A capital grant of £500,000 was made by the Foundation towards Phase II of the Young Vic’s extensive redevelopment of its Southwark site, including the Jerwood Pod.  It was opened on 5 June 2008 as a creative hub, a place for generating ideas and making art.  For 11 years it housed young theatre companies who had joined the Young Vic as Associates, becoming part of their producing and organisational life for an agreed period of time. 

In August 2019, the Jerwood Pod became the new home of the Taking Part team, a core strand of the Young Vic’s artistic programming, and responsible each year for the creation of circa 20 productions in the Maria and Clare Studios, with opportunities for regional touring.

Since 2010, Jerwood Arts has supported the Jerwood Assistant Directors Programme at the Young Vic. The grant supports six artistic directors from the Genesis network on an extended placement in the form of a paid artistic direction role on a major Young Vic production. 

Jewood Assistant Director, Monique Touko, Frederico Garcia Lorca's Blood Wedding directed by Yaël Farber, 2019. Photo © Marc Brenner