The annual Business to Arts Awards will take place this year on Tuesday, September 12th at the National Concert Hall, recognising businesses, philanthropists, artists, and arts organisations that develop compelling creative partnerships. Shortlisted partnerships focus on arts sponsorship, philanthropy, commissioning of artists, and CSR initiatives, such as employee and community engagement.
This year a new Creative Access Award supported by Community Foundation Ireland was launched. It will recognise partnerships that offer the opportunity for marginalised and underrepresented groups to participate in the arts.
2023′s shortlisted partnerships show an increase in support from the construction and property sector to work with arts organisations to highlight key global issues and enhance creative placemaking.
Éirigh, an Eco Pavilion for IMMA’s inaugural Earth Rising Festival, sponsored by Lioncor and supported by Reddy Architects celebrated the connection between environment, art, design, and construction. Meanwhile IPUT’s ‘Living Canvas’ puts visual art in the public domain on a scale not previously encountered in Ireland, representing the work of over 100 artists. Both projects are shortlisted for the Best Large Sponsorship Award.
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Henry J Lyons worked with the artist Alex Pentek to commission a piece for their new Albert Quay offices featuring an origami-inspired vortex featuring ‘folded wood’ that signifies ‘truth to materials’; it is shortlisted for the Jim McNaughton Perpetual Award for Best Commissioning Practice supported by TileStyle.
Meanwhile the Irish Architecture Foundation and the Housing Agency’s ‘Housing Unlocked’ exhibition ran an open call for ideas from architects to propose solutions to the housing crisis. Drawing on the creativity and know-how of architects and professionals in related disciplines, the partnership has generated and presented to policymakers 20 innovative, achievable actions that would have a big impact on unlocking Ireland’s housing potential. It is shortlisted for the Best Creativity in the Community Award supported by Irish Life.
Entries to this year’s Awards demonstrated an increased awareness and support of underrepresented groups participating in the arts. Projects like Royal Bank of Canada and axis Ballymun’s ‘Reducing Barriers to Create Programme’ provided artists with a bursary and an assistance budget as part of a bespoke scheme to support emerging artists who would typically have barriers to developing their practice. It is shortlisted for the Creative Access Award supported by Community Foundation Ireland.
Another Creative Access Award shortlisted nominee is ‘Breaking Ground Ireland’, a collaboration between Cúirt International Literature Festival, Speaking Volumes - a UK-based literary organisation - and University of Galway to produce a pamphlet that profiles 90 writers and illustrators from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in publishing who are currently enriching the literary landscape on the island of Ireland.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=da3uyU4JIFo
Nominations have also seen a rise in programmes that tackle issues such as sustainability, biodiversity, and the energy transition amongst others.
The aim of the ESB Brighter Future Arts Fund, shortlisted for Best Philanthropic Support to the Arts Award supported by the Arts Council, was to creatively use the arts to engage communities around the energy transition, sustainability, and climate change. Five projects across Ireland were selected, including Future Limerick Climate Arts Festival which took to the streets, parks, and theatres of Limerick for one week in May 2022.
Meanwhile Cork International Film Festival worked with new Susainability Partner Future Planet to improve climate literacy, encourage climate activism, and deliver positive impacts by engaging with audiences through film. They are shortlisted in the Best Small Sponsorship Award supported by Kmend.
The full shortlist for the 2023 Business to Arts Awards is:
Best Large Sponsorship
● Ebow The Digital Agency and Museum of Literature Ireland for ‘Digital at MoLI’
● IPUT Real Estate for ‘Living Canvas’
● KPMG and Children’s Books Ireland for ‘Reading Heroes’
● Lioncor and IMMA for ‘Éirigh’
Best Small Sponsorship supported by Kmend
● Walter’s Bar and ArtNetdlr
● HLB Ireland and Graphic Studio Dublin for ‘Returning Home’
● Amcomri Entertainment and Richard Harris International Film Festival
● Future Planet and Cork International Film Festival
Best Long-Term Partnership supported by The Irish Times
● Inspirational Arts and PhotoIreland
● Mason Hayes Curran LLP and Royal Dublin Society for ‘The RDS Mason Hayes & Curran Centre Culturel Irlandais Residency Award’
● KPMG and Children’s Books Ireland for ‘Reading Heroes’
● Ecclesiastical Insurance and Wexford Festival Opera for ‘Wexford Festival Opera’s Volunteer Programme’
Best Creativity in the Community supported by Irish Life
● ESB and National Concert Hall for ‘Quavers to Quadratics’
● The Housing Agency and Irish Architecture Foundation for ‘Housing Unlocked’
● Longford County Council and Tom Meskell for ‘Longford Lights Festival’
● Irish Hospice Foundation and axis Ballymun for ‘Deadly Conversations’
Best Creativity in the Workplace supported by ESB
● BioMarin and Rachel Doolin for ‘The Giving Tree’
● Walkers and National Concert Hall for ‘Primary Ensemble Project’
● Connected Hubs / Western Development Commission and Contemporary Irish Art Society for ‘Art in the Hubs’
● Hair & Beauty Industry Confederation of Ireland (HABIC), Leitrim County Council Arts Office and Amanda Jane Graham for ‘The Coiffured’
Creative Access Award supported by Community Foundation Ireland
● University of Galway, Cúirt International Festival of Literature and Speaking Volumes for ‘Breaking Ground Ireland’
● Royal Bank of Canada and axis Ballymun for ‘The RBC Reducing Barriers to Creation Programme’
● University College Cork and Cork Opera House for ‘Autistic Theatre Artist-in-Residence Programme’
● Accenture and National Concert Hall for ‘Creative Lab’
Jim McNaughton Perpetual Award for Best Commissioning Practice supported by TileStyle
● Pat McDonnell Paints and Ardú Street Art Ltd. for ‘Ardú Street Art Project’
● Iarnród Éireann / Irish Rail and Fresco Consulting for ‘Actually I Can’
● Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and John Rainey for ‘Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery Portrait Sculpture Commission’
● Henry J Lyons and Alex Pentek for ‘Primal Form’
Best Philanthropic Support to the Arts Award supported by the Arts Council
● Suzanne Lopez and Museum of Literature Ireland for ‘The Edna O’Brien Young Writers Bursary’
● ESB, Lime Tree Theatre | Belltable and Theatre Royal Waterford for ‘ESB Brighter Future Arts Fund’
● The Tomar Trust and Sample-Studios for ‘Studios of Sanctuary’
● Rethink Ireland and Sing Ireland for ‘SongSeeking’
Judges’ Special Recognition Award supported by Accenture
● National Concert Hall with Walkers, Accenture, The Tomar Trust, Grant Thornton, and ESB
● Cork International Film Festival with ESB Energy for Generations Fund, GATE Cinema, Future Planet, and Bank of Ireland Begin Together Arts Fund
● ESB with Cork International Film Festival, Lime Tree Theatre, Sunday’s Child, Theatre Royal Waterford, and National Concert Hall
The following awards will also be presented on the 12th September
Jim McNaughton / TileStyle €10,000 Artist’s Bursary
Accenture €10,000 Digital Innovation in Art Bursary
daa €5,000 Arts Award
The Judging Panel was:
● Luke Reaper (Chair), Managing Director, Behaviour & Attitudes
● Peter Lynch, Accenture
● Elaina Ryan, Children’s Books Ireland
● Hazel Hennessy, Community Foundation Ireland
● Susan Jackson, Irish Life
● Zbyszek Zalinski, RTÉ
● Máire Scully, ESB
● Andrew Clancy, Kingston School of Art (Arts Council)
● Solveiga Pangoniene, daa
● Gerard McNaughton, TileStyle
● Arthur Beesley, The Irish Times
For more information head to https://www.businesstoarts.ie/awards-and-events