For a large institution with a quarter century of history, Tate deserves a pat on the back. It’s seen the shift in art from the YBAs to the socially conscious works characteristic of the current era, and it might even be wondered whether the Tate was instrumental in that shift. Clearly, there are several competing vectors at play in the direction and application of the Tate Modern brand and what that means for the public interest; vocal and actual. The exact nature of what gets people out of the house vs what they might say they support is a hard one to pin down exactly, and should we even consider Art and Tate Modern’s position in those terms? Being funded by the taxpayer, one imagines there’s a balance between popularity, representation, as well as the prognostic swirl around ‘artistic merit’.
So it is that for 25 years the Tate Modern has managed to pose the question of ‘art’ in a way that a broad cross section of the UK can disagree. And we do! Often loudly. And while there are some who question the relevance of contemporary art in the 21st century – it can be elitist, cliché-ridden, aesthetically distant, and overtly virtue signalling – art presents us with the best vehicle to contemplate who and where we are in time and space. The launch of the endowment fund goes some way to ensure the Tate Modern will continue to play its part in the UK’s intellectual life.
Press Release : Tate Modern celebrates 25th anniversary with star-studded gala. £43 million secured to launch Tate’s endowment fund.
On Wednesday 25 June 2025, 680 leading artists and philanthropists from across the world celebrated 25 years of Tate Modern at a fundraising gala in the Turbine Hall.
Many artists joined Tate’s generous supporters for one of the most prestigious art events ever held in London. They included Grayson Perry, Bridget Riley, Marina Abramovic, Gilbert & George, Jenny Saville, Antony Gormley, Tracey Emin, Steve McQueen, Cornelia Parker, Michael Craig-Martin, Lubaina Himid, Yinka Shonibare, Celia Paul, Sonia Boyce, Isaac Julien, Sarah Sze, Jeremy Deller, Claudette Johnson and John Akomfrah.
During the evening, Tate’s Chair, Roland Rudd, announced the official launch of an endowment fund to secure Tate’s long-term future, with £43 million already raised through the generosity of individuals, foundations and Tate Trustees. The aim of the campaign is to raise an endowment of £150 million by 2030. Called the Tate Future Fund, this is one of the most ambitious cultural fundraising campaigns of its kind in the UK, and will support Tate’s ground-breaking exhibition programme, its world-leading research and its peerless public reach.
The following supporters’ generosity has helped to establish the Tate Future Fund: James Bartos, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Nick Clarry, Mala Gaonkar, Anthony and Sandra Gutman, Jack Kirkland, Jamie and Michael Lynton, The Manton Foundation, Jorge M. and Darlene Pérez, Manizeh and Danny Rimer, and Roland and Sophie Rudd. The Fund will now move into active campaign mode, with donors being solicited from Tate’s extensive global supporter network.
The gala included performances by the Pet Shop Boys and actress Gwendoline Christie, and food prepared by chef Ruthie Rogers of the Michelin-starred River Café, served at tables with cloths and napkins specially designed by Tracey Emin and Peter Saville.
The gala itself raised over £1 million through the generous support of table hosts and guests. These funds will be used to directly support Tate’s artistic programme, its collection and its learning and educational activities.
The gala follows Tate Modern’s public birthday celebrations in May, when over 76,000 people came to the gallery to enjoy a long weekend of free art, performances, talks, screenings and workshops, organised in partnership with UNIQLO. Over 70% of those who visited were under 35 years old and 2,000 of them joined Tate Collective, making it the largest arts membership scheme for young people in the world with over 180,000 members.
Roland Rudd, Chair of Tate, said “I chair a Board of Trustees who are committed to supporting Tate’s long-term future. Our Future Fund will help us protect Tate’s global leadership position in visual art and deliver Tate’s vision of connection to art for the widest possible audiences, locally and across the world.”
Maria Balshaw, Director of Tate, said “Our deepest thanks to donors whose generosity has helped to establish the Tate Future Fund. These gifts empower Tate to continue to shape a global art history which leads research and scholarship across the world’s museums. It also ensures that access to the most exciting art is a reality for the broadest public for generations to come.”
Karin Hindsbo, Director of Tate Modern, said “On the occasion of Tate Modern’s 25th birthday, we are delighted to be launching an in-perpetuity fund that will support all that Tate does. This organisation has always been characterised by ambition, and this fund will ensure this can be maintained not only for the next 25 years, but for the next century and beyond.”
Tate Modern is the world’s most popular museum of modern and contemporary art, welcoming over 115 million visitors since it opened in May 2000. It has transformed the British public’s relationship with contemporary art and inspired a new generation of museums and galleries to open across the UK and the globe. Tate Modern has also led the way in expanding and re-energising the story of art, celebrating the greatest artists from around the world from the dawn of the 20th century to the present day.
Images courtesy the artist, Tate, Thomas Dane Gallery and Marian Goodman Gallery.
The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. – Aristotle
