Clore Duffield Foundation announces new funding to bring the arts to hard to reach schools across the UK.
Programme responds to new research showing dramatic decline in school trips since pandemic.
Image Credit: Hepworth Wakefield - H.Webster
The Clore Duffield Foundation today announced new funding to support cultural organisations with Clore Learning Spaces to develop and deliver innovative programmes for hard-to-reach primary and secondary schools across the UK.
The new funding announcement was made at an Arts Learning Symposium at Tate Britain convened by the Clore Duffield Foundation and Art Fund with the aim of bringing together people responsible for schools’ programmes in cultural organisations to build connections and share best practice.
The programme responds to new research* from teachers commissioned by the Foundation which shows how school trips have suffered since the pandemic.
- 46% of primary state funded schools will go on 2 or fewer trips per year compared to 22% of private primary schools.
- Over half of state funded schools in London (53%) will be going on 3 or more trips per year compared to 34% nationally. The lowest proportion going on 3 or more trips per year is the Midlands at 30%.
- 79% of state funded primary schools say budget stops them running more trips compared to 43% of private primary schools.
Dame Vivien Duffield said: “Many young people particularly those in state schools and outside London are not getting the cultural capital they deserve. School visits have dropped off dramatically particularly in rural areas. This is why we are launching the Clore Schools Connect programme to support a cohort of Clore Learning Spaces to work with schools with low cultural engagement.”
The Clore Duffield Foundation was established by Sir Charles Clore in 1964 and is now chaired by his daughter, Dame Vivien Duffield. It supports UK charities working in the arts, education, social welfare and health. The Foundation enhances Jewish cultural life through support for JW3, the Jewish arts and community centre in London.
Since 2000, the Clore Duffield Foundation has provided funding to support the development of Clore Learning Spaces in museums, theatre and heritage sites across the UK. We have funded around 80 Clore Learning Spaces with grants of up to £2.5m to create Clore Learning Centres in national museums and performing arts centres, to donations of less than £50,000 to fund small Clore Studios within local museums and libraries.
Find out more.
*Research conducted in March 2026 by Teacher Tapp on behalf of the Clore Duffield Foundation. 9,722 teachers responded to the survey.
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Notes to Editors:
The Clore Duffield Foundation
The Clore Duffield Foundation was established by Sir Charles Clore in 1964. Now chaired by Sir Charles Clore’s daughter, Dame Vivien Duffield, the Foundation supports UK charities working in the arts, education, social welfare and health. The Foundation’s work includes: developing programmes and partnerships to create opportunities for people through art, culture and heritage in the UK; supporting artistic talent wherever it exists and ensuring that careers in the cultural sector should be open to all; supporting new and existing Clore Learning Spaces to ensure children and young people, in particular, have the chance to benefit from art, culture and heritage and the inspiration, knowledge, joy and wellbeing they bring; and ensuring the important organisations created by the Foundation continue to be strong, impactful and resilient, including JW3, the Clore Cultural Leadership Programme and Eureka!
Dame Vivien Duffield DBE, Chairman
Dame Vivien Duffield is the Chairman of the Clore Duffield Foundation. She serves on the boards of a number of other UK charities, including Balletboyz, the Imperial War Museum Foundation, the Grange Park Opera appeal, Race Against Dementia and Clore Leadership. She is the founder and Life President of JW3, London’s Jewish Community Centre, which opened in 2013. Dame Vivien is Chairman of the Clore Foundation in Israel and a life-long member of the Weizmann Institute of Science Executive Board. Dame Vivien was a member of the Board of the Royal Opera House from 1990 to 2001 and 2014 to 2022 and remains Chairman of the Royal Opera House Endowment Fund. She was a member of the Board of Governors for the Southbank Centre board from 2002 to 2016 and from 2007 to 2010 she was Chairman of the Campaign for Oxford University.
Dame Vivien's charitable work has been formally acknowledged by many institutions, both in the UK and in Israel. She was awarded the CBE in 1989, the DBE in 2000, and in 2008 HRH The Prince of Wales presented Dame Vivien with one of the first Medals for Arts Philanthropy. She attended Oxford University from 1963-1966 and is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Music, the Royal Academy of Music and of the Royal College of Art. She has honorary degrees from the University of Buckingham, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Weizman Institute of Science in Israel and Imperial College, London.