Business2Arts is the new name and corporate identity of Cothu, the business council for the arts.

And to coincide with the name change Business2Arts has introduced its website, www.business2arts.ie.

There are two reasons for the corporate change, says Ms Brigid Roden, chief executive of Business2Arts.

"First, the economic and cultural environments are very different from 1988 when Cothu was established, with more money in the country and more vibrancy in the arts.

"There is also a greater understanding of the role of arts sponsorship in corporate communications. Business sponsorship of the arts is no longer a one-way street; it is increasingly a partnership or a business deal," she said yesterday at the relaunch of the council in the House of Lords in the Bank of Ireland, Dublin.

Ms Roden said Business2Arts aimed encourage the use of artists in areas such as staff motivation, team building or presentation skills, to encourage businesses to engage artists in residence, to encourage the practice of bringing the artists into the canteen, the atrium and the boardroom.

"In other words, to look creatively at how business and the arts can work together to their mutual benefit," she said.

Creative Development at Arts and Business, the British equivalent of Business2Arts, uses artists to deal with issues such as communication, team building and creativity.

Its director, Mr Tim Stockil, who was in Dublin yesterday, said one British food company which wished to change its delivery service from "delivery" focus to "customer" focus introduced a theatre company, with actors specially trained in this work, which devised a play, based on the issue.

In Ireland, he said, Nortel Networks in Galway had this advanced approach to arts sponsorship. To become a foundation patron member of Business2Arts costs £5,000 a year, which allows the company to nominate a representative to the council of the organisation. Ordinary corporate membership costs £1,000 a year.

Business2Arts provides members with details of sponsorship opportunities, strategic advice and a mentoring scheme for people in business. It also organises cultural evenings and seminars and also funds a business programme for arts organisers.