The Achates Philanthropy Prize, a UK campaign to promote support of the arts, has been reimagined this year in light of the impact of COVID-19 on the creative sector. Unlike in previous years, this year there will be no specific awardees; instead, the campaign will refocus on a country-wide showcase of case studies highlighting how cultural organisations have worked with their communities during this year.

‘We want to champion and celebrate the remarkable groundswell of innovative responses from cultural organisations across the country within their communities,’ said Achates Philanthropy Foundation Chair, Caroline McCormick. ‘The arts have immeasurable and far-reaching value beyond economic value alone, and this is our focus this year – be that intrinsic artistic value, or social value which brings benefits for social engagement, health and well-being, education and empowerment.’

We're live with our plans for 2020… and things are looking slightly different.

Full update here:https://t.co/sXBZDiHZbK#artfeltthanks pic.twitter.com/iH8KWo8WnD

— Cultural Philanthropy Foundation (@CulturalPhilFdn) August 5, 2020

The Achates Philanthropy Prize was launched in 2016 to raise awareness of the arts as charitable organisations which play an important role in society. It is a project of the Achates Philanthropy Foundation, a UK registered charity. In 2019, the Prize was awarded to Nick Thomlinson with the World Heart Beat Music Academy, a project that provides grassroots, non-selective, music education programmes for children of diverse backgrounds.

This year, a group of judges will review case studies of cultural organisations and their work amid the pandemic. A shortlist of these case studies will be showcased at a special ceremony in November, following ‘Art, Audiences Money’, a one-day conference considering the future of the sector and the relationship between these issues.

For more information, visit: achatesprize.co.uk.