Dame Vivien Louise Duffield, (née Clore; born 26 March 1946
) is an English philanthropist.
Life and career
Vivien Louise Clore was born to Jewish parents. Her father was millionaire businessman and philanthropist
Sir Charles Clore and her mother was Francine Halphen, a heroine of the
French resistance
The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...
.
She was educated at the
Lycée Français
The Agency for French Education Abroad, or Agency for French Teaching Abroad, (french: Agence pour l'enseignement français à l'étranger; abbreviation: AEFE), is a national public agency under the administration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ...
,
Heathfield School and
Lady Margaret Hall,
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...
where she read modern languages. She has a brother, Alan Evelyn Clore. Her marriage to British financier
John Duffield produced two children, Arabella and
George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...
.
The marriage ended in divorce in 1976.
From 1973 until 2005, she was in a relationship with Sir
Jocelyn Stevens, who was managing director of
Express Newspapers
Northern & Shell (holding company name Northern and Shell Network Ltd) is a British publishing group, founded in December 1974 and owned since then by Richard Desmond. Formerly a publisher of pornographic magazines including ''Penthouse (magazine ...
and Chairman of
English Heritage
English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses.
The charity states that i ...
.
Philanthropy
After her father's death in 1979, Duffield assumed the Chairmanship of the Clore Foundations in the UK and in Israel. In the UK she also established her own Vivien Duffield Foundation in 1987, and the two foundations merged in 2000 to become the
Clore Duffield Foundation. In addition to the Chairmanship of her Foundation, Dame Vivien was a member of the Board of the
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Ope ...
from 1990 to 2001 and is currently Chairman of the Royal Opera House Endowment Fund. She founded
Eureka! The National Children's Museum in Halifax, West Yorkshire in 1992, and is the life president.
She is a Director of the
Southbank Centre board and a Governor of the
Royal Ballet
The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in ...
. From 2007 to 2010 she was Chair of
The Campaign for Oxford,
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...
. She is the founder of
JW3, London's new Jewish Community Centre, which opened on the Finchley Road in October 2013. She is Chairman of the Clore Foundation in Israel.
A 2005 London ''
Evening Standard
The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format.
In October 2009, after be ...
'' article estimated that she and the Foundations she controls had donated in excess of £176 million. In March 2011, amid heavy Government cuts on the arts, she donated £8.2 million for educational purposes to 11 arts institutions.
Following her departure from the board of the
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal O ...
, Duffield subsequently donated £1M to the re-development of the
London Coliseum
The London Coliseum (also known as the Coliseum Theatre) is a theatre in St Martin's Lane, Westminster, built as one of London's largest and most luxurious "family" variety theatres. Opened on 24 December 1904 as the London Coliseum Theatre ...
.
Honours
Dame Vivien Duffield's charitable work has been formally acknowledged by many institutions, both in the UK and in Israel. She was appointed a
CBE
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
in 1989, promoted to
DBE in 2000 and in 2008
The Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers o ...
presented Dame Vivien with one of the first Medals for Arts Philanthropy. The Medal celebrates individuals who support the arts and recognises the contribution of the most inspiring philanthropists in the UK. In 2006, she was awarded the
Beacon Fellowship Prize. In February 2013 she was assessed as one of the 100 most powerful women in the UK by ''
Woman's Hour
''Woman's Hour'' is a radio magazine programme broadcast in the United Kingdom on the BBC Light Programme, BBC Radio 2, and later BBC Radio 4. It has been on the air since 1946.
History
Created by Norman Collins and originally presented by ...
'' on
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
. In 2017 she was appointed an Honorary Fellow of the
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design university in the United Kingdom. It o ...
.
References
External links
Clore Duffield Foundation official web site"The Power List 2013", BBC Radio 4, ''Woman's Hour'' programmeTimes article, 7 September, 2005Cherwell interview, 20 November, 2008
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duffield, Vivien
Living people
1946 births
English Jews
English philanthropists
Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Alumni of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
Fellows of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
Fellows of King's College London