Nottingham museum launches crowdfunding drive

The National Justice Museum has just two weeks left to raise £10,000 through an Art Happens campaign, hosted by national charity Art Fund.

If the Museum reaches its £10,000 target, the funds will help to create a new exhibition – Crimes of Passion: The Story of Joe Orton. This exhibition will mark the 50th anniversary of playwright Joe Orton’s death and the 50th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality.

The museum has raised 12% of its target so far, leaving £8,800 to raise in two weeks.

Donors can take away a selection of limited edition rewards; from Joe Orton inspired badges and tote bags, to prints and a private viewing of the exhibition as a thank you for their support. Donations start at just £5 for an online mention and updates, while the top reward of an original artwork created especially for the exhibition by Orton’s nephew, artist David Lock is available for £995.

Born in Leicester in 1933, Orton won a scholarship to RADA in 1951, where he met Kenneth Halliwell. Halliwell would become Orton’s friend, mentor, partner and tragically his murderer. Throughout his life, Orton wrote many acclaimed plays including: Loot, What the Butler Saw and Entertaining Mr Sloane.

The exhibition hopes to feature objects on loan from the University of Leicester’s Orton Archive, including archival material and the Morocco diary.

Artist David Lock will also be commissioned to create new artwork and a large-scale collage inspired by the collage that lined the walls of Orton’s and Halliwell’s London bedsit, which featured images stolen from library books.

Tim Desmond, Chief Executive of the National Justice Museum said: “We are now at the halfway point in our first ever crowdfunding campaign with Art Happens. We need the public’s support to help us create this new exhibition which for the first time will explore the role of crime in Orton’s life and work. We hope that the next couple of weeks will be a huge success and that we reach our total of £10,000.”

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