Business to Arts urges Mayo organisations to apply for annual awards
The closing date for nominations for the 2024 Business to Arts Awards is fast approaching, with applications open until Tuesday, April 30. Mayo has featured eight winners since the prestigious awards were first established in 1991.
The awards recognise outstanding partnerships that have transformed the cultural landscape of Ireland in the past year. From businesses to philanthropic organisations and individuals, these awards highlight those private sector entities who have fostered exceptional partnerships with artists and arts organisations.
Visit www.businesstoarts.ie/awards for further information and to complete the online application.
The awards has a total of 12 categories celebrating arts sponsorship, commissioning, philanthropy, staff engagement programmes, corporate social responsibility, access programmes, and creative community initiatives, ranging from small-scale initiatives to large-scale and long-term engagements with national reach. They will take place on September 9, once again in the National Concert Hall.
Applications are welcomed from projects of all sizes, with the judges looking to award relationships that show true collaboration between the partners, alongside, fresh ideas, and genuine impact on the community, audiences, and wider society.
Business to Arts Awards winners in 2023 included ‘Living Canvas’, a cultural initiative by property investment company IPUT Real Estate which won Best Large Sponsorship for its large-scale outdoor LED installation that to date has showcased 110, mainly Irish, individual artists, writers and poets; ‘Housing Unlocked’, which won Best Use of Creativity in the Community, an initiative by the Irish Architecture Foundation and The Housing Agency which saw architects propose solutions to the housing crisis that were then exhibited in Science Gallery Dublin; while the winner of the Accenture €10,000 Digital Innovation in Art Bursary was AlanJames Burns, who will use the bursary to significantly develop their body of research, exploring climate change and neurodiversity through the innovative use of Brain Computer Interface technology.
Accenture leads as Innovation Partner for the third year, and provider of the Digital Innovation in Arts €10,000 Bursary, underscoring its commitment to driving creativity and innovation in the arts.
This year, Business to Arts welcomed a new sponsor, CBRE, to support the Major Arts Partnership category, recognising outstanding collaborations between businesses and arts organisations/artists where the sponsorship exceeds €25,000 cash or in-kind.
Meadhbh McClean, CBRE, speaking about joining the awards as a sponsor, commented: “The role of artists and arts organisations in connecting communities is so important to us at CBRE. We are delighted and immensely proud to honour the remarkable collaborations shaping Ireland's cultural landscape.”
The annual Bursary programme at the Awards features three monetary prizes including the longest-running bursary, the Jim McNaughton/TileStyle €10,000 Artist’s Bursary, now in its 16th year; the annual daa €5,000 Arts Award inaugurated in 2002 and the Accenture €10,000 Digital Innovation in Art Bursary.
Speaking about the awards, Louise O’Reilly, chief executive, Business to Arts, said: “As we near the closure of the nominations process, I encourage organisations who feel that they have a worthy initiative to make sure to apply. This year, as always, we have been invigorated by the overwhelming support of our sponsors. Their enthusiastic backing amplifies our mission to celebrate purposeful partnerships of all kinds between the corporate and cultural sectors.”
Corporates interested in demonstrating how they value the arts in Ireland should get in touch with Business to Arts to learn more. The closing date for Awards applications is midnight April 30. Go to www.businesstoarts.ie/awards for information on the application process and to complete the online application form.