Last week, at a special showcase event in the grounds of Kensington Palace in central London, we gathered for the unveiling of a specially curated exhibition charting the story and impact of ACT (Ardonagh Community Trust).
ACT: A Retrospective brings together the causes and communities the Trust has been privileged to support and work alongside over its eight-year history and £5.6 million raised – and most importantly celebrating the countless people behind the Trust’s journey to date.
We’re pleased to announce that the exhibition will next be taken on tour – travelling around The Ardonagh Group and the world over the next 12 months.
Before setting on its voyage, we share highlights from the launch event so you can get a sneak peek of what to expect from the exhibition tour.
A night to remember at the exhibition launch
Part of what makes ACT different is that we don’t simply provide funding, people lie at the heart of everything we do. People who step forward, give their time and make a difference.
This is exactly what ACT: A Retrospective is all about. An exhibition of stories, of impact and of people. Bringing the Trust to life in an immersive way—and to illustrate how doing the right thing can create opportunities for individuals and communities to go further, be better, and do more.
On a warm summer’s day, the exhibition launch brought to life ACT through a range of objects, artwork, media – and some surprising artefacts, including a wooden wind turbine, paper floristry, a DJ mixer deck and even a kit car.
Right: Part of the space included a walkway charting Ardonagh and ACT’s support for Cancer Fund for Children and an art wall filled with works gifted by charities the Trust has worked alongside.
Through its four themes, guests explored and interacted with the exhibits – whether that meant picking up a phone, donning headsets to engage with a global map or gazing at a wall of cycling jerseys. Hugely varied in form, but at the heart of all was a connection to ACT and the Trust’s mission to make a difference to communities around the world.
Numerous ACT causes were highlighted in the space, including partners like MSF, Samaritans and Cancer Fund for Children; recipients of Community Grants, like The Whitechapel Mission, Speed of Sight and Projeto Grão de Areia; Bright Future Prize winners and finalists; and match funding beneficiaries.
Right: Bright Future Prize winner Jarvis Rohr had a number of tracks created by young people through the charity he’s a part of, Sound Communities CIC, on offer for guests to listen to.
As well as being a part of the exhibition itself, we were humbled to joined by representatives of charities and individuals who have benefited from ACT’s – attending the event in person – and even a guest music performance from Bright Future Alumnus and professional trumpeter, Grace Harman.
ACT. It’s a verb. It’s a mission. It’s a promise. It needs and has – thanks to the people across Ardonagh – really good people to care and to give back. ACT is the best of all of us, and this exhibition embodies both the Trust and this common ambition in an immersive and, most importantly, human way.
David Ross, The Ardonagh Group CEO and ACT Trustee
The essence of ACT on canvas
Over the course of the launch evening, artist Ben Mosley – one of the UK’s top live painters – captured the spirit of ACT by creating a painting honouring the Trust. Incorporating his signature style and use of precious metals, the painting was auctioned live – alongside a limited suite of prints – to raise funds for ACT.
Thanks to the generosity of our Ardonagh management and industry partners, this meant that an incredible £150,000 was raised for ACT.
A world tour awaits. ACT: A Retrospective is set to travel Ardonagh
ACT: A Retrospective doesn’t stop here.
Over the year ahead, a travelling version of the exhibition will be setting on a global trip of key Ardonagh offices, conferences and locations right across the world, so as many colleagues as possible have the chance to experience it for themselves.
In addition, ACT: A Retrospective is going virtual! A fully immersive and interactive form of the exhibition is currently in production which all our colleagues, friends and supporters will be able to access at their fingertips.
ACT is here to support our people to give back year-round
No matter the time of year, our Ardonagh colleagues around the world can harness ACT to give back bigger and better to the charities and communities that matter most to them. Through ACT grants, match funding, volunteering and more we continue to build on the 1,000+ causes we’ve supported to date.
Learn more
- Explore the ACT website at ardonaghtrust.org
- Follow ACT on Instagram @ardonaghCT
- Contact the ACT team using info@ardonaghtrust.org