Call for businesses who support the arts

Business to Arts are looking for Cork nominations for the annual Business to Arts Awards. Previous winners include The Farmgate Cafe National Poetry Award, which won Best Sponsorship Award in 2019.

The awards champion businesses, artists and arts organisations across the country that work together in areas such as sponsorship, commissioning and CSR programmes, which involve creativity in the community and in the workplace.

At the awards launch recently, Business to Arts encouraged businesses across Ireland to support the arts, strengthen their existing relationships with the cultural community and create meaningful partnerships at a time of critical need for the arts sector. Research conducted by Business to Arts in 2019 among corporate sponsors and arts organisations in Ireland revealed that:

· Over €8.5 million was spent on arts, festival and music sponsorships between May 2018-2019

· Of the arts sponsors surveyed in 2019, 41 per cent reported that they would increase their spend in 2020

Board Member of Business To Arts and Director of Cork International Film Festival, Fiona Clark said: “As a proud board member of Business to Arts, the organisation is united in its call to the private sector to support the arts community in towns and cities throughout Ireland. The Business to Arts Awards are the flagship programme to show how this support is happening in the context of Covid-19 and to celebrate the positive impact of arts and business working together. The delivery of the 65th Cork International Film Festival in November wouldn't be possible without the vital support of our corporate partners, who recognise the valuable contribution that the arts make to all our communities.”

2021 will mark the 29th edition of the Business to Arts Awards and will include an adapted ceremony, which will take place in April 2021 and will be broadcast online from the GPO.

There are nine categories in total that focus on sponsorship, commissioning and corporate social responsibility initiatives including creativity in the community and in the workplace.

A new award recognising philanthropic giving has been announced in partnership with the Arts Council. The full list of categories are:

- Best Large Sponsorship (> €25,000) supported by Arthur Cox -Best Small Sponsorship (< €25,000) - Best Long Term Partnership (3 years or more) supported by The Irish Times - Best Use of Creativity in the Community supported by Irish Life - Best Use of Creativity in the Workplace - Jim McNaughton Perpetual Award for Best Commissioning Practice - Best Philanthropic Support to the Arts supported by the Arts Council - Jim McNaughton/TileStyle €10,000 Bursary for Artists - Judges’ Special Recognition Award supported by Accenture.

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 16 December at 5pm. Go to www.businesstoarts.ie/awards for information on the application process and to complete the online application form.

Andrew Hetherington, Chief Executive of Business to Arts said: “As we re-open society, it is critical that we increase our advocacy with the private sector to support the arts community in towns and cities throughout Ireland. Our awards are our flagship programme to achieve this. The winners will demonstrate how businesses are supporting the arts during the pandemic and the many ways other businesses can do this.”

Previous award winners include BNP Paribas & IMMA, Butler Gallery & Cartoon Saloon and McGarrell Reilly Group, Fishamble.