If you’re a part of What Next? as a regular or occasional member of a group, a receiver of our briefings, a user of our website and resources, have been part of a delegation to government, or just want to support artists and cultural organisations to make change in our society then please do consider making an annual financial contribution to the project.
You just have to click the button above to make a donation via PayPal, or you can email Ben.Dart@sadlerswells.com if you would prefer to receive an invoice.
We’re not a membership organisation. We believe in empowering everyone to get informed and use their voice and their assets to make the change they want to see. We are completely independent and led by the sector. We are absolutely reliant on your donations to keep going.
It’s more than five years since the first What Next? meeting at the Young Vic in 2012. Since then we have become a movement of 34 Chapters across the country, representing hundreds of organisations and individuals. We’ve worked together to create a new dialogue with government and with each other.
To keep the movement alive, we have a small but hard working part time secretariat. Every day they write policy and briefing papers, support and advise Chapter Chairs, run our website and social media, set up summits and run conferences, meet politicians and policy-makers and create relationships with like-minded campaigners. They create the tools we all need to make the case for culture.
We hope you agree that this stream of high quality support and resource is a major reason why What Next? has been such a success. It costs around £100,000 a year to fund this.
So far we have been supported through the generosity of trusts and foundations (Clore Duffield, Paul Hamlyn, Foyle, Mackintosh, Gulbenkian, Esmee Fairborn and the Theatre Development Trust) as well as the support of Arts Council England and a number of small but vital donations by member organisations and individuals.
Many people offer us support in kind: room hire, providing teas and coffees, giving us time and expertise. We are extremely grateful. But no funder will support a project forever without evidence that it is valued and supported by those who use it. We urgently need that support. Without it there is real danger that our work will end in a few months.
After looking at many options we have concluded that the only way for us to survive is with ongoing contributions from What Next? members.
* See an explanation of Arts Council England bands below
Please consider contributing more if you’re able to, or at a level that feels right for you. We know the difficulties of the current climate. Every donation will make a difference.
We are not asking for membership fees. We are still a movement – not an organisation. We want to stay that way. This is not about buying a seat at the table. This is about securing What Next?’s future.
David Lan, Young Vic
Sally O’Neill, Royal Opera House
Alistair Spalding, Sadler’s Wells
Arts Council England bands explained:
Band 3= £1 million of funding per year from ACE
Band 2= (£250,000 per year and a maximum (average) of £999,999 per year from ACE)
Band 1= (a minimum (average) of £40,000 per year and a maximum (average) of £249,999 per year from ACE)