Climate Crisis Focus of Partnerships
Environmentally focused creative, cultural and artistic projects inspire us to think about the consequences of our behaviour on the planet, highlighting ecological issues, catalysing necessary conversations and often bringing us closer to nature. This theme was persistent in a number of winning partnerships at this year’s awards, spanning a range of art forms from film to sculpture and technology.
Power of Film to Inspire Environmental Action
The role of film as a powerful medium to raise awareness of climate change, inspired the winning partnership of this year’s Best Small Sponsorship Award supported by Kmend. Cork International Film Festival (CIFF) and Future Planet joined forces on a mission to improve climate literacy, encourage climate activism, and deliver positive impacts by engaging with audiences and stakeholders through film.
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Driven by the belief that everyone is good, Future Planet supported CIFF in developing and achieving their sustainability objectives, in turn delivering on their own SDG goals. The sustainability performance and reporting platform helped CIFF to better understand the environmental impact of its activities and develop a sustainability policy.
The positive impact of the work on Irish communities was clear from its high BSAT (sustainability self-assessment tool) scores. The partnership was activated through ‘Green Screen’, an environmental film strand, coupled with a headline event, the Irish premiere of ‘Fashion Reimagined’. This was followed by a panel discussion, hosted by the company’s chairman and ceo, technology entrepreneur Donal Daly. CIFF’s Green Screen strand highlights climate change and sustainability, as well as exploring solutions through film to promote action for positive change.
Technology and Art Help Shift Perspectives on Neurodiversity and Climate Action
The Winner of this year’s €10,000 Digital Innovation in Art Bursary, supported by Accenture was AlanJames Burns a neurodivergent, environmental and audio-visual artist and curator producing interactive, socially engaged and site-specific exhibitions. The focal points of their artistic practice are disability, climate change and the human mind. Underpinned by the evolutionary theory of Complementary Cognition, spearheaded by Dr Helen Taylor of Cambridge University, it is proposed that neurodiversity in humans is an evolutionary adaptation that enables creative problem-solving via collaboration with each other. “Nowhere is creative problem-solving more needed than the climate emergency,” says AlanJames whose work positions cognitive divergence as a force for positive environmental change.
AlanJames plans to use the bursary to significantly develop his body of research, exploring climate change and neurodiversity through the innovative use of Brain Computer Interface (BCI) technology. The new proposed artwork ‘Divergent Together’ will use ‘hyperscanning’, a technique using two BCI headsets so two people can simultaneously interact with the same artwork.
Bursaries like this one allow time and resources to an artist like AlanJames to fully embed this new technology into their work. AlanJames wishes to support the fight against climate change through their practice and be an advocate for people with disabilities in climate action.
Sculpture Underpins Pharmaceutical Company’s Sustainability Values
Environmental considerations were also a strong feature of other projects including the winner for Best Use of Creativity in the Workplace supported by the ESB. ‘The Giving Tree’, a commission by BioMarin via a competitive process, was awarded to visual artist and project designer Rachel Doolin, who created a sculpture to symbolise the Cork-based pharmaceutical company’s commitment to the environment and aspiration to create a better future for rare disease patients. The sculpture comprises 1200 bronze discs, with a native tree planted across Ireland for each one, including at schools and retirement homes underpinning the company’s sustainability strategy. Both partners spoke fondly of the deep relationship that formed between them during this collaboration. “Rachel created a connection with the people of the site that will outlive the duration of this project. She is now part of the BioMarin story,” said Conor Delaney, vice president/site lead at BioMarin. According to Rachel, The Giving Tree represents “an act of giving to BioMarin patients, to the earth and to all of the staff who are part of the BioMarin community. Its impact has grown branches extending beyond the sculpture, reaching out to touch the hearts of employees and the wider community”.
For many companies in the public and private sector, there is an ever more urgent need to engage and educate on the complex topics of climate, environment, and sustainability, “The quality of these award-winning partnerships demonstrates that collaborating with artists and arts organisations can yield innovative and thoughtful responses that can aid in shifting mindsets,” says Louise O’Reilly, chief executive of Business to Arts who run the awards each year. “We believe strongly in the value of creative thinkers and makers to help us critically engage with challenges the next decades will bring, and we are proud to celebrate those leading in the field,” she said.
The Business to Arts Awards, now in its 31st year, recognises businesses, philanthropists, artists, and arts organisations that develop creative partnerships. Entrants focus on arts sponsorship, commissioning of artists, staff engagement and CSR initiatives, philanthropy, and community engagement. To discuss available supports for creative partnerships with your arts programme or corporation or to become a member of Business to Arts, contact info@businesstoarts.ie