2022 Achates Philanthropy Prize Winners Announced

The winners of the 2022 Achates Philanthropy Prize, the only annual prize that celebrates first-time supporters of culture in the UK, were announced last night at a special ceremony at Birmingham Symphony Hall, presented by philanthropist and long-standing Symphony Hall donor, Peter How.

The ceremony featured the announcement of the Individual Philanthropy Award and Corporate Award, which share a Prize fund of £10,000 thanks to the continued generous support of Prize sponsors, Achates, as well as the announcement of four Bursaries, donated by Achates, offering cultural organisations a bespoke day-long masterclass to support the development of their fundraising or strategy. The audience enjoyed world premiere performances from Otis Mensah, Sheffield's first Poet Laureate, and Chauntelle M, (AKA 'Diary of a Poet'), members of the Birmingham-based collective, We Don't Settle (formerly Beatfreeks), commissioned by the Cultural Philanthropy Foundation.

Caroline McCormick, Chair of the Cultural Philanthropy Foundation, said: "Culture is an essential part of society and of a life well lived. At a time when economic pressures are severe, it is important that the many ways in which cultural organisations drive value in our communities and the inspiring example of those who enable this impact, through their support, are celebrated. All of the shortlisted organisations and their supporters evidence the symbiotic role of cultural organisations and their communities."

For the first time in the history of the Prize, the Individual Philanthropy Award was awarded jointly to Rafe Offer, nominated by Battersea Arts Centre, and Sam and Rosie Berwick, nominated by Spread the Word.

Based in an iconic building with a ground-breaking history, Battersea Arts Centre (BAC) is a home for radical artistic ideas, where artists, audiences and communities can connect and be creative. It is the world's first Relaxed Venue and operates a trailblazing Pay What You Can ticketing scheme, breaking down barriers to attendance. BAC nominated first-time supporter Rafe Offer for the Individual Award. Rafe first came to BAC over 13 years ago and was recently invited to join the judging panel for The Agency, BAC's social enterprise programme that supports young people from underserved areas to create projects aimed at making a difference in their local community. Rafe's role as a judge was to bring his extensive business expertise to benefit the Agents and their projects, but Rafe was so inspired by CUBE IT, a confidence and resilience programme devised by 18-year-old, Mikhi, that he decided to support it with a first-time donation to BAC as well as offering his time to mentor Mikhi in his professional development. This nomination showed how charities can inspire new potential supporters by offering first-hand experiences that demonstrate the impact of the work they do and the tangible ways in which donors can make a real difference.

Spread the Word is London's literature development agency. The charity supports the creative and professional development of writing talent, by engaging those already interested in literature and those who will be, and by advocating on behalf of both. The charity nominated Sam and Rosie Berwick for their philanthropic gift of £100,000 (+Gift Aid) towards the creation of an Early Career Bursary programme which will benefit three low-income London-based writers each year. The Berwick's have co-designed the programme together with Spread the Word in recognition of the significant barriers faced by unpublished, socio-economically marginalised writers. The couple are committed to supporting it annually for at least five years, resulting in an intended total gift of £250,000 (+Gift Aid). This nomination recognised not only a substantial financial gift and a sustained level of support but also highlighted the importance of unlocking the potential of real partnership and co-creation between charities and donors who share their vision and values.

Rafe Offer and Sam and Rosie Berwick were selected from a shortlist of six outstanding first-time supporters for culture in the UK - the other nominees were: Cath Longman-Jones, nominated by Cardboard Citizens; new donors to the Manchester Contemporary Art Fund, nominated by Manchester Art Gallery; Will Hanway and Luise Luetcke, nominated by Museum of the Home; and Rosianna Halse Rojas, nominated by The Women's Prize Trust.

The 2022 Individual Philanthropy Award was debated and voted on by an independent judging panel chaired by Nick Reed, CEO of B:Music. The panel was: Suzanne Alleyne, Cultural Thinker working at the intersection of academic research, business and culture; Dee Conaghan, Artistic Director of Stage Beyond Theatre Company; Niks Delanancy, Founder of the digital platform, Black Artist Database (B.A.D); Dr. Sakthi Karunanithi, Director of Public Health for Lancashire County Council; Sarah Purisa Maguire, freelance producer and Trustee of the Cultural Philanthropy Foundation; Sarah Marshall, Founder, CEO and Artistic Director of The People's Orchestra; Paul Owens, co-founder of BOP and Trustee of the Cultural Philanthropy Foundation; Steven Roth, Executive Director of Scottish Ballet; Jenny Sealey, Artistic Director of Graeae; Jameel Shariff, Member of We Don't Settle collective, and winner of the Future Presenter Award at the Edinburgh TV Festival New Voice Awards; and Bill Swainson, publisher, literary consultant and Trustee of the Cultural Philanthropy Foundation.

Nick Reed, Chair of the Individual Philanthropy Award judging panel, said: "With the quality of these applications it almost goes without saying that our judging panel had an incredibly hard job picking a winner. It was so hard in fact that we picked two. We distilled what it was that really spoke to us all and that was the purity of how a gift translated into directly supporting the art, unobstructed by organisational inertia, and how that gift was enhanced by the active involvement of the donor. These qualities were abundant in our joint winners."

Tarek Iskander, Artistic Director & CEO of Battersea Arts Centre, said: "Thank you to the Achates Philanthropy Prize panel for this win celebrating Rafe's generosity, I'm so proud to see BAC, The Agency and Mikhi recognised in this way. With everything that's going on today, an award like the Achates Philanthropy Prize gives me hope that we will find a way to continue to do what we do best. It also demonstrates the power of bringing visionary funders like Rafe in close contact with inspiring creatives like Mikhi. Cultural organisations like BAC play a critical role in brokering these kinds of fantastic partnerships, so that brilliant creative ideas have an opportunity to grow and thrive."

Rafe Offer, first-time supporter of Battersea Arts Centre, said: "I'm delighted to have been nominated and to have won this award but this is really a moment to celebrate the work of BAC and Mikhi. It's brilliant for BAC and The Agency to be recognised in this way. So much of the deep community engagement work BAC does is being delivered behind the scenes and isn't always that visible to the public so I'm pleased to see it celebrated with this Achates Philanthropy Award. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this, including Tarek, Mikhi and the Achates Philanthropy Prize panel."

Ruth Harrison, Director, Spread the Word, said: "We are absolutely delighted that Sam and Rosie Berwick's generous support of the Early Career Bursaries for low income writers has been recognised by the Prize through the Individual Award. More than this, this recognition acknowledges the partnership between Spread the Word and Sam and Rosie in co-creating a programme that responds to the challenges for low income writers, particularly those from marginalised communities, in progressing their creative work and careers. Their sustained gift and our shared purpose will help make a real difference to writers and the stories we get to read and hear".

Sam and Rosie Berwick, first-time supporters of Spread the Word, said: "Both of us are incredibly fortunate to be a part of this, and want to thank everyone at the Cultural Philanthropy Foundation for all that they do. This Prize is not really about the giving side of all of this, but is more about the great work that Spread the Word and all those that help them do, and it is especially for those who they have reached out to and have the courage and energy to write creatively. Hopefully, this project encourages more donors to get involved in and help in any way possible those that are going to create a body of work that will feed our minds and souls for generations to come".

As winners of the Individual Philanthropy Award, Rafe Offer and Sam and Rosie Berwick will share the role of custodians of a sculpture by the renowned British artist, Peter Brooke-Ball MRB, for the next year. The Individual Philanthropy Award Prize fund of £5,000, donated by Achates, was split between Battersea Arts Centre and Spread the Word.

The 2022 Corporate Award was won by 42 Management & Production, nominated by The Big House.

The Big House (TBH) provides long term support for care leavers who are at a high risk of social exclusion and provides a platform for them to participate in the making of original, critically-acclaimed stage productions and to have their voices heard. The Big House nominated 42 Management & Production (42MP) for supporting the revival of their stage play, 'Redemption' across summer 2022, with a sizeable donation. This gift meant that the production could be remounted providing an employment opportunity for eight young people who are members of TBH as well as the first paid professional acting credit for four young people who are new to the industry. Additionally it provided employment to 32 people, including in the creative, technical and venue teams. 42MP supported TBH with marketing for the production and ensured the attendance of a large number of industry guests - including Agents, Casting Directors, Directors and Producers - which enabled TBH to widen its network of supporters and industry contacts. TBH had a pre-existing professional relationship with 42MP as the talent agent of some of its members but this nomination demonstrated the potential of deepening an established relationship towards an ambitious collective vision.

42 Management & Production was selected from a shortlist of six brand new corporate partnerships for cultural organisations in the UK - the other nominees were: Youfibre, nominated by Artichoke Trust; Electric Ireland, nominated by Lyric Theatre Belfast; PATRIZIA, nominated by Midlands Arts Centre (MAC); Vice Media Group, nominated by Roundhouse; and Sandman Hotels UK & Ireland, nominated by Scottish Ballet.

The 2022 Corporate Award was debated and voted on by an independent judging panel chaired by Kate Varah, Executive Director of The National Theatre. The panel was: Sufina Ahmad, Director of John Ellerman Foundation; Alex Cheales, solicitor, former immigration judge and Trustee of the Cultural Philanthropy Foundation; Josh Cockcroft, producer and change maker for the creative and non-profit sector, and Trustee of the Cultural Philanthropy Foundation; Liam Evans-Ford, Executive Director at Theatr Clwyd; Leanne Jones, Co-Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director of 20 Stories High; Caroline McCormick, Director of Achates and Chair of the Cultural Philanthropy Foundation; Chris Sonnex, Artistic Director and Joint CEO of Cardboard Citizens; Matthew Swann, Director of Recruitment and Organisational Change for Achates; Sydney Thornbury, CEO of The Art House in Wakefield; and Henna Zamurd-Butt, Artistic Director of PRAXIS.

Kate Varah, Chair of the Corporate Award judging panel, said: "The panel for the Corporate Award found in the shortlist a set of remarkable examples of what corporate support can look like. We considered each nominee against a set of criteria considering inclusion, the people or audience served, commercial acumen, innovation, legacy and what we felt led by example, inspiring a sector-wide shift in how these relationships might work. The ultimate winner stood out to us in how it represented a truly reciprocal relationship that directly benefited talented and underserved young artists."

Maggie Norris, Artistic Director and CEO of The Big House, said: "We are delighted that 42 Management & Production have won the Achates Prize for their incredible and generous donation to The Big House. We are so proud to work with them and it is really special to be able to celebrate our partnership. Thank you very much to the Cultural Philanthropy Foundation for this and congratulations to all the other nominees and winners who are doing so much for culture and the arts."

Josh Varney, Founder & Managing Director of 42 Management & Production, said: "The Big House is such a deserving winner of this Award, and 42 are proud to be in partnership with them. We feel full of hope and excitement that their great work in the community will continue to be amplified and enjoyed, and understood as a place where talent from disadvantaged backgrounds can find a voice, and a strong foundation for the future."

As winners of the Corporate Award, 42 Management & Production will be custodians of a sculpture by the renowned British artist, Peter Brooke-Ball MRBS, for the next year, and The Big House received a £5,000 donation from Achates.

The Judges' Special Commendation was awarded to Roundhouse by the panel for the Corporate Award.

Joanna Newell, Associate Director of Partnerships & Philanthropy for Roundhouse, said: "We are delighted that Roundhouse has been recognised in this way. Thank you to the Achates Philanthropy Prize and the judges for this special award. Our partnership with Vice Media embodies the values of the Roundhouse and our Rising Festival and that has been achieved through genuine collaboration, passion for supporting emerging talent and bringing the joy of new music to new audiences. With Vice we have been able to be bolder, reach further and have more impact."

The Achates Philanthropy Prize Bursaries, donated by Achates, offer cultural organisations a bespoke day-long masterclass to support the development of their fundraising or strategy. The 2022 Bursaries were awarded to: Futures Theatre, Music in Hospitals & Care, SAVVY Theatre and The Poetry Exchange.

To rewatch the 2022 Achates Philanthropy Prize ceremony, click here

For more information, visit: www.culturalphilanthropyfoundation.co.uk/achates-philanthropy-prize

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