The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (CGF) and King’s College London (KCL) have launched a cash new award that will “celebrate the civic role of arts organisations in society”. CGF will provide the prize money while KCL will involve its students in the organisation of the award.
In its first edition the Award for Civic Arts Organisations will present one award of GBP100,000 and two awards of GBP25,000. The award is open to all publicly funded arts organisations, including orchestras, museums and galleries.
Entrants will be judged on the role they have played in response to the COVID pandemic, as well as their wider impact on communities.
KCL vice president and principal Deborah Bull will chair the jury, which includes Fiona Doring, Henrietta Imoreh, Anisa Morridadi, Jo Verrent, David Bryan and André Wilkens.
Remarked CGF’s UK branch director Andrew Barnett: “In this time of crisis, which has been described as Britain’s greatest peacetime challenge, arts organisations have responded in their communities in a variety of meaningful and inspiring ways.
“We created this award to recognise and celebrate this important and ongoing work; it is part of a suite of initiatives being supported by the Foundation in response to the pandemic.”
The award is now accepting submissions until earl January. The winners will be announced in March 2021.