Mission, Vision & Values
Kettle’s Yard Mission
To contribute to society by inspiring and engaging audiences through art, learning and research of the highest quality.
Kettle’s Yard Vision
For Kettle’s Yard to excite, inspire and enrich all who visit and participate, in Cambridge and online.
Purpose
- Conserving the house, collections and archive for present and future generations and as a resource for research.
- Presenting exhibitions of modern and contemporary art and concerts of classical and contemporary music.
- Welcoming and engaging diverse audiences through innovative learning programmes and public engagement.
- Ensuring financial sustainability through governance and management, core funding, partnerships, earned income and the support of donors, trusts and foundations.
Values
- Openness
Encompassing our commitment to access, equality, anti-racism and enriching communities. Seeking to be generous and caring, making a programme of events and activities inspired by Jim and Helen Ede’s vision of a place in which everyone is welcome and can be enriched.
- Creativity
Fundamental to the ethos of Kettle’s Yard, from inspiring visitors to be creative in their own lives and communities, to the diverse creativity of the artists we support and whose work we present, to how we think about the future of Kettle’s Yard.
- Collaboration
Working with others – to learn from them and achieve stronger and richer outcomes. Contributes to sustainability through adding value and efficiency when exhibitions and projects are organised collaboratively and shared widely.
- Insight
As part of the university, we undertake, enable, and disseminate research to generate new insights about art and artists, so deepening knowledge and enriching public engagement. We can elicit valuable insights and learn and grow as an organisation through conversations – whether with children and young people, members of the community, visitors or among our colleagues.
- Sustainability
There is a cost to our existence and our work. Addressing how we run Kettle’s Yard to reduce our carbon footprint is essential. We need to act and plan to reduce waste of all kinds and strengthen our financial resilience to secure our long- term health and wellbeing. This runs across everything that we do.
Ambitions 2023 – 2027
Encompassing our values and commitment to excellence in all we undertake across the visual arts, music, community and learning and research.
- To make outstanding exhibitions and present an acclaimed programme of music concerts.
Celebrating art and artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. An exhibitions programme which champions diversity, draws on research and inspires creativity.
- To bring a wider range of perspectives to bear upon the house, collection and archive
Commissioning and sharing research, projects and programmes that deepen our understanding and knowledge of Kettle’s Yard and its histories through many voices and stories.
- To inspire and engage young people, children and local communities
Building on long standing creative programmes with young people, schools and communities and offering new opportunities for students at the University of Cambridge.
- To devise and implement a new Research Strategy
Strengthening Kettle’s Yard role as a resource and catalyst for research and insight, through new programmes and publications.
- To implement a major fundraising campaign
To build the endowment by £5m by 2027, Kettle’s Yard’s 70th anniversary, so we can plan ahead and sustain our reputation for excellence and innovation.
Running through the Ambitions, and across all of Kettle’s Yard’s work, is a continuing commitment to anti – racism, environmental responsibility and access. These areas of organisational review and change are subject to individual policies and plans.
As part of the University of Cambridge, Kettle’s Yard also seeks to contribute strongly to the University’s Mission:
‘To contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence’.