Achates Philanthropy Prize Announces New Judges For 2019

The Achates Philanthropy Prize, the only annual prize that celebrates first-time supporters of the arts in the UK, returns in 2019 with a host of new judges including: Jonty Claypole, Director of Arts for the BBC; David Hall, founding Chief Executive of The Foyle Foundation; Tarek Iskander, Artistic Director and CEO of Battersea Arts Centre; Patrick McKenna, founder of Ingenious Media; Victoria Pomery OBE, Director of Turner Contemporary; Francis Runacres, Executive Director, Enterprise & Innovation at Arts Council England; and Andria Zafirakou MBE, teacher at Alperton Community School in Brent and winner of 2018's Global Teacher prize.

The Achates Philanthropy Prize is the cornerstone of a national campaign to promote support of the arts in the context of standstill government funding, where the arts receive less than 1% of all voluntary income in the UK. Launched in 2016 and an initiative of the Achates Philanthropy Foundation, the Prize asks cultural organisations across all artforms to nominate an individual, group, trust or company who has supported them for the first time - at all levels - within the last 12 months. The Prize then offers a platform to share and celebrate these inspiring stories from an emerging generation of first-time cultural supporters across the country to build greater awareness of the value of art and the importance of inspiring and engaging new support in a broad range of different ways.

2019's new judges will join Prize sponsors, Foundation Trustees and last year's winners - John Gillman and Mary Winch, and Laing O'Rourke's Aaron Osment - to award a total fund of £10,000, split between the Corporate Philanthropy Award and the Individual Philanthropy Award, thanks to the continued generous support of Achates Philanthropy Ltd., BOP Consulting and Spektrix.

The 2019 Call for Entries opens on Monday 1 July, and both Awards will be presented at a special event at Rich Mix on Tuesday 19 November 2019.

Achates Philanthropy Foundation Chair, Caroline McCormick, said: "The Achates Philanthropy Prize celebrates the idea that culture belongs to - and is the responsibility of us all - by sharing the inspiring stories of first-time supporters. It is vital that our communities are reflected in the art we present and this year we hope to show how culture is democratising and engaging wider audiences and supporters than ever before."

The Individual Philanthropy Award was created to celebrate a new generation of cultural philanthropists in the UK, and to inspire the next. Organisations across all art forms are invited to nominate an outstanding individual or trust who has given philanthropically towards their organisation for the first time within the last 12 months, at all levels of giving. The award is a sculpture by renowned British artist, Peter Brooke-Ball MRBS. The winning philanthropist will become custodian of the sculpture for one year, and their cultural organisation will receive a £5,000 donation. The 2019 Individual Philanthropy Award is sponsored by Spektrix.

The 2019 Individual Philanthropy Award judging panel is: Jonty Claypole; John Gillman and Mary Winch, winners of the 2018 Individual Philanthropy Award; Sarah Maguire, Administrator of Achates Philanthropy; Caroline McCormick, Director of Achates Philanthropy; Patrick McKenna, founder of Ingenious Media and Chair of the judging panel; Michael Nabarro, CEO of Spektrix; Francis Runacres; Bill Swainson, Trustee of the Achates Foundation; and Andria Zafirakou MBE.

The Corporate Philanthropy Award was created at the suggestion of 2016 winner, Nigel Farnall, in response to the rapid decline in corporate support for culture in the UK. Cultural charities across all art forms are invited to nominate an outstanding company of any size, which has supported their organisation for the first time within the last 12 months, at all levels of giving. The award is a sculpture by renowned British artist, Peter Brooke-Ball MRBS. The winning company will become custodian of the sculpture for one year, and their cultural organisation will receive a £5,000 donation. The 2019 Corporate Philanthropy Award is sponsored by BOP Consulting.

The 2018 Corporate Philanthropy Award judging panel is: Nigel Farnall, winner of the 2016 Achates Philanthropy Prize; David Hall; Tarek Iskander; Steven Jackson-Winter, Senior Associate of Achates Philanthropy; Caroline McCormick, Director of Achates Philanthropy; Aaron Osment, Commercial Manager at Laing O'Rourke, winners of the 2018 Corporate Philanthropy Award; Paul Owens, co-founder and Director of BOP Consulting and Chair of the judging panel; Libby Penn, digital specialist working across the cultural sector; Victoria Pomery OBE; and Aliceson Robinson, Executive Director at Russell Reynolds Associates.

For more information and to find out how to apply, please visit: www.achates.org.uk.

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