Be a patron of the arts

6:18pm Tuesday 16th March 2004

You might think a patron of the arts would need a vast inheritance or a successful entrepreneurial background but you could not be more wrong.

North Finchley's artsdepot, which is due to open in September at Tally Ho Corner, is raising funds for its future programmes and is offering some appealing incentives to support the centre in more modest ways than your Guggenheims and Gettys.

For £250 you can 'name a seat' with a permanent engraving in the centre's main theatre, and there are also various membership schemes available. The cheapest option, at £10 per year, gets you a seasonal brochure, regular mailings and discounts off some performances, while the priciest, at £100 per year will also buy you a minimum £2 reduction off most ticket prices, invitations to special events and a name-check in the seasonal brochure.

According to artsdepot director Alison Duthie, the cash raised will all help to bolster the programme and bring high-profile companies to the centre (such as The Reduced Shakespeare Company), comedians (the likes of Ross Noble, Al Murray and Mark Thomas), up-and-coming pop bands and a top orchestra.

For more details, call Penny Mayes on 020 8359 7766.

Win a year's artsdepot membership

We have two £100 artsdepot annual memberships up for grabs. To enter, answer the following question: Where exactly is the new artsdepot? Is it: a) Tally Ho Corner; b) The Strand; or c) Buckingham Palace Road?

Answers on a postcard by noon on April 2 to: artsdepot Competition, Hendon Times Group, 71 Church Road, Hendon NW4 4DN. Please include your name, address and a daytime telephone number. Usual competition rules apply.