From The Actors’ Benevolent Fund to Actors’ Trust: A Brand Transformation Story

This entry showcases the brand transformation of The Actors’ Benevolent Fund to Actors’ Trust – a 144-year-old charity supporting actors and stage managers across the UK. After decades with an outdated identity, low awareness (over half of respondents hadn’t heard of the charity), and a confusing name, the charity needed a bold new brand to deliver our ambitious new strategy.

Following extensive research involving thousands of stakeholders – including members, beneficiaries, students, and industry professionals – Actors’ Trust and IE Brand developed a striking new visual identity that honours the charity’s heritage while propelling it confidently into the future.

This identity exemplifies excellence in charity sector design by solving real problems: it’s accessible, contemporary, and inclusive – representing all actors ‘across sound, stage and screen’. The brand successfully balances credibility with warmth, using photography of real people rather than illustrations, creating immediate emotional connections.

We believe this work merits recognition because it demonstrates how brand identity can be a vital tool in transforming a charity’s ability to serve its community, as exemplified by impressive impact stats (results like the 400% increase in support applications in the first four weeks post launch and 1000% increase in website traffic). The rebrand has modernised a historical institution without losing its essence, created a distinctive marque that stands out in the crowded charity sector, and built a flexible, digital-first system that will serve Actors’ Trust for years to come – ultimately helping more actors and stage managers to access the vital support they need.