Our Story
The King Lear Prizes is a national creative arts competition for older people run by King Lear Arts.
The competition was originally founded to help older people stuck at home because of Coronavirus. We launched the King Lear Prizes to encourage people to produce new works of literature, drama, poetry, music and art during the pandemic.
The competition’s name was inspired by William Shakespeare’s famous play, which was written around the time of outbreaks of the plague in London in 1605-06.
The King Lear Prizes are specifically for older people (those over 60) and for people who are keen amateurs or first-timers, rather than professionals.
We are a Registered Charity
We were set up to help older people access arts activities during lockdown, not to make a profit! Entry fees for the King Lear Prizes cover the cost of running the competition.
King Lear Arts is registered charity number 1194586 with the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
We are Grateful to Our Supporters
As a new ‘start-up’ arts organisation, we couldn’t have put on the King Lear Prizes without the help of a huge number of people (our team of judges, our financial backers and our wider team of supporters). Thank you all for your help!
Meet the King Lear Prizes Team
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Andrew Browning
FOUNDER & CHAIR, KING LEAR ARTS
Andrew is the founder of the King Lear Prizes and Chair of King Lear Arts. He is responsible for leading the team and making sure the King Lear Prizes run successfully.
Andrew is the founder of SchemeFlow, a startup technology company using artificial intelligence to speed up construction. Previously, Andrew has worked as Chief of Staff to the Mayor of the West Midlands in Birmingham, and as a management consultant at the Boston Consulting Group.
Of all the arts, Andrew is particularly interested in music, as an amateur double bass player and a fan of Vaughan Williams’s music.
Contact Andrew on andrew@kinglearprizes.org
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Harry Wilson
GENERAL MANAGER
Harry is the General Manager of the King Lear Prizes. He is responsible for running the competition day-to-day.
Harry is a Policy Associate at SchemeFlow, a startup technology company using artificial intelligence to speed up construction. Previously, Harry has worked as a paralegal at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, where he will be returning as a trainee in August 2024.
Harry is particularly interested in fiction and his favourite writers include Claire Keegan, Gabriel García Márquez and Javier Marías.
Contact Harry on harry@kinglearprizes.org