Update: Our Big Give Christmas Challenge campaign has now closed. Thank you to everyone who has supported us. Your generosity will enable us to welcome more children and families into the gallery next year to enjoy the benefits of art and creativity.
If you missed the deadline but would still like to donate to the project, please don’t hesitate to be in touch. We would love to hear from you.
For more information, please contact:
Leah Swain, Head of Development
leahswain@hastingscontemporary.org
For one week this winter, you can make double the difference when you donate to Hastings Contemporary’s Big Give Christmas Challenge.
From Tuesday 28 November to Tuesday 5 December, every donation to Hastings Contemporary via The Big Give will be doubled, up to the value of £15,000.
We have set ourselves the fundraising target of £15,000 to support an ambitious project we’re calling Art for All, On Sea. We’re creating a new programme of free creative activities for local families who might not otherwise visit the gallery, including a pilot lunch scheme during the holidays for local children who are eligible for free school meals.
Hastings Contemporary is a registered charity with a mission to bring world-class art to our town, to enrich lives, support creativity and help our town to thrive.
Help us share art for all, on sea – and make double the difference.
Three ways your donation will help:
- A £10 donation, doubled by The Big Give to £20, could pay for a local child to take part in a Family Day.
- A £25 donation, doubled by The Big Give to £50, could pay for a local family to receive a free Hastings Contemporary membership and see world-class art on their doorstep.
- A £50 donation, doubled by The Big Give to £100, could pay for two local children to participate in a creative workshop and receive a free lunch at Hastings Contemporary during the school holidays.
How Hastings Contemporary makes a difference
Read more
This project forms part of Hastings Contemporary’s wider public programme which invites people of all ages to develop skills, gain creative confidence and enhance wellbeing. This includes our flagship local schools engagement programme, Pearls of the Sea, which has given thousands of local children the opportunity to respond to modern and contemporary artworks, explore their creativity in our learning studio, and get inspired by seeing their art displayed alongside internationally renowned artists.
‘I liked looking at the pictures and the activities’
‘I enjoyed looking at the art and making masks’
‘I loved all of it’
‘The only thing I didn’t enjoy was leaving’
Children from Ore Village Primary Academy
FAQs
What is match funding?
Put simply, it’s when public donations are matched by other donors, philanthropists or organisations. Founded by entrepreneur and philanthropist Sir Alec Reed, The Big Give Christmas Challenge is the UK’s biggest online match funding campaign, helping UK registered charities raise thousands of pounds for their causes. Since it began in 2007, the Big Give has raised more than £247 million for charities around the world.
How will my donation be doubled?
We have a pledge pot of £15,000 thanks to some of our existing supporters and our Big Give Champion, The Reed Foundation. This means that every donation we receive through public donations up to a total of £15,000 will be doubled, making a possible total of £30,000 to make a real difference in our town.
Why is Hastings Contemporary taking part in the Big Give?
As well as bringing world-class art to the town, Hastings Contemporary’s mission is to enrich lives by offering new experiences, supporting creativity, and helping our town to thrive. We don’t want socio-economic barriers to stop local children and their families visiting the gallery, enjoy seeing art from around the world, having fun and being creative.
We chose the Big Give Christmas Challenge to raise money for our Art for All campaign because it’s a trusted organisation that makes donating easy and uses matched funding to help charities reach higher fundraising targets.
Hastings Contemporary is a charity and every year we must fundraise over 80% of our income from ticket sales, memberships, donations, grants and purchases from our shop and café.
How will my donation be spent?
Your donation will go towards our Art for All, On Sea programme, including:
- Free lunches and creative activities for local children who are eligible for free school meals during the Easter holidays through our pilot Canteen-on-Sea
- Free activities on Family Days, every Thursday during the school holidays
- Artist-led workshops in local community centres
- Self-guided activity packs created by our artist facilitators to bring creativity to local families
- Free membership scheme for eligible local families
Where do I donate?
For your donation to be matched and count towards our target, donations must be made via The Big Give Christmas Challenge website. The link will be shared nearer the donation opening time of midday on Tuesday 28 November. Before then, you can pledge your support using the form above.
What methods can I use to donate?
The Big Give Christmas Challenge website accepts the following card types: Mastercard | Visa | Maestro | Switch | Solo | Delta | American Express | CAF Bank Business cards displaying the Mastercard logo.
If you have any problems with the donation website, you can contact suzy@hastingscontemporary.org for help.