With arts funding being squeezed, the search is on for philanthropists. Could that be you? David Whetstone investigates a new approach to sustaining the cultural sector

ON THE very March day that Arts Council England announced how it was going to distribute a diminished funding pot, news also broke of an extraordinarily generous gesture.

A wealthy financial expert, Jonathan Ruffer, pledged £15m to save the historic paintings by Francisco de Zurbaran, which have hung at Auckland Castle for 250 years and which the Church Commissioners had been planning to sell.

Not only did he offer to purchase them, he was happy for them to remain where they were.

In the Commons the next day, delighted Culture minister Ed Vaizey said: “Jonathan Ruffer stands as a testament to philanthropy in this country.”

Part of his delight, no doubt, was attributable to the fact that philanthropy has been identified by the coalition Government as one way forward for the arts as the public purse strings are tightened.

Here was a very good example – just as arts organisations which had lost their future Arts Council funding were despairing – of how philanthropy could save the day.

But for all his admirable altruism, Mr Ruffer appeared to fit the stock idea of the philanthropist as a well-heeled individual acting on a whim.

How many others were there to step in and save hitherto thriving arts organisations from dying through lack of funds?

But perhaps we should banish from our heads the notion of the philanthropist with his fat cigar or her fur coat and pearls.

In Newcastle, the Theatre Royal will reopen next week after a £4.75m refurbishment.

Big contributions have come from organisations including the Heritage Lottery Fund, but many individuals have played their part.

Richard Berg-Rust, the theatre’s director of development, says individuals have donated and pledged £100,000 towards the upkeep of the Grade I listed building.

“People have to think about what they value and enjoy, but people in the North East are incredibly generous.

“It’s wonderful when you think that people have given sums ranging from an anonymous £20,000 to just £5. Quite a lot of the donations are £5, but we value every one.”

Many people have paid to sponsor a seat in the auditorium.

In addition to all this, for the past couple of years a £1.75 “heritage supplement” has been added to the price of most tickets, turning most audience members into philanthropists.

“If you are going to maintain a building of this quality you need to think very creatively about where the funding is coming from,” says Richard.

“Bear in mind that it was nearly turned into a bingo hall in the 1970s.”

Richard also leads a development forum representing 10 of the biggest cultural organisations in Newcastle and Gateshead.

Along with the Theatre Royal, they are Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, the International Centre for Life, Dance City, Live Theatre, Northern Stage, Seven Stories, The Sage Gateshead, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums and the Tyneside Cinema.

Together they strive to maximise the artistic and economic potential of the North East cultural sector.

“We think people here deserve the best,” says Richard.

“The arts experience in this region is probably the best outside London. We need to say to people that these fantastic developments have taken place with Government funding, lottery grants and the help of the local authorities.

“But now we need to look at other ways to keep it all going because we are in a different situation.

“We need to bring in more from private sources and we need to be creative about how we do that.”