Art Fund, the national charity for art, has announced that it has awarded £658,331 in the first round of £2 million Reimagine grants for 2021. Artlink Hull ’87 Gallery’ is one of 22 museums, galleries, historic homes, trusts, and professional networks across Britain to receive support.
The reimagine grants will support large and small projects and professional networks and will help these organisations build expertise, capacity, connections, and access as they navigate their way to recovery from the pandemic.
They aim to increase creativity and stability in the sector with funding provided for projects which enable experimentation, deepen engagement with diverse audiences, and result in greater expertise. Areas of priority for the programme are collections, digital, engagement and the workforce.
Art Fund awarded a total of 15 grants in two categories: smaller grants between £5K and £15K and larger grants between £15k and £50k.
87 Gallery, a contemporary visual art gallery and artist space developed by Artlink Hull is the recipient of funding in the form of a larger grant in the sum of £48,559.87. With this funding, a 12-month programme of exhibitions and public engagement activities will be secured, and two new key gallery staff roles (Curator and Digital Engagement Producer) will be enabled to play a central role in developing the future strategic direction and programming of the gallery.
Artlink’s CEO and Creative Director, Chris Twigg, said ‘With the support of Art Fund we’ll take another step in developing 87 Gallery to become a focus point for contemporary visual arts by providing developmental opportunities and employment for artists and an inclusive, freely accessible visual arts programme. The pandemic had untold impacts for everyone, and as we start to emerge with a refurbished venue and new business plan this support could not have come at a better time. We’re hugely excited to get started and honoured to be working with Art Fund. I wish our fellow awardees the very best too, amongst this cohort of Reimagine funded projects I’m certain that much will be achieved to support the future of arts organisations and the communities they serve.’
See Art Fund’s full Press Release here.