Friends of the Hatton Gallery

The Friends of the Hatton Gallery (Charity number: 1089739) is a UK-based nonprofit organisation established in 1985 to provide support for the Hatton Gallery, an art institution affiliated with Newcastle University. The organisation plays a central role in backing the gallery’s activities, including exhibitions, educational programmes, and community engagement initiatives.

Mission and Activities

The primary aim of the Friends of the Hatton is the education of the public through the promotion of art and the support, assistance, and enhancement of the Hatton Gallery’s operations in cooperation with its management. The funds raised by the organisation are directed towards various gallery activities such as curating exhibitions, acquiring artworks, and funding specialist staff for workshops and events.

The Friends actively contribute to the gallery's learning programme, which regularly involves local schools and colleges as well as community groups. For example, they support creative projects like L-INK, a youth engagement group that collaborates with the gallery to explore and reinterpret exhibitions through co-curation and artistic production.

Membership and Benefits

Membership is open to anyone interested in supporting the Hatton Gallery. Members enjoy a range of benefits including invitations to members-only events and exhibition previews, behind-the-scenes visits, and receipt of the Friends of the Hatton newsletter. Additional perks include concessionary prices for events, a 10% discount at the Hatton Shop, access to Newcastle University’s Robinson Library for research purposes, and participation opportunities in lectures, workshops, and gallery-organised visits and walks.

Membership fees are structured to encourage broad participation, with rates such as £15 for adults, £20 for families, and a discounted £5 for students and individuals under 25.

Community Engagement

The Friends of the Hatton maintain a robust calendar of events designed to foster engagement with the gallery’s programmes and collections. Their commitment extends to supporting practical art sessions for older adults, outreach to schools, and fundraising partnerships that help secure vital resources to sustain the gallery’s cultural contributions to Newcastle and the wider region.

Historical Context

Since its founding in 1985, the Friends of the Hatton have been instrumental in bolstering the Hatton Gallery, which itself was established in 1926 and has been recognized as one of Britain’s most notable exhibition spaces. The organisation continues to uphold this legacy by ensuring the gallery’s accessibility and relevance to diverse audiences and nurturing the development of contemporary art within the community.

This article summarises the role, objectives, and activities of the Friends of the Hatton Gallery charity, highlighting its importance as a supporter and enhancer of one of the North of England’s most distinguished art institutions[1][2][3][4][5].

[1] https://friendsofthehatton.org.uk [2] https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regId=1089739&subId=0 [3] https://hattongallery.org.uk/about-us/friends [4] https://friendsofthehatton.org.uk/about-friends-of-the-hatton/ [5] https://anne.art/organisation/friends-of-the-hatton/