Leaving a gift in your will to Liverpool Biennial  

The quality, scale and impact of Liverpool Biennial depends on generous supporters like you who leave a gift in their will to help secure our future and make ground-breaking and innovative art possible.  

With your support we can continue to provide a platform for art and artists to bring benefit to the city of Liverpool and its people. Without your support we would not be able to deliver our valuable education work in areas of socio-economic deprivation and help support a young work force to enter, develop and remain in the cultural sector. To continue this impact and remain part of our journey we ask you to consider leaving a gift in your will.  

There are various times in your life when you might be thinking about writing a will: when buying your first house or business, when starting a family, perhaps prior to a long trip abroad or upon retirement. Making a will ensures that all your assets will be dealt with correctly and it reduces the burden on those you leave behind. Family and friends are of course the people at the front of your mind when it comes to writing a will, but you may also wish to consider a gift to a cause or a charity close to your heart, such as Liverpool Biennial (Registered Charity no. 1073956). 

Leaving a gift in your will is a way of giving something back without a cost to you during your lifetime, a way of leaving something that will be appreciated by future generations of young people, artists and local communities alike. 

How does your gift in will support Liverpool Biennial?

Leaving a gift in your will to Liverpool Biennial provides the Trustees and the staff the flexibility to respond to the most urgent needs. 

Your gift could help:  

  • Excellent programming of high-quality work by international and UK based artists at Liverpool Biennial, the leading UK contemporary visual arts festival 
  • Commission and exhibit new work by exciting young international and UK based artists 
  • Year-round education workshops and health and wellbeing support in communities in areas of social deprivation in Liverpool and the wider region 
  • Our efforts to make the arts accessible to all, online and offline; a Biennial for Everybody 
  • Develop opportunities, training and support for young people and people facing barriers to employment to enter, develop and remain in the cultural sector 
  • Support more sustainable models of practice that address, shipping, touring, and co-commissioning 

As a registered charity Liverpool Biennial pays no tax on gifts in wills. Any gift in will you leave for Liverpool Biennial is exempt from inheritance tax. Such charitable donations can reduce the amount of inheritance tax that is payable on the remainder of your estate, and if for example 10% or more if your taxable estate is given to charity, the rate of inheritance tax for the remainder of your estate is reduced from 40% to 36%. 

How to leave a gift in your will

There are various ways to leave a gift in your will and it is advisable to discuss the options with a solicitor or financial advisor. A couple of options include: 

  • Giving a proportion of your estate (residuary gift): all or part of what is left of your estate after all other gifts, debts and other charges have been met 
  • Giving a specific sum of money (pecuniary gift)  

Leaving a gift in your will is an easy process and using a solicitor or financial advisor when updating or making a new will reduces the risk of any future legal complications.  

There is no obligation to inform Liverpool Biennial of your intention however, it is helpful if we are aware of potential gifts in wills to support our programme and planning. Naturally once you have informed us, we’d be delighted to keep you informed of our work and our plans. All our legators are invited to an annual drinks reception, a festive opportunity for us to thank you personally and to hear about and see for yourself the work that your gift will enable.  

If you have written a will

If you have already written your will and wish to add a gift to Liverpool Biennial, you do not need to re-write your will, you can simply complete a codicil to add a gift with the advice of a solicitor. 

 If you wish to discuss leaving a gift in your will please contact Petra van den Houten, Director of Development, Marketing and Communications at petra@biennial.com.