Art / rwa
RWA hopes to create new family and community spaces at gallery
A new family space and community space at RWA aims to encourage more visitors to enjoy and create art at the the gallery.
The RWA have are launched an online donation campaign in the hope of raising the £20,000 needed to construct the new areas.
The ‘Help Us Create an Art Space for All’ appeal focuses on the renovation of the historic basement area into a vibrant, new space for visitors to create their own works of art, inspired by exhibitions in the upstairs galleries.
is needed now More than ever
Donations will fund digital equipment, furniture and fittings suitable for use by both young children and older visitors, a fully equipped Changing Places toilet facility and a community space for disadvantaged people to improve their wellbeing through art.
The campaign is being run using Art Happens, a crowdfunding platform run by Art Fund, and the RWA hopes to open the new spaces by February 2022, as part of the gallery’s restoration.
The £3.8m heritage project, Light & Inspiration in Bristol, will preserve the building for the future. The project will save the RWA gallery from permanent closure and will make the building more accessible and welcoming to all visitors.
But the gallery says without additional funds, the new area cannot be constructed.
The new family space. Image: Mark Sheerman
“The historic walls of the RWA can sometimes feel imposing, meaning some people never get the chance to experience the amazing art inside,” says RWA’s director, Alison Bevan. “We want to change that.
“This project allows us to literally open our doors to welcome new people, especially those unused to visiting art galleries, and offer them an experience they have not had before.
“And our gallery will be fully accessible too, meaning the RWA will be one of the few museums and galleries in the UK with specialist facilities for people with severe disabilities.”
The public are encouraged to donate anything from £5 up to £995 in return for exclusive art rewards, which include a dinner with celebrity artist, Grayson Perry.
Main photo: Lisa Whiting
Read more: RWA one step closer to restoration
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