Here at Icon, we know that small heritage institutions are the custodians of some of our most precious shared cultural heritage. Safeguarding the objects in these collections and keeping them on public display ensures that everyone's stories can continue to engage and inspire.
Icon is delighted to be partnering with Tru Vue® to deliver the Tru Vue® Conservation and Exhibition Grant Scheme for another year.
Under the scheme, small heritage institutions are able to apply for grant funding up to £3,000 to support the delivery of conservation projects that enable the safe display of an object in their collection. We are looking to support projects that do one of the following:
Conserve and protect an object or objects already on display
Or
Enable an object that is not currently on display to be conserved and made accessible to visitors in a safe way
There are two components to the scheme:
- Glazing materials supplied by Tru Vue® (value estimated up to £4,000)
Tru Vue Materials
Tru Vue® will make an in-kind donation of Optium Museum Acrylic® or UltraVue® Laminated Glass for use directly related to the conservation and exhibition project. The full list of Tru Vue® products is available here. Examples of an in-kind donation include:
(1) sheet of 3048 mm x 1829 mm (72 inch x 120 inch) 6.0mm Optium Museum Acrylic
OR
(1) sheet of 3048 mm x 1829 mm (72 inch x 120 inch) 8.8mm UltraVue Laminated Glass
OR
(1) sheet of 2438 mm x 1829mm (72 inch x 96 inch) 4.5mm Optium Museum Acrylic
OR
(2) sheets of 3.0mm 2438 mm x 1219 mm (48 inch x 96 inch) Optium Museum Acrylic
OR
(2) sheets of 2159 mm x 1600 mm (63 inch x 85 inch) 4.4mm UltraVue Laminated Glass
Please note that this excludes any shipping or fabrication costs. These should be factored into your application. Applicants are expected to ensure that a distributor is able to supply the desired material to their location. Information on Tru Vue® distributors can be found here.
- Funding to cover the materials, supplies and/or support needed to deliver the project
If you have any questions about the Tru Vue® materials or would like some advice on what the best fit would be for your project, please contact Tru Vue’s representative Andrew Haycock at [email protected].
Grantees will receive both the cash grant and the Tru Vue® materials. The Tru Vue® materials are free of charge however the cost of their transportation and fabrication are expected to be factored into the project budget along with the conservation work.
The material donation is worth up to £4000 and will be credited to the Tru Vue® distributor directly for the distributor to make the requested material available to the grantee. The distributor may charge the grantee for cut-to-size and shipping of the donated material; money from the cash award can be used towards this cost.
The cash award is up to £3000 and intended to cover the conservation process, case fabrication, and the aforementioned shipping or cut-to-size costs.
Applicants will be asked to provide a quote from a supplier in the application form, detailing the shipping, fabrication, and cut material-to-size costs involved in this project.
To see examples of previously funded projects, check out Icon's Grants Gallery and choose the Tru Vue Programme in the drop-down menu.
Eligibility
At least five grants of up to £3,000 will be distributed to small heritage institutions with under 100,000 visitors per year.
We welcome applications from institutions across the globe (bar the United States and institutions from targeted geographic regions that are subject to the United Kingdom, United States, and/or United States economic sanctions and embargoes; check the US Sanctions here and the UK Sanctions here).
Application process and guidance
Applicants must clearly demonstrate how the funds will be used and demonstrate the impact of this funding for the organisation and its visitors.
Please download and complete the Application Form below, and send it along with any supporting documents to [email protected]
Tru Vue Conservation and Exhibition Grant Application Form
Applicants will need to provide the following:
- An outline of the proposed project.
- How the project will address conservation or display challenges.
- How the Tru Vue® materials will be used as part of the project.
- How the institution will acquire the Tru Vue® materials for the project.
- An outline of the intended outcomes for the project.
- A proposal for how the institution will share the impact of the project.
- A project budget including the conservation work and shipping, cut-to-size and fabrication costs for the Tru Vue® materials.
Applicants are asked to include up to 4 photographs in their application – one of these should be of the object.
Please send your completed application form and up to 4 photographs to [email protected]
Applications will be reviewed by Icon with a final selection made by a panel comprised of 3 Icon members.
FAQ - Q&A with Icon and Tru Vue
Timings:
00:10 Introduction to the grant programme
11:30 How long does it take for Tru Vue materials to be delivered?
14:02 How can I find out what distributors are close to me?
14:39 Prior research for a successful application
16:39 Examples of previously funded projects
17:20 Profile raising opportunities for successful applicants
18:40 Questions about how the materials can be used
19:36 What questions should I ask the fabricators?
23:39 What to take into consideration when it comes to distributors?
24:32 Question about what materials to use for a case
28:18 Requesting material samples from Tru Vue
29:31 In-person visits from Tru Vue to give advice
30:32 Getting publicity for your successful project can help with other applications
32:07 Applying for multiple sets of funding
34:46 Are there opportunities to add information about the project outside the application form?
36:17 How many projects are usually successful per round?
36:37 What’s the timeframe for a successful project to be completed?
38:48 Where are distributors located in the UK?
39:30 First round open to international applicants
41:45 Get in touch with any questions about the application or the materials
Timetable
Applications open on Monday 5 August and the deadline for submissions is Monday 30 September 5pm (UK time).
Successful projects are to be completed within 12 months of receiving grant funding. Reports should be submitted to Icon within one month of the project completion date.
For further information, contact [email protected]
Reporting
On completion of the project, successful applicants are expected to submit a short report outlining the achievements of the project and its positive outcomes. This could be a written report including a selection of photographs or a short film. A template will be provided.
Header image: Installation view of Challenging Convention at the Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne. Photo credit Colin Davison