Rename Tate's Turbine Hall for £50m
Naming rights part of £150m funding target
Friday 27 June 2025 | news from museums, galleries, heritage and art, including:
Tate Britain “awful” — says Tate’s Chair
Merriman’s shock English Heritage exit
Beamish crowned museum of the year
Happy Friday.
“Everything old is new again”. So goes the Peter Allen song in the film All That Jazz.
Its lyrics include “Don't throw the past away/You might need it some rainy day.” I was reminded of these words when Tate announced its new rainy day fund this week.
The full story is outlined below, but the TLDR version is: they’re fundraising for a £150m endowment. An endowment is a big pot of money that rather than being spent, is invested in various schemes to generate an annual income (which can be spent). In the UK, perhaps the most famous example is the endowment of the Scott Trust which owns and funds the Guardian newspaper.
If Tate is successful, they very well might usurp the Guardian to become Britain’s most well-known endowment success. But what they won’t be, is the only museum in the country to have one. Which is why it was a bit strange for this week’s announcement to imply they were venturing into brave new territory for a British museum.
Speaking to the press, Tate Director Maria Balshaw said “we looked and learned” from institutions in America as “every one of Tate's peer museums in the US has a significant endowment.” She told the Guardian that in the UK, “no cultural organisation has done an active campaign like this before.” She said they even asked the permission of the Department for Culture (DCMS) to establish an endowment. “They don't just approve but they're [also] really interested to see how you could stimulate this kind of giving.”
Perhaps the civil servants at the DCMS could save a bit of time waiting for the verdict and…just look at their own records?
Because in 2012, the then-Conservative government established a £56 million scheme to help cultural organisations set up endowments. The government pledged to match the private donations raised by each venue. At the scheme’s launch, Culture Secretary Jeremey Hunt said he initiated it because of how impressed he had been by the American philanthropic model. “It took the Met in New York over 100 years to build up their £2bn endowment” he said. “I want our endowments century to start today.”
Over 30 institutions were chosen — by Michael Portillo no less — for the match funding. And they even included Tate’s fellow national museums the V&A, the National Portrait Gallery and Sir John Soane’s Museum. Most — including these three — successfully raised all the cash. No need to look over the Atlantic for research — just look over the Thames!
Admittedly, the 2012 scheme involved much smaller sums — the maximum match funding award was £5m. But still, there must be some short memories going around.
But let’s be clear. If Tate do hit their £150m target, it’ll be a massive achievement no question. It will secure their financial future for many decades, perhaps even forever.
And I suppose it’s the destination, not the journey that counts. Or as Peter Allen put it “No need to remember when/’Cause everything old is new again.”
Now onto the news!
maxwell
ps if you’d like to donate to this newsletter’s endowment, you can do so here. I’m hoping to raise £21 so I can buy three pints as a reward for the six hours it’s taken to write this newsletter. Your generosity is much appreciated.
Top stories 🚨
Beamish crowned museum of the year
Beamish, The Living Museum of the North has been named Art Fund Museum of the Year, the world’s biggest museum prize.
The open-air museum in County Durham beat four other nominees to the title, which was announced by judge and comedian Phil Wang at a ceremony at the Museum of Liverpool. It’s the first museum in the North of England to win since the Hepworth Wakefield in 2017, and this was the first time the award ceremony had been held outside London.
Beamish features faithful recreations of the region’s historic homes, shops, farms and a colliery from the 1820s to the 1950s. Phil Wang said the judge’s visit to the museum “was one of the most fun days I’ve had in years.” The museum has just completed its biggest development in its history, adding 25 additional attractions to create the 1950s experience.
Director of Art Fund Jenny Waldman said “The judges were blown away by the remarkable attention to detail of its exhibits across a 350 acre site and by the passion of its staff and volunteers.” (Read more)
Merriman’s shock English Heritage exit
Nick Merriman has quit as chief executive of English Heritage after just 18 months in the role. A statement from the UK charity to its staff said he was stepping down “for personal reasons relating to family health.”
Earlier this year, Merriman had overseen cost-cutting measures that were deeply unpopular with staff. They including axing 7% of its 2,500+ workforce. There were also new winter closures of various historic sites in its care, with 22 practically closing all-year-round.
In reporting on his departure, the Guardian featured comments by a number of sources that welcomed his departure. “There’s lingering bitter resentments” over the redundancies one said. Another added: “Everyone thinks he’s been pushed possibly by the trustees. Apparently they lost faith a while ago.”
The trustees have now asked Geoff Parkin to serve as the interim chief executive. He has worked with English Heritage, on a pro bono basis over the last year, “to craft a new commercial strategy.” (Read more)
Tate offers Turbine Hall naming rights
Tate have announced a major campaign to fundraise £150m by 2030 — as Director Maria Balshaw said “we are through” the gallery’s recent financial troubles.
The Tate Future Fund will be an endowment managed by private, third-party trustees. It’s already raised £43m including major donations from Tate’s Trustees. Tate says it’s “one of the most ambitious cultural fundraising campaigns of its kind in the UK.”
To meet the target, Tate is offering sponsored naming rights to its Turbine Hall for upwards of £50 million. Tate Chair Roland Rudd said he’s made commitments that the fund would not be used for running costs.
Asked if this was a way of alleviating Tate’s recent financial difficulties — which saw it operating with a deficit, spending its reserves and axing 7% of staff — Balshaw said “We are through that now. The nature of endowment support is that it's for the long term.” Rudd added that it was about acquiring art for the nation, and ensuring “we get the best curators.”
The campaign was launched at a star-studded gala at Tate Modern that saw the Pet Shop Boys perform to guests including Daniel Craig, Reese Witherspoon and HRH Princess Eugenie. The event raised £1m. (Read more)
— Still time to donate to this newsletter’s endowment. It’s a lot less than £150m! Just the cost of a pint as a thank you.
UK news 🇬🇧
Tate Britain “awful” says Tate’s Chair 👎
Tate Chair Roland Rudd has described parts of Tate Britain as “awful,” and pledged to vastly improved the troubled gallery. Speaking at the Tate Future Fund launch, he said parts of it were “old” and “manky,” particularly the bushes that greet visitors at the entrance. “People tend to relieve themselves behind them” he said. He added that the café was “dreadful.” But, Rudd said the proposed new entrance garden will be “amazing.” (Read more)
Sharon! Mrs O opens Ozzy’s show 🖤
Sharon Osbourne was visibly moved when she cut the ceremonial black ribbon to inaugurate a brand new exhibition on the life of her husband Ozzy. Working Class Hero at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery — in Ozzy’s home city — celebrates the rock icon’s global accolades. Sharon said “it’s a real celebration of everything Ozzy has achieved and the city that made him.” (Read more)
Fit for a queen? Mmmm maybe not 👑
The winning design for a national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II in St James Park in London will feature British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare as part of a team led by Norman Foster. Foster will design a translucent glass “unity bridge,”inspired by Elizabeth’s wedding tiara. Shonibare’s huge Wind Sculpture will be a “space for reflection and shared experience.” The FT’s architecture critic Edwin Heathcote called the designs “not very good.” Alas, he’s right. (Read more)
🔗 OPINION | ‘Excessively wasteful and giving off Swarovski vibes’: our critic on the ‘tiara bridge’ for the late queen | Oliver Wainwright in the Guardian
🚨BREAKING NEWS 🚨
Bristol council has this afternoon hit its last-minute £100,000 fundraising target to try to save a newly-discovered JMW painting for the city. Launched just five days ago, the campaign aims to purchase the work — the earliest-known oil painting ever exhibited by Turner and rediscovered just last year — when its sold at auction next week. But with a guide price of £300,000 (the council hopes to raise the rest through other sources) the work could still go to a more deep-pocketed buyer. (Read more)
Paisley pauses new museum yet again 🏴
There’s been yet another delay to the transformation to Paisley Museum, a project that has long been dogged with delays and spiraling costs. Originally scheduled to open in 2022, it will now not open until the second half of 2026. “Unforeseen issues” during construction have been blamed for the latest hold-up. Last year the local council had to award the project an additional £12.5m due to ballooning costs. (Read more)
Global news 🌎
Canada 🇨🇦
A C$3m deficit has resulted in the Vancouver Art Gallery axing dozens of staff. At least 30 roles are expected to be scrapped, in an effort to reduce it's “unsustainable annual deficit.” Chair Jon Stovell said they’ve “never really returned to pre-COVID attendance levels,” and “the whole sector across North America…is struggling.” The news comes months after a planned C$600m expansion was axed due to its ballooning costs — but C$63m had already been spent. (Read more)
USA 🇺🇸
Jeff Koons’ 37-foot-tall living sculpture of 50,000 flowering plants has been acquired by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) after 25 years of being exhibited around the world. Based on rocking toys, the sculpture is the head of a pony and a dinosaur. Split-Rocker will go on display later this year. It’s hoped its planting this summer will see it in full bloom in time for next year’s opening of LACMA’s major new expansion. (Read more)
Netherlands 🇳🇱
A Christian group has staged a protest outside the Rijksmuseum over the display of a newly-acquired condom from the 19th century. The condom — from 1830 — features an erotic etching of a nun and clergymen. But group Stichting Civitas Christiana say its display is “outrageous sacrilege against Catholics in the Rijksmuseum.” A museum spokesperson said there were 11 protesters outside the museum for two days. (Read more)
Italy 🇮🇹
The government has slashed value added tax (VAT) on art sales. In a “momentous” move, Italy’s VAT rate has gone from he highest in Europe (22%) to its lowest (5%). Italian artists have long lobbied Prime Minister Meloni’s government to reduce the rate, warning the domestic market faced collapse. Pepi Marchetti Franchi, founding director Gagosian’s Rome branch said “Very good galleries have been closing” and that others have been “struggling tremendously.” (Read more)
News in brief 🗞️
Freudian exhibition coming to London
A major Lucian Freud exhibition has been announced by the National Portrait Gallery. Opening in February, it’ll be the UK’s first museum exhibition on Freud’s works on paper. 12 artworks have been acquired by gallery for the show. (More)
First new dinosaur display in 11 years
The first new dinosaur since 2014 to go on display at the Natural History Museum in London has been unveiled. Enigmacursor is a newly-discovered species that lived 150m years ago. Its fossil is now in the museum’s permanent collection. (More)
‘Tis the (summer) season
The swankiest annual art party in Britain is the Serpentine Summer Party — this year was no different. Hosted by Cate Blanchett and marking the 25th anniversary of its Pavilion, guests included Lily Allen, Amelia Dimoldenberg and Skepta. (More)
Drawing on experience
New York Times bestselling artist, illustrator and writer Oliver Jeffers MBE has joined the board of Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration. The How to Catch a Star creator said he was “honoured to help shape” the Centre, due to open in 2026. (More)
New statue please!
A statue of Sir Andy Murray will be unveiled at Wimbledon in 2027, the championship’s 150th anniversary. Murray won Wimbledon twice. Fred Perry is the only other player honoured with a full-length sculpture at the venue. (More)
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