WIREDGOV

We've recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Trust at Sutton House in Hackney, London.

Photo © National Trust/John Millar.

We have previously signed MoUs with the National Trust in 2009 and again in 2014. They will work with us to build on this decade-long partnership and the learnings from the previous collaborations with this new MoU for 2018-2022.

The Trust New Art programme was created as a result of the first MoU agreement between the two organisations, and through this programme the National Trust have completed over 200 projects at more than 60 places with a combined audience of over three million people.

Projects have ranged from the Field of Play project at Attingham Park in Shropshire, where audiences discover new ways to play, to A Women’s Place project in Kent, where six high profile contemporary female artists feature at the National Trust site in Knole, alongside a series of thought provoking events.

This renewed partnership will allow an increased level of high-quality and innovative contemporary arts and cultural experiences across National Trust sites – inspired by National Trust places, both indoors but also in gardens, countryside and on the coast.

With the renewed MoU, the two organisations want to increase the diversity of commissioned artists from a wider range of backgrounds, and to diversify audiences and participants reaching more people in areas of low cultural engagement.

Our Chief Executive, Darren Henley, signed on behalf of the Arts Council and Hilary McGrady, Director General of the National Trust, signed on behalf of National Trust.

Photo © National Trust/John Millar.

Darren Henley, Chief Executive of Arts Council England, recently said:

“There is strength in diversity, and reaching new artists and audiences is of the highest importance to the Arts Council. The Trust New Art programme is doing exactly this. This is an exciting partnership for us all.  I look forward to seeing how we will build on our learnings, and to another decade, whereby we will work together to expand the diversity of artists commissioned, and the audiences who engage with contemporary arts and cultural experience across National Trust sites.”

Hilary McGrady, Director General of the National Trust recently said: 

“Contemporary art has the power to make people stop and think differently about the place where it’s found. In the nine years since we signed our first agreement with Arts Council England, we’ve seen many examples of how art can help people see historic places in a new way and think again about the people who’ve called it home and their stories. Many Trust places were built with art at their heart so it is important that we continue that tradition by providing opportunities for contemporary artists to be inspired by these places.”

Download the Memorandum of Understanding