DURHAM.- A corner of North East England is set to become an international centre for research and excellence into Spanish and Latin American art and culture under a new agreement announced today (Thursday 29 September 2016).
Durham University and Auckland Castle Trust have entered into a new partnership to create The Zurbarán Centre for Spanish and Latin American Art in Bishop Auckland, County Durham. The centre will link academic research by Durham University to the curatorial programme at Auckland Castle’s Spanish Gallery and support public engagement and regional regeneration.
A formal partnership agreement was signed by Professor Stuart Corbridge, Vice-Chancellor of Durham University, and Jonathan Ruffer, Chairman of Auckland Castle Trust, at a private event at Auckland Castle.
Professor Corbridge and Ana Botín, Santander Group’s Executive Chairman, also signed a gift agreement which will see Santander donate £600,000 over a three year period to Durham University to help fund the centre - the largest single donation made by Santander to a UK university. The new centre will also receive an additional £1m investment from Durham University over the next five years.
The agreement builds on Santander’s existing partnership with Durham University and the donation made to Auckland Castle to fund the “Santander Lord Burns Library” at the Spanish Gallery in recognition of Lord Burns’ service as its former Chairman and his own connections with County Durham.
The project also forms part of a wider £70m investment by Auckland Castle Trust designed to stimulate economic regeneration in Bishop Auckland, by creating an art, faith and heritage destination of international significance.
It is hoped that the new partnership will make a significant contribution to the region’s economy by attracting tourists and visiting scholars from around the world, in turn boosting employment and local business. According to a recent report by Ernst & Young this project, combined with others in the town, could attract more than 430,000 visitors per year by 2020 and boost the economy by up to £20m.
Recognising this regional rejuvenation, Ryanair recently announced a new direct route between Newcastle and Madrid, to start in March 2017, which will also help to cultivate links between these two major cities.
County Durham is already home to the UK’s largest collection of Spanish art outside of London, including the paintings of Jacob and his Twelve Sons by Spanish master Francisco de Zurbarán, which are currently housed at Auckland Castle. The new Zurbarán Centre for Spanish and Latin American Art, named in honour of this series, will be run by Durham University and is due to open in 2017.
The Centre will undertake research and host major conferences and workshops in the field of Spanish and Latin American art, as well as offering postgraduate students the opportunity to study major artworks and rare objects while working alongside Auckland Castle’s curatorial staff.
It will be complemented by the separate Spanish Gallery, due to be opened by Auckland Castle Trust in 2019, which will explore Spanish art from the medieval period to the present day, focusing particularly on the Golden Age of art in the seventeenth century. It will also draw on works from the Trust’s extensive collection and on loan from partners around the world.
Together, the research centre and gallery will link new academic research with new exhibitions and events designed to expand and enhance the public profile and understanding of Spanish and Latin American art, both in the UK and globally.
Durham University will begin an international search to recruit a director for the new centre in autumn 2016.
Professor Stuart Corbridge, Vice-Chancellor of Durham University, said: “Durham University is ranked in the world top 50 for Arts and Humanities and is also establishing itself as a leading international centre for the study of visual culture.
“This new research centre and partnership with Auckland Castle, with its access to extensive collections of Spanish art, allows us to further enhance this work.
“Not only will it offer our students the chance to study some of the world’s most important artworks, it is also a way of connecting the wider public with our research expertise and is a commitment to the cultural regeneration of Bishop Auckland.”
Jonathan Ruffer, Chair of Trustees at Auckland Castle, said: “County Durham and the wider North East is primed for this kind of support and investment.
“The Zurbarán Centre for Spanish and Latin American Art and Spanish Gallery are both a key part of our plans to draw more international visitors to the region and to stimulate economic regeneration both in Bishop Auckland and further afield.
“We are proud to be working in partnership with Durham University and Santander on a project of such international significance and look forward to also elevating the profile of Spanish and Latin American Art both in the UK and around the world.”
Ana Botín, Santander Group Executive Chairman, said: “The work being done by Durham University and Auckland Castle Trust will help to develop a world class centre for sharing and understanding Spain’s art and culture. Santander has strong connections to County Durham through both our customers and people so we are delighted to support this outstanding partnership.”
Nathan Bostock, Santander UK CEO, said: “Durham University and Auckland Castle Trust have ambitious plans for this project and we are very proud of our partnership and the opportunities it will create in the local economy.”
The new centre will also complement the work of Durham University’s Centre for Visual Arts and Culture, as well as its highly regarded Department of Hispanic Studies, within the School of Modern Languages and Cultures, and additional work in Spanish and Latin American art across a number of other departments.
In partnership with Auckland Castle Trust’s Spanish Gallery, it will offer a direct link between new research and new exhibition programming, while also allowing visitors to the gallery to benefit from the world-class study carried out there.
It will also ensure that the next generation of curators and museum professionals benefit from a hands-on experience of an evolving collection.
The partnership between Durham University and Auckland Castle Trust formalises a number of other joint projects between the two organisations including archaeological work at Auckland Castle, student placements and joint research projects across a number of the University’s subject areas.
