The Lewis Sewell Memorial Trust was founded in 2021 following the untimely death of young aspiring actor – Lewis Sewell – at the age of 18.
Lewis had been performing for much of his life having spent a decade with Derby Youth Theatre and several years with Inspire Academy, Nottingham.
A student at Bilborough College, Nottingham, he had been preparing for auditions at the Royal Central School, RADA, LAMDA, and Guildford amongst others when the coronavirus pandemic struck.
He had a passion for both musical theatre and natural plays, performing in productions of Into The Woods, A Christmas Carol, and Hounds of the Baskerville. He also performed in self-devised and newly written pieces such as Dust, Dreamtime, Fugee, and Boudica.
In July 2017, he appeared in a Derby Youth Theatre production of Laura Lomas’ new piece The Blue Road which ran as part of the Departure Lounge Festival at Derby Theatre.
In October 2019, he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and despite prolonged chemotherapy, the decision was taken in July 2020 to stop further treatment when the tumors continued to grow.
He passed away on 15th August 2020.
During his time in hospital, Lewis had the idea for his family to support young people to access auditions for theatre schools and to remove some of the barriers that prevent them from pursuing their dreams.
Lewis had seen how difficult it was for young people to enter the performing arts industry without the financial and moral support that he had enjoyed.
He was instrumental in setting out the criteria for his awards and for the 3 tenets of Courage, Positivity, and Resilience that form the basis of the Lewis Sewell Memorial Trust.
Thanks to the generosity and support from both inside and outside the performing arts world, the LSMT is now able to support several young people each year and expand our activities to also provide grant support.
A fitting legacy to a young man who has been described ‘as not only an excellent actor but a great artistic collaborator’
