Big Arts Give

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Joint Media Release from the Holburne Museum, Bath Festivals and the egg

Bath Arts Charities are chosen by The Big Arts Give and need local people’s support to double donations

Three of Bath’s well-loved arts charities have been picked to take part in The Big Give’s Christmas Challenge; a nationwide scheme which matches every £1 donated by the public with £1 of additional funding, essentially doubling the benefits of any contributions made. Bath International Music Festival, the egg theatre and The Holburne Museum are appealing to B&NES residents to make online donations via www.thebiggive.org.uk from Monday 6 to Friday 10 December so that funds already promised to them can match those individual donations.

The three cultural organisations are working together to publicise The Bath Arts Christmas Give. They aim to raise £124,500 so more young people, families and community groups from different backgrounds in and around Bath can take part in a richer variety of inspirational and life-changing music, theatre and visual arts activities and enjoy the cultural heritage of Bath.

The Big Give is a nationwide charity challenge which has been run by The Reed Foundation for three years. This year it has greater significance for arts charities as Arts & Business has donated £500,000 to double the funding specifically given by individuals to arts organisations. At a time of significant cuts to the government funding of arts budgets, this Big Give initiative is vital in engaging more people to show their support for local arts organisations and their valuable work

in the community, and making those donations more effective by doubling their value.

Gifts of all sizes are greatly appreciated and every donation made will be matched £1 for £1. Online giving opens on Monday 6 December at 10am and continues until Friday 10 December. However, there is only a set amount of match funding available which may run out, so the earlier in the week a donation is made, the more likely it is that the donation will be doubled, raising more money to support the valuable work of the three charities.

Please visit the individual charities’ websites for more information on the specific projects your money will help support, or visit www.thebiggive.org.uk for further details on The Big Arts Give.

Ends

For more information contact:

Joanna Froud, Marketing & Communications Officer, Bath Festivals
joanna.froud@bathfestivals.org.uk Tel: 01225 462231
Juliet Simpson, Marketing & Communications Manager, Bath Festivals
juliet.simpson@bathfestivals.org.uk Tel: 01225 462231

Katie Jenkins, Communications Manager, The Holburne Museum
k.jenkins@bath.ac.uk Tel 01225 820818
Images available on request.

Notes to Editors

Bath International Music Festival: ‘I’m in the MusicFest’ Everyone remembers their first earth-shattering concert. ‘I’m in the MusicFest’ aims to provide this experience, capture its spirit and then deepen it.

Whilst the city of Bath has a rich cultural offering, many rural areas in the county are at the opposite extreme and young people especially have very limited access to arts events.

Active learning and involvement with world class musicians through Bath Festivals’ education projects has inspired many and we need more donations so that we can reach out further into Bath and North East Somerset; setting more young people on a path of music discovery, toward the bright lights and onto the main stage!

Help inspire and nurture our young people! Visit www.thebiggive.org.uk/donate/bathfestivals or www.bathmusicfest.org.uk/bigartsgive for more info.
The egg’s 5th Birthday Appeal
The egg, the Theatre Royal’s award-winning theatre for children and young people, is five years old this year and is celebrating by setting up the egg’s 5th Birthday Appeal. This will enable around 500 disabled, rurally isolated and disadvantaged children and teenagers to see exciting and inspiring productions at the egg theatre and join in more egg activities; enjoying the same opportunities and benefits as more privileged youngsters. The egg plans to set up a new year-round theatre group for disabled teenagers; weekly theatre, dance and music sessions in the Norton Radstock area for children aged 18 months to 18 years; and to offer more ticket discounts and transport subsidies to schools and children from disadvantaged areas and low-income families.

By taking part in The Big Give, donations from the general public as well as the egg’s audiences will be doubled by funds already been pledged to us.
For further details: www.thebiggive.org.uk/theegg or www.theatreroyal.org.uk/ the egg’s 5th Birthday Appeal
The Holburne Challenge

The Holburne Challenge will help us to complete our innovative development project. When the Holburne re-opens on 14 May 2011 as a free museum, it will be transformed and able to welcome 90,000 people a year, of which 16,500 will be young people and adults taking part in inspiring and engaging art activities.
We have almost achieved our fundraising goal. The Museum has raised £12million and now we are asking everyone who lives, works or visits Bath and the surrounding area to get involved and help raise £300,000 towards the Museum’s final target.
Get involved: Help the Holburne complete its transformation into Bath’s art museum for everyone. Find out more at www.thebiggive.org.uk/donate/holburne or www.holburne.org/the-holburne-challenge

Published on: 06/12/2010