Brokering exciting new relationships between the corporate and the cultural

“Underdeveloped” is how some people working in the area of arts sponsorship and philanthropy would describe the relationship between Irish arts institutions and the country’s corporate sector. Now, with state funding either stagnant or declining, Irish arts organisations are faced with the necessity of discovering and growing relationships with businesses.

Perhaps the central agent in helping to develop skills and awareness in this area is Business to Arts, a non-profit organisation that seeks to aid businesses and arts organisations in getting the most out of these kinds of partnerships.

“Our main focuses at the moment are around actively brokering relationships between the corporate and the cultural community,” says Business to Arts chief executive Stuart McLaughlin. “We are trying to ensure we support and establish mutually beneficial relationships between those two worlds.”

This includes keeping an active network of arts organisations in touch with a network of businesses and highlighting opportunities for both sides, whether that’s simply a business looking to acquire or commission pieces of art for the walls of the office or a more involved sponsorship of an event.

When a match is made, Business to Arts is there to advise and help both sides avoid any potential pitfalls – unreasonable expectations and bad communication being the most common problems.

Business to Arts also runs a professional development programme for arts organisations called New Stream, which is supported by Bank Of America Merrill Lynch. Begun in 2009, the programme teaches arts groups how to become more effective and sustainable in terms of strategic planning, management and fundraising. In effect, many arts organisations have to become more professional, in the corporate sense, to be truly viable for sponsorship. New Stream is the most advanced example of the kind of mentoring required to make that happen.

While younger companies tend to be associated with innovative marketing and viral ad campaigns, according to McLaughlin, it tends to be more established companies that invest in sponsorship of the arts.

“In terms of younger business, it happens – but it doesn’t happen as much,” he says. “I think it’s often to do with young companies not having considered that aspect of their business yet. As businesses tend to mature and to settle into what they do and how they act, then they might take the time to work things out.”

Though the scale of Irish companies’ involvement in sponsorship might be smaller, and the price of entry a little lower, the ambition is no different. Irish organisations are seeking partnerships that reflect the kinds of businesses they see themselves to be – with strong links to their products, of course.

McLaughlin mentions TileStyle’s upcoming exhibition with students of the ceramics department at the National College of Art and Design. Another example is paint manufacturer Colortrend’s recent partnering with the Arts Council, helping them to present the Into The Light exhibition tour around Ireland last year. According to Colortrend’s Liam Holland, the local connection is a key reason for their involvement. “I think the local stuff is something that really excites us,” he says.

One example is their sponsorship of Patrick Scott’s Image Space Light, currently showing in VISUAL in Carlow. As sponsors, Colortrend will invite local stockists to the exhibition, potentially exposing local business to just the kind of discerning paint-buyer they want to attract - local art enthusiasts and the gallery themselves. Keeping that business local is good for everyone.“It’s supporting their community and it’s in their art gallery in their town,” says Holland. “And it’s that kind of thing we’re trying to get to.”

The challenge for smaller businesses is finding a suitable match; one that isn’t too big to be affordable or too small to be worthwhile. The most successful partnerships mean unique brand placements and good exposure on a relatively small budget. For a business like Colortrend, who rely on independent stockists and customers willing to pay more for a higher quality product, sponsoring art is an act of self-definition, carving out a niche market away from the traditional big-budget advertising of their multinational competitors and big-box stores.

While businesses are of course eager to see some return on their investment, Seamus Mulcrony of Philanthropy Ireland thinks their motivations can be more nuanced than that.

“One of the strongest reasons why companies give is, not so much an external marketing message but an internal message to their own employees as to what kind of company they work for,” he says.

“I think from a company perspective, if a company has a commitment to excellence, then the excellence we see in the arts kind of reflects back on that company. That’s a reason why some companies like to be involved with the arts. They have a sense of doing good work themselves therefore they want to be associated with people who do good, innovative and creative work.”

It’s become a platitude that Irish art is important to our global image, but Maurice Healy, founder of the Healy Foundation and chairman of Philanthropy Ireland, sees the perceived cultural authenticity of the arts as an increasingly important factor in attracting foreign investment.

“It’s interesting that we’re finding more businesses are engaging with the arts because they see it as a real avenue of development from a cultural standpoint in Ireland,” he says.

“So when we bring Druid or we bring the Chamber Orchestra to America, we don’t just show what we’re doing in the cultural aspect of Ireland but we’re also promoting it because there are businesses behind those organisations as they go on their tours.”

Though starting from a comparatively low base, the relationships between the arts and business here are developing.

Arts organisations feel the benefit of well-needed extra cash, and sometimes even new audiences, while businesses gain unique advertising platforms and a strong cultural association; a sort of arts-backed reinforcement of their brand. Necessity breeds innovation and it seems like this area will only continue to grow over the coming years.