Musical Theatre Network and Mercury Musical Developments work in close partnership with each other but are two separate organisations. MTN and MMD receive joint Arts Council England funding which enables them to run a number of projects together. These include BEAM (a showcase of new musical theatre), the Resident Composer Scheme, an annual conference and a number of training and networking events. Both MTN and MMD are membership organisations, which can sometimes be confusing for people wanting to work with us, or who are thinking about becoming a member of one or both organisations. 

What’s the difference between MTN & MMD?

MTN is all about creating an environment that allows new musical theatre to flourish. Our membership is open to anyone working professionally in musical theatre but is primarily made up of producers, venues, directors, agents and educational institutions. The support we offer is primarily about the business end of putting on a musical; for example, we run events on fundraising, touring a show and theatre tax relief, as well as working nationally to build connections and use our networks to enhance what our members can do. We look at the UK musical theatre sector overall in order to identify and then fill the gaps. Our mission is to create initiatives that bring a diverse range of artists into the artform, encourage experimentation with new ways of making work and to find new ways by which that work can be seen more widely. We do have writers and composers as members; these tend to be those who are producing their own work and who are interested in the connections we can help them make.

MMD is all about nurturing new musical theatre writing and their membership is, therefore, open to writers, book-writers and lyricists. Their members have access to a range of showcasing and development initiatives to help further their craft, projects and careers as book-writers, lyricists and composers. They offer workshops, masterclasses, seminars and writer groups designed to support those who are new to the genre, emerging talents or seasoned professionals. They actively seek out commissions, build professional networks and are ambassadors on behalf of all their members. They have a growing community of over 400 writers both across the UK and internationally, and their community is a supportive and friendly one. MMD exists to champion and nurture the writers who are shaping the future of British musical theatre.

So which one should I join?

If you are working professionally in musical theatre, or are interested in working professionally in musical theatre, then MTN should be your first port of call. If you want to write musicals, or if you are already writing musicals, then your first port of call should be MMD. No matter your level of experience, MMD membership is open to bookwriters, lyricists and composers. But we both look forward to working with you – through whichever route we meet you. To learn more about the benefits of MTN Membership, and the work we do, click here or email Kate, our Membership Manager, on kate@musicaltheatrenetwork.com. To learn more about MMD click here.