Gucci Changemakers is funding a new gen of creative London talent

Gucci might have been born in Florence, but its links to London are strong. The story goes that founder Guccio Gucci first got the idea for a luxury leather goods line when he was working at the swanky Savoy Hotel as a porter, and when he returned to Italy after World War Two, he launched his own luggage house. Over a century on, we’ve seen a bunch of Gucci shows staged in iconic landmarks across the British capital, like its resort outing at Westminster Abbey in 2017 and its 2024 journey into the cavernous concrete Tanks of the Tate Modern, as well as a monumental exhibition in the form of Gucci Cosmos, which landed in 2023. 

Now, Gucci is further cementing its relationship with London by making a big investment in the upcoming generation of future talent. Announced today (March 27), the house is joining forces with the Tate to funnel cash into the art institution’s Collective Producers Programme. The scheme brings together 50 creatives a year from youth groups and educational hubs situated a stone’s throw from the Tate Modern and Tate Britain, inviting them to join various workshops to equip them with new creative skills and knowledge. Eventually, the Tate lets them take over its spaces by organising a series of events – like after-hours parties, intimate talks, and their own workshops – in conjunction with artists, curators, designers, and musicians.

Gucci is set to fund the programme for the next three years through its global Changemakers initiative, and aims to open up doors to young talents that wouldn’t normally get their foot through them – people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds that likely couldn’t otherwise afford to do the unpaid internships that still fuel the creative industries. It comes at a time when the UK is facing an unprecedented cost of living crisis and grants within the arts – as well as educational courses within schools – are being reduced or scrapped entirely, making projects like this one all the more vital. 

Alongside funding the Collective Producers initiative, Gucci will also continue working with the University of the Arts London and London College of Fashion to support a swathe of students via grants, scholarships, and mentorship. The move is part of a bid to open up the notoriously closed-ranks fashion industry to a more diverse pool of people in the coming years. “Tate’s Collective Producers Programme has not only helped the gallery engage new audiences but also provided the producers themselves with career pathways into the arts sector,” says Mark Miller, Tate’s director of learning. “The generous support from Gucci will enable us to bring young people’s creativity, ideas, and voices into the museum in new ways, and connect us to the things that are most important.”