This year’s 32nd annual Business to Arts Awards took place on Monday night at the National Concert Hall. With over 500 business and arts leaders in attendance, the awards celebrated a series of inspiring partnerships between businesses, arts organisations and artists, demonstrating the importance of creativity in promoting inclusion, diversity, and accessibility within public spaces. The winning projects showcased the power of purposeful partnerships in creating lasting positive change. By engaging with underserved communities, improving mental health and wellness, and proposing innovative climate change solutions, these collaborations are setting new standards for social impact.
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.
Transforming solar panels into creative canvases
Alternus Energy Group & National College of Art and Design were awarded the ESB Creativity in the Workplace Award for the Alternus Sustainable Arts Initiative. This project now in its third year, creatively merges renewable energy and art by transforming decommissioned solar panels into canvases for contemporary artwork. By fusing the challenges of the renewable energy movement with artistic expression, the initiative not only promotes sustainability but also enriches Ireland’s cultural landscape.
Artists involved receive financial support and increased exposure, allowing them to pursue their creative work while addressing real-world environmental challenges.
Beyond this, the collaboration has fostered innovation by addressing real-world challenges and inspiring creativity in unexpected ways. The initiative stands out for its innovative approach to sustainability, repurposing solar panels to spark dialogue on climate change and our collective role in fostering a sustainable future.
Unique commission ignites net zero discussions
The Jim McNaughton/TileStyle Perpetual Award for Best Commissioning Practice was bestowed upon ESB and the Dublin Dance Festival for Kindred. This partnership showcased an innovative digital dance installation highlighting a remarkable fusion of art, sustainability, and community engagement. Celebrating the opening of ESB’s new sustainable headquarters, the performance (choreographed by Liz Roche) explored the intricate connections between nature and humanity, offering a unique perspective on sustainability and energy transition.
The public was invited to experience this innovative digital artwork by Lightscape and live performance free of charge, reinforcing ESB’s commitment to both the environment and community involvement. The collaboration not only provided a platform for artistic expression but also served as a powerful tool to engage ESB employees and the local community in critical discussions about our relationship with the planet. This partnership demonstrated how corporate partnerships with the arts can effectively highlight and address pressing global issues like climate change.
Technology and the natural world
The Accenture €10,000 Digital Innovation in Art Bursary was presented to 1iing Heaney. Since graduating from NCAD in 2015, 1iing Heaney’s work has intricately explored the interactions between technology and the natural world. Using digital mediums like CGI 3D computer animation to explore emerging technologies and laser 3D object scanning as a means of preserving organic organisms and objects she examines the delicate balance between human innovation and nature.
Heaney considers the “digital space to be an extension of the geological world – due to the mineral components used to produce digital technologies”. Her work offers a speculative vision of ecology where concepts like extinction and decay are reimagined. Recent projects include scanning trees and foliage in Ireland’s Tomnafinnoge Woods to explore replication in a CGI. Heaney continues to push the boundaries of digital and ecological art, reflecting a commitment to sustainability and the preservation of the natural world through technology-driven practices.
Power of dance in public spaces
In a vibrant display of art in public spaces, Waterways Ireland and CoisCéim Dance Theatre were awarded the Kmend Arts Partnership Award for their project, BENCH. This initiative unveiled 16 original dance performances along Dublin’s canals, transforming everyday spaces into stages and inviting over 1,500 people to pause and engage with the art around them.
BENCH celebrated the movement of water and people through the city, extending the question to wider society to consider how they interact with the canals. The performances highlighted shared values of sustainability and inclusivity, exemplifying how art can elevate the public realm, making it a space for everyone to experience and enjoy. At the heart of BENCH lies a commitment to sustainability, ensuring that the project not only engages the public but also fosters a deeper connection to the natural environment, encouraging a more thoughtful and responsible interaction with our shared spaces.
The Business to Arts Awards continue to champion the transformative power of partnerships between the corporate and arts sectors in Ireland. This year’s winners are a testament to how businesses and artists can collaborate to tackle societal challenges, promote inclusivity, and bring the arts to diverse communities. By fostering creativity and innovation, these partnerships are not only enriching cultural experiences but also driving positive social change. As these collaborations grow, they pave the way for more groundbreaking projects that address critical issues and inspire future generations to harness the arts for the greater good. The impact of these partnerships is a reminder that when creativity meets purpose, the possibilities are endless.
To learn more about how you can meet your business objectives while supporting the arts, contact hello@businesstoarts.ie