Michelin V&A funding to carry on despite closure

Museum grateful for French company’s support after bombshell over factory

Michelin will continue to sponsor a gallery in Dundee’s V&A museum despite the city factory’s imminent closure.

The sponsorship, the amount of which the company declined to disclose, is being paid from the Michelin Corporate Foundation and was first announced in 2016.

The decade-long funding secured the naming rights for the Michelin Design Gallery, which showcases “the achievements of V&A Dundee’s learning and innovation programme, aimed at families, schools, community groups, adults, children, businesses and creative professionals alike.”

A mentoring programme was also to be established, “offering its staff the opportunity to be directly involved with the museum and its learning programmes, as well as providing a platform to share their own knowledge and skills.”

A spokesman for the tyre manufacturer confirmed the agreement will be honoured, but declined to comment further.

A V&A Dundee spokesperson said: “The sad news doesn’t impact on the sponsorship of the gallery, which is from the international Michelin Corporate Foundation.

“We are very sorry to hear of the planned closure of Dundee’s Michelin factory, and our thoughts are with everyone affected by this news.

“V&A Dundee has benefited from working with Michelin apprentices and volunteers in the museum’s activities, as well as from the support of the international Michelin Corporate Foundation.”

Dundee City Council leader John Alexander welcomed Michelin’s continued support for the V&A but said his main focus was on helping to work out ways to save the factory.

He added: “Clearly Michelin’s support for the city must start with the workforce.

“Over and above that, the ongoing support for the city and the V&A is welcome.

“However, the retention of a Michelin facility is far more important and my primary focus right now.”

The Michelin Corporate Foundation was created in 2014 to support the firm’s “societal commitment”.

According to its website, it: “Supports projects that are innovative, engaged in the life of the city, coherent with the group’s activities and close to its collaborators and sites.”

It supports the long hisory of community work and charity endeavour in which the Dundee plant’s workforce has long been involved.

Michelin has played a big role in the Dundee community over the years.