A remarkable arts charity that grew from a single exhibition in a Harrogate gallery to become a Northern powerhouse in the arts has announced its closure in the face of financial challenges.

The small but groundbreaking New Light Art, a charity dedicated to raising the profile of contemporary art in the North of England, say it has sadly been forced to close following an unsuccessful application for funding to Arts Council England.

The charity was originally founded in 2010 by Annette Petchey, from Ripon, to showcase the enormous talent in the North of England at a time when the artworld was predominantly London-centric.

In the space of just ten years, New Light grew from a single exhibition at The Mercer Gallery in Harrogate, to a five venue, 15-month tour, visiting four counties the Bankside Gallery in London – reaching audiences in excess of 67,000.

“We are sad to announce the closure of New Light but are extremely proud of what we have achieved" - New Light arts charity chief executive Rebekah Tadd. (Picture contributed)

placeholder image — “We are sad to announce the closure of New Light but are extremely proud of what we have achieved" - New Light arts charity chief executive Rebekah Tadd. (Picture contributed)

Rebekah Tadd, CEO of New Light says: “We are sad to announce the closure of New Light but are extremely proud of what we have achieved since New Light’s inception in 2010.

"Our ability to continue was reliant upon achieving the ACE funding to supplement corporate sponsorship

"Feedback from the Arts Council was positive, they thought it was a valid, deliverable project with strong gallery partners.

"However the decision was made not to fund it this time.

End of an era - Crowds at one of the many successful New Light exhibitions presented by small but groundbreaking New Light arts charity. (Picture contributed)

"We know that they had more applications in the first five months of this year than the whole of 2025 and, therefore,difficult decisions had to be made.

"Following the ACE review and new leadership it is possible that we would be successful if we applied again but there are not the funds available to do so and the sad decision has been made to close the charity."

The charity’s many achievements includes the hugely popular New Light Art Prize where artists with a Northern connection were invited to submit a piece of art for their touring exhibition, giving Northern artists the opportunity to display their work in high profile galleries across the UK.

The competition became the country’s largest biennial open prize dedicated to contemporary art from the North.

New Light was originally founded by Annette Petchey, from Ripon, in 2010. (Picture contributed)

For much of its existence, one of New Light’s biggest backers was Valeria Sykes, the owner of five-star hotel Grantley Hall, who was married for 44 years to philanthropic Yorkshire tycoon Paul Sykes.

In a blow for the arts charity, she stepped down last year.

It also had a very successful education programme called Art for All, which delivered artist led talks and workshops for schools, charities and the public.

The New Light Collection included pieces by the late Norman Ackroyd RA, Anne Desmet RA, Mark Demsteader and Jo Taylor, bringing joy, solace and inspiring conversation to the walls of hospitals and charities.

But, as the financial climate for the arts across England worsened, New Light announced earlier this year it was selling off its collection of work as it battled to stay open.

Ultimately, it proved too late for New Light in an economic environment not of its making.

Rebekah Tadd said: "New Light is a small charity, but we have done some amazing things, working in partnership with wonderful organisations, curators and judges to create inspiring exhibitions in magnificent galleries that truly shine a light on our Northern talent.

"It has been a huge honour to be a part of our artists’ journey and I would like to thank everyone that has contributed to New Light over the years - artists, judges, curators, sponsors, Valeria Sykes and especially the New Light team.

"We are immensely proud to have been able to help put Northern art firmly on the map.”

Venues that exhibited New Light’s exhibitions included The Bowes Museum in County Durham, The Biscuit Factory in Newcastle, Rheged in Penrith, The Mercer Art Gallery in Harrogate, Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery in Carlisle, Huddersfield Art Gallery, Scarborough Art Gallery, Saul Hay Gallery in Manchester, London locations, Panter & Hall, The Mall Galleries and Bankside Gallery, The Williamson Art Gallery in Birkenhead, Zillah Bell Gallery in Thirsk, Swinton Park in Ripon and latterly Sunny Bank Mills in Leeds.