Thinking of giving to the arts? Act fast to double your money
It's Arts For Impact Week
It’s a big week for philanthropy and for cash-strapped arts organisations which are adept at making a little go a long way but could always do with a bit more to invest in good causes.
And philanthropy, as those at online match-funding charity Big Give will tell you, isn’t just about big sums and corporate high rollers.
Londoner Sir Alec Reed, who died in December, aged 91, was a successful businessman and philanthropist – and also a ballet enthusiast and amateur artist.
On receiving his knighthood in 2011, he reportedly said: “Without business there would be no charity, but without charity what’s the point of business?”
He set up Big Give in 2007 with the idea that sums donated by members of the public would be matched by larger donors, including philanthropists, foundations and companies, in a series of concentrated campaigns.
Importantly, we are now into this year’s Arts for Impact Week (March 17 to 24) when donations through Big Give to UK arts and culture charities working towards societal change will be matched.
It’s a chance for donations to be doubled up to a certain pre-agreed sum – and, in these hard times, an opportunity not to be sniffed at.
Last year’s Arts for Impact double-your-money week raised £2.7m to support 286 arts and culture charities, with 13,672 public donations matched.
In the North East, Newcastle-based Dance City is aiming to raise £3,150 (to be doubled to £6,300) for its new Dance into Learning programme for children growing up in the West End of Newcastle.
This enables specialist dance practitioners to work with teachers in nurseries and reception classes, helping children to develop communication and teamwork skills.
“Through movement, rhythm, song and storytelling, children grow in confidence and learn to work together,” say Dance City.
“Families and carers are involved throughout, strengthening bonds and creating shared opportunities for learning, play and connection.”
Currently the programme is running at St John’s Primary School in Benwell.
In Bishop Auckland, The Auckland Project is seeking to double donations to continue its Drawing Strength classical drawing classes at the town’s Spanish Gallery which have been shown to bring relief from chronic physical and mental health conditions.
A pilot course, with participants spending hours in pursuit of artistic perfection, might sound stressful but the opposite has proved to be the case and it is now being access via social prescribing.
A participant called Dawn explained: “Drawing helps me manage my condition as well as develop my skills.
“I used to wonder, ‘Do I matter?’ because of my illness. Since coming here, my confidence has grown. I would never have done that before. It shows how different I feel. It’s like it’s put my pain in a box.”
Also keen to benefit from Big Give’s Arts for Impact week is Gosforth Civic Theatre, run by the Liberdade Community Development Trust.
The venue was “imagined by people with learning disabilities and created for everyone”, they say, describing the theatre as “an award-winning cultural venue in Newcastle with transformative social impact”.
It reaches 60,000 people every year through high-quality theatre, dance, music and community activities – and it wants to carry on doing even more of the same.
Other hopefuls include Sunderland’s Music Arts & Culture Trust for its Every Child Deserves Culture campaign and Theatre Hullabaloo in Darlington for its Theatre and Creative Play programme for children and babies.
These are just some of the arts initiatives urging donors to take advantage of this double-your-money week and you can explore all of them – and donate – via the Big Give website.
Don’t delay. The opportunity ends at midday on Tuesday, March 24.