Donated by Research England, an organisation who engage with higher education providers to support research and knowledge exchange activities, have awarded a staggering £30,000 to the Hatton Gallery and £235,000 to the Hancock Museum over the next five years.
Both situated on the Newcastle University campus, the respective sites are significantly integral to the University and their engagement with culture and teaching, each being home to world-class collections and installations for any visitors to see completely free of charge.
The Hancock Museum, originally named the New Museum of Natural History at the time of its opening in 1884, was renamed following the death of ornithologist and taxidermist John Hancock in 1890, who had donated collections of British birds to the museum and secured funds for its continuation.
A partnership between the Natural History Society of Northumbria, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museum, and the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, the museum presents the largest and most diverse Natural Sciences collection in a non-national institution in Europe, as well as archaeological findings from the Hadrian’s Wall. With the museum also including a Library of Historical Archives and an Environmental Records Centre for the North East, the site is integral to the research of natural history and ancient civilisations, providing cornerstone research into world cultures.
The Hatton Gallery enjoys an equal importance in art and cultural life, with it being founded in 1925 by the late Professor Richard George Hatton, who was the Head of the Fine Art Department at Newcastle University.
The gallery exhibits over 3,000 works from artists between the 14th-20th century alongside extensive archive material, including Kurt Schwitter’s Merz Barn Wall (1965) and other compositions from cornerstone artists such as Francis Bacon, Palma Giovane, and Prunella Clough. The gallery has a significant history within the timeline of exhibition-making and immersive installations, offering modern and contemporary art exhibitions as well as annual shows exhibiting the work of Newcastle Fine Art students.
The funding for the essential sites will enable the continuation of leading edge research, both of which engage with audiences both on regional and global scales, and the continuation of supporting integral cultural venues in the North East to share leading research findings with thousands of visitors across the coming years.