Appeal launched to help the former home of artist Sidney Nolan

The Sidney Nolan Trust based at The Rodd, Presteigne says the crisis will impact on all areas of their work and is a huge financial blow to the organisation.

In the very week they were due to open to the public for 2020 they have had to close their doors for the foreseeable future.

Now they are urging people to donate their admission fee of £6 to the trust to help them to maintain their commitment to celebrating the work of Sidney Nolan and to maintain access to the arts.

Director Andrew Craven said: “As we are a seasonal arts organisation open to the public April to September this is going to be a huge blow to us.

“Our schools work has been cancelled and so too our concerts and events.

“This will have a enormous impact on our small charity, which since 1985 has supported artists to make and present new work and learners of all ages to develop their creativity.

“The Trust supports jobs and contributes to the cultural life and economy of Herefordshire and the Welsh Marches.

“The crisis will impact all areas of our work and is a huge financial blow to the organisation. “We are set to lose most of our income this year, not least our admissions, an income stream of £10,000 that is critically important to us.

“Our public season is relatively short and we expect much of this year is going to be totally wiped out.

“We will be taking a huge hit which will take years to recover from and during this recovery period we would not be able to do as much work with schools and community groups as we had hoped so it would be a loss to the region.

“If you share our commitment to celebrating the work of Sidney Nolan and maintaining access to the arts, please support us during these challenging times by donating your admission fee of £6, or more if you are in a position to do so. Every gift will count.

“Sidney Nolan was an innovative and experimental artist who was never daunted by a challenge. We aim to live up to his remarkable legacy but we need your help in this particularly challenging time.”

Sidney Nolan founded the Trust with his wife Mary in 1985 as an inspirational gathering place for artists, scholars, students and others to meet, exchange, create and share their artistic endeavour.

When he died in 1992 he bequeathed a legacy of paintings, property, farmland, woodland and ambition.

Today, the Sidney Nolan Trust has an established reputation as an important centre for the arts, occupying a unique position regionally and enjoying national and international support and collaboration.

Its multi-disciplinary residency and master class programme supports established and emerging artists, while its Learning Programme provides vital opportunities for those, particularly young people from nearby cities, who would otherwise be unable to engage with the arts and the natural environment

To help the Sidney Nolan Trust visit www.gofundme.com/f/keeping-arts-alive.