Tate the second most popular arts organisation in the world?

Tate the second most popular arts organisation in the world?

08 September, 2011
by: Spoonfed Arts Team

Tate publishes its 2010-11 annual report.

Tate has today published its annual report for 2010-11, in which it claims to be “the most popular arts organisation in the world after the Louvre in Paris”. This assertion comes on the back of a bumper year in which Tate has recorded visitor figures of 7.4 million across its four galleries – Tate Britain, Tate Modern, St Ives and Liverpool, as well as 19 million unique users to its “award-winning” website.

As well as visitor numbers, the other key element that the report is keen to stress is Tate's revenue streams. In 2010-11 62% of funding, they're proud to announce, came from private rather than public sources, and over the past five years, Tate has increased its self-generated income by 15% as opposed to the 5% increase in grant-in-aid.

Whilst this relative move away from a reliance on funding from the government (bear in mind, the tax-payer still stumps up for 38% of Tate's income) is probably to be applauded, it's the alternative sources of revenue that have been causing concern of late: particularly relationships with alleged tax-dodgers Vodafone and beleaguered oil giant BP (the latter in direct contradiction to Tate's own stated desire to be sustainable by, among other things, “demonstrating leadership in response to climate change”).

The report also highlights major works acquired for the Tate collection, the best moments of the programme, including the Gauguin and Picasso shows, and the expansion of both London galleries, as well as noting how “special initiatives took place across Tate aimed at developing new audiences, including working with local communities”.

One such special initiative was last weekend's Embrace the Place at Tate Britain. Spoonfed were there, and mightily impressed by the combination of fun family-friendly activities and community-minded environmentally progressive attitudes. Highlights included digging potatoes to make chips with 815 Agency and making seed packets with Somewhere and Friends of Abbey Gardens. And yet we couldn't help remember the devastating effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. It's ironic that the price of all this popularity may perhaps be a growing unpopularity – at least amongst those who care.

Read Tax, Oil, Capitalism, Censorship, Tom's account of corporate sponsorship and the arts.

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Spoonfed Arts Team