The North West’s leading businesses have awarded the 2008 Lever Prize, a major annual award for world-class cultural organisations in the region, to Tate Liverpool.
The £10,000 cash award, given by the North West Business Leadership Team (NWBLT) and supplemented by a similar level of support from Arts & Business North West (A&B NW), aims to bring business and culture closer together, and to revive the philanthropic traditions practised by successful industrialists of the past. The Lever Prize winner is judged by the NWBLT, made up of the leaders of 28 of the region’s largest businesses, in partnership with Culture Northwest and A&B NW. In addition to the cash prize, the winning organisation gets the chance to work closely with NWBLT companies during their winning year.
The Lever Prize was inspired by William H. Lever (later Lord Leverhulme), the Bolton-born soap magnate famed for his grand-scale patronage of cultural organisations, as seen in the Lever Free Library and Museum in Bolton and the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Port Sunlight, Wirral. Previous winners have included the Liverpool Biennial (2006) and Manchester International Festival last year.
Tate Liverpool, part of the wider Tate family, is the home of the National Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art in the North of England. With over 600,000 visitors a year, Tate Liverpool is the UK’s most visited modern and contemporary art gallery outside London. As a curtain-raiser for Liverpool European Capital of Culture 2008, Tate Liverpool recently hosted the Turner Prize 2007, the first time the Turner Prize has been presented outside London since its inauguration in 1984. The highlight of Tate Liverpool’s 2008 programme will be the exhibition Gustav Klimt: Painting, Design and Modern Life in Vienna 1990 dedicated to the work of the iconic 20th century artist, Gustav Klimt.
Stuart Chambers, chairman of NWBLT and chief executive of Pilkington said “The judges were impressed with Tate Liverpool’s ambitious and varied programme for 2008 and believe there is great potential for further collaboration with the region’s leading business enterprises during Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture”.
Libby Raper, Chief Executive of Culture Northwest, commented that, “We are delighted that the Prize is going to Tate Liverpool and are looking forward to seeing some exciting new developments arising from this opportunity during the next 12 months - in addition to their already world-class facilities and programmes.”.
Ian Sanders, regional director at Arts & Business North West said “Arts & Business is delighted to assist in the sponsorship of The Lever Prize, which delivers the winner direct access to the leading businesses in the region, further reinforcing the A&B message that business and the arts can work well together, for the mutual benefit of both sectors, our communities and our future generations”.
Andrea Nixon, Executive Director for Tate Liverpool said “Tate Liverpool is delighted to be awarded the 2008 Lever Prize. 2007 marked a successful year for the Gallery, and in 2008 we will be delivering an ambitious exhibition programme as well as celebrating our 20th anniversary. The Lever Prize will help us to deliver our artistic ambitions for the year and will assist us in further developing relationships with business partners”.
The National Football Museum and Lake District Summer Music were the joint runners-up for the 2008 Lever Prize.