Why I Support HOME

Meet Mark our HOME Patron

Wed 01 Oct

For 10 years, HOME has been a safe space for creativity to take seed, grow and bloom; cultivating outstanding art. Our free Artist Development programme has helped thousands of creatives take their next step - whether that’s making their first film, producing a new piece of theatre, or exhibiting their art to the public for the first time. 

HOME Patron, Mark, has supported HOME throughout its 10-year journey. This week, as part of our HOMEgrown campaign, which is supporting the expansion of our Artist Development programme, we spoke to Mark about what inspired him to support HOME’s work and to ultimately become a HOME Patron:  

"Since its inception in 2015, HOME has been a single space where art of all kinds can be seen and enjoyed. It makes it easy for people to open their eyes and minds to art forms that they may have never experienced before.  

My own circumstances bear this out. My passion is film & this is why I first came to HOME. As I spent more time here, I gradually started to explore the art exhibitions & became much more curious about theatre. I now enjoy all kinds of theatre performances and am a regular visitor to Manchester’s galleries. I would not be doing this without having been exposed to art every time I walked through HOME’s doors.  

The other key element to HOME that makes it so special is its commitment to making the arts available to everyone - for audiences, communities and artists developing a career. Without access to funding and the right contacts, developing as an artist is difficult. HOME offers artists opportunities to make those connections, gain skills and access resources for free. Much work has already been done to widen accessibility - however it is the ongoing commitment to further improve opportunities through initiatives like the HOMEgrown campaign that sets HOME apart. 

Having been so impacted by HOME’s programme, becoming a Patron has naturally followed as a way for me to support HOME so that it can continue to provide artistic opportunities for all. Being a Patron & supporting the HOMEgrown campaign is a real privilege and making a small contribution to helping HOME achieve its goals is a real source of pleasure. As a lover of film, having the opportunity to watch the short films created by the Young Film Collective, & hear them talk about their experiences earlier this year was really uplifting. It’s also a great example of how HOME nurtures talent."

HOMEgrown donations will safeguard creative opportunities for the artists of tomorrow.  

Through HOMEgrown, you can help us reach more artists each year - with 50% of available space, training, mentoring, residencies, events, workshops, and commissions reserved for creatives from underrepresented backgrounds. 

A £50 donation would cover the cost of materials for a workshop 
A £500 donation would provide an ‘Explore & Develop” artist grant  
A £5,000 donation would support a 3-day short course in producing 

If you would like to support the next generation of artists to grow, blossom and bloom, you can donate to the HOMEgrown campaign via this link.

Thank you to Mark and all our wonderful supporters for your contributions.

The HOME Development Team: Alex, Hattie, Lorna, Helen, and Sarah.