We are delighted to announce that Thackray has received a further three years of regular funding from Arts Council England as one of their National Portfolio Organisations. This is well deserved recognition of the great success we have achieved as a team over the last four years and will allow us to continue building on these achievements into the future.
The Arts Council has agreed to continue funding us at our current levels, which equates to £226,000 a year, with their grant supporting all areas of our work.
Since joining the national portfolio in 2018 this regular funding has allowed us to grow our ambitions, particularly around collections, programming and our cocreation work, reinforcing our place both in the museum sector and in our surrounding communities. Just as importantly, maintaining our position in the Arts Council’s National Portfolio of regularly funded organisations confirms the museum’s position as a leading cultural institution, one which has access and inclusion at its heart. The Arts Council’s continued faith in Thackray will open many more doors and opportunities in the coming years.
Overall, this news is a recognition of the hard work, inspiration and enthusiasm everyone on our team has put in over the last four years to make Thackray what it is today – a huge thank you to you all for everything you do.
The continuation of this funding will help us weather what is set to be a financially uncertain time for the cultural sector and the country as a whole. Although support from the Arts Council makes up a substantial part of our income, we will need to continue diversifying opportunities across the business to ensure that Thackray continues to grow, in a way that ensures we remain open and accessible to the communities we seek to serve. We look forward to talking to you all about the ways we can make this happen as we begin to put our new business plan in place.