Support us

Tessa Giblin speech at The Recent opening reception

We invite you to support Talbot Rice Gallery and become part of our vibrant community.

Talbot Rice Gallery is the art gallery of the University of Edinburgh. With a 19th century, former natural history museum and a contemporary white cube to fuel its engine, Talbot Rice Gallery is committed to exploring what the University of Edinburgh can contribute to contemporary art practice today and into the future.

We fundraise for the artistic programme, and have been fortunate to receive support from Creative Scotland, as well as international and grant support including Mondriaan Fonds, Culture Ireland and the Freelands Foundation. In 2019 we received our first grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council to stage an exhibition, as we are committed to actively pursuing exhibition funding from a variety of Government sources.

TRG’s Patrons Programme is crucial to our support structure, as private donations allow us to pursue more ambitious artistic projects, whilst contributing to a strong philanthropic community. There are a number of ways you can support TRG, from making a one-off donation to joining as a Supporter, Donor, Champion or as a member of the Director's Circle. 

Supporter opportunities are available for individuals, trusts, foundations and corporate sponsors. All donations directly support the artistic programme. They enable artists to make their most ambitious work and help us to bring that work to new audiences.  However small or large, all donations are welcome and enable Talbot Rice Gallery to continue to thrive.

For more information about how to get involved please contact Melissa MacRobert, Deputy Director at melissa.macrobert@ed.ac.uk 

Lucy Skaer 'The Green Man' opening reception
Lucy Skaer 'The Green Man' opening reception, 2018
Playfair Library opening reception
'Borderlines' opening reception in the Playfair Library, 2019

Talbot Rice Gallery Supporters, Donors, Champions and the Director's Circle play a vital role in helping us to realise ambitious exhibitions by extraordinary artists.

To date, Talbot Rice Gallery has showcased solo exhibitions by an international array of world-renowned artists, including John Akomfrah, David Claerbout, Céline Condorelli, Hanne Darboven, Jenny Holzer, Alice Neel, Nam June Paik, Luc Tuymans and commissioned new work by Jesse Jones, Emeka Ogboh, Angelica Mesiti, Lucy Skaer, Dexter Sinister and Samson Young. We also commission new work for dynamic group exhibitions, around vital issues such of borderlines in the age of Brexit and women finding their voices against power. In addition to the exhibition programme, our outreach work will benefit greatly from this support – allowing TRG to take contemporary art into classrooms and prisons, and inviting groups dealing with homelessness into the Gallery for every exhibition.

 

Supporter: £250

(Gift Aided Donation £235 | Benefit Value £15)

As a Supporter of Talbot Rice Gallery, you will:

  • Join an intimate group of key supporters and participate in a close relationship with all of TRG’s activities
  • Receive regular programme bulletins from the Director
  • Receive invitations to private viewings of the exhibitions and programme newsletters
  • Be acknowledged on our website
  • Enjoy a 10% discount on limited edition prints and publications

 

Donor: £1,200 

(Gift Aided Donation £1,106 | Benefit Value £94)

Alongside all of the Supporter benefits above you will:

  • Receive invitations to privately hosted events with artists, curators and collections, including at least two complimentary Artists’ Dinner invitations per year in celebration of a major exhibition opening.
  • Complimentary publications
  • Be acknowledged on a recognition panel in the entrance of TRG

 

Champion: £3,000 

(Gift Aided Donation £2,765 | Benefit Value £235)

Alongside all of the Supporter and Donor benefits above you will:

  • Receive complimentary tickets to VIP events associated with TRG and Edinburgh College of Art programmes
  • Invitation to the annual TRG Director’s Dinner hosted by Tessa Giblin, to celebrate and announce the forthcoming exhibition programme alongside artists and collaborators.
  • Be acknowledged on a recognition panel in the entrance of TRG

 

Director's Circle: £10,000 

(Gift Aided Donation £9,500 | Benefit Value £500)

Making new art happen

As well as supporting the Gallery’s activities at large, the Director's Circle contribute to the Talbot Rice Gallery Commissioning Fund, through an annual donation of £10,000 for a minimum two-year period. 

The Talbot Rice Commissioning Fund will be used to fund the production of artworks which will be premiered at the Gallery, and go on to included in exhibitions around the world, deepening our support of artists and the growth of their opportunities and careers. Members of the Director's Circle will receive invitations to every Artists’ Dinner and TRG Director’s Dinner, acknowledgement in all TRG printed and digital materials and access to all of the Supporter, Donor and Champion benefits listed above. 

Further to this, the Director's Circle will be invited to some of the most exclusive University of Edinburgh events and private gatherings.

 

How to donate to the Talbot Rice Patron Programme

The links below will take you to the University’s secure online giving pages.

Make a single donation to Talbot Rice Gallery

 

Tax Effective Giving: UK

Donations from UK taxpaying donors may qualify for Gift Aid.  Gift Aid allows charities to claim back, from HMRC, the basic rate of tax already paid on donations. This means we can claim 25p for every £1 donated. Donors who pay the higher rates of income tax can still claim tax relief on the difference between the higher tax rate and the basic rate of tax on the gross value of the donation.

For example: if, as a Champion, you Gift Aid your donation to TRG of £3,000 (of which £2,765 is eligible for Gift Aid) then TRG will reclaim an additional £691.25 from HMRC. If you pay Scottish Income Tax at the higher rate (41%) then you may still get tax relief of up to £725.81 on this donation. This means a donation worth £3,691.25 to TRG could cost you only £2,274.19 after tax relief.

The above is only an indicative example and the exact figures will depend on an individual’s specific financial situation.  The University cannot give tax advice to individuals so please consult an independent tax advisor if you need further information. Please follow the instructions on the website or donation form to Gift Aid your donation.

 

Tax Effective Giving: USA

Taxpayers in the US can donate tax effectively online at https://www.edinburghtrust.org/donations.

For more information about the Talbot Rice Patrons Programme please contact Melissa MacRobert, Deputy Director: melissa.macrobert@ed.ac.uk

For corporate sponsorship enquiries, please contact Martyn Dempsey-Caddick, Head of Philanthropy: martyn.dempsey-caddick@ed.ac.uk