a registered charity dedicated to making the acting industry more accessible, particularly for performers from working-class and lower-income backgrounds.

Through practical workshops, professional development opportunities and direct financial support, the charity helps emerging actors build the skills, confidence and industry connections they need to develop sustainable careers. We now deliver more than 250 workshops each year, hosted by some of the biggest and best casting directors, agents and directors, working with actors at different stages of their training and professional journey.

I started with the (then) company in 2018, and after producing multiple shows, moved into the shared leadership role with Kristin Wall during the Covid-19 Pandemic – where we delivered over 300 workshops, courses and free classes for struggling actors.

As the Co-Executive Director, my role involves leading the charity’s development, building relationships with drama schools, industry organisations and funding partners, and creating opportunities that respond to the financial and practical barriers faced by emerging performers. This includes overseeing our programmes, securing sponsorship and support, developing partnerships and ensuring that the charity continues to deliver meaningful, measurable benefits to the actors we work with.

Our flagship initiative is the Luke Westlake Scholarship which Trafalgar Entertainment is kindly sponsoring this year. The scholarship provides financial assistance, mentoring and professional support to an exceptional 2nd-year drama school student who may otherwise struggle with the costs of entering the industry.

2026 will be our 8^th annual scholarship, having received more than 1,000 applications from 54 institution since 2019. Eight finalists are considered for the award, with over £6,000 of support, and all finalists are supported by our partnership with BAFTA. The scholarship has continued to grow through the backing of leading industry partners and provides recipients with a vital bridge between professional training and the beginning of their acting careers.

You can find out about our previous winners here: https://www.justaddmilkjam.com/scholarship/hall-of-fame

If you have any questions please feel free to email me at [email protected]. Most importantly, if you know of any actors that are in their second year at drama school or university and interested the scholarship, please send them to: https://www.justaddmilkjam.com/scholarship/hub

Equally, if you know of any actors wanted to take part in our casting or agent workshops, please let me know and I’ll be happy to provide their first class for free.