Hunt Museum. Photograph by Des Crowley

John Gilhooly OBE, Wigmore Hall London, in conversation with Éamonn Lawlor, RTÉ lyric fm
Hunt Museum, Limerick
Monday 20 October, 2.00pm

Presented in association with Business to Arts’ New Stream Programme, the Hunt Museum will host an ‘In Conversation’ event with Limerick’s John Gilhooly OBE, who has been Executive Director of the Wigmore Hall London since 2002, and Artistic Director since 2005.

Gilhooly has overseen the artistic, financial and administrative transformation of the Hall over the past 12 years. His tenure as Artistic Director has seen record box office returns and its highest ever membership levels, as well as a doubling of overall revenue and annual fundraising. As Artistic Director of Wigmore Hall, he programmes the largest chamber music and song series in the world and has twice been named in ‘London’s Top 100 Opinion Makers’ by Time Out magazine and was listed in the Evening Standard’s ‘Most Influential’ list for 2011.

He has also led two successful capital appeals for £7m, and a total of £25 million has been raised for capital and artistic projects, to date, during his tenure. In 2004 he managed the refurbishment of the Hall and in 2006 he led the acquisition of a 250 year lease for Wigmore Hall. He also established the highly regarded CD label Wigmore Hall Live, and introduced an ambitious new music and commissioning scheme, expanding Wigmore Hall’s programming in both traditional and new directions.

John will be interviewed by RTÉ lyric fm broadcaster, Éamonn Lawlor, who was formerly with the RTÉ Current Affairs team. The event will last approximately 90 minutes including a lively Q&A.

Email Brídín Kelly or call the Hunt Museum 061 490 084 to reserve tickets

We’re delighted to announce the appointment of Andrew Hetherington as Chief Executive following a public recruitment process.

Andrew has been Project Director with Business to Arts since 2007 working extensively across the organisation’s business and arts networks.

Speaking about the appointment, our Chairman, Michael Owens said “Andrew has made a significant contribution over the last 7 years, we are delighted that he has accepted the role of Chief Executive and we are confident that Andrew will lead the organisation in a manner that optimises value for our stakeholders.”

On his new position, Andrew said, “This is an exciting time for Business to Arts. Our membership base is growing and we continue to build rewarding partnerships between the corporate and cultural sectors. Our reputation as an impact-driven organisation is a tribute to the energy of my predecessor, Stuart McLaughlin, and our passionate and committed Board and team. I am looking forward to working with our members to find new and innovative ways to collaborate.”

Andrew Hetherington graduated with a Masters in Cultural Policy & Arts Management from UCD in 2007 having spent seven years in Corporate Treasury with De Lage Landen, a division of Rabobank International. Since joining Business to Arts he has led sponsorship, philanthropy, fundraising and art collecting consultancy and research projects with corporate members. Andrew played an integral role in developing Fund it, our crowdfunding platform for creative ideas launched in 2011.  He is the Chair of the Butler Gallery in Kilkenny, an International Fellow of the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at The Kennedy Center, and is a member of the Irish Government’s Forum on Philanthropy and Fundraising.

Pictured from Left to right: Brendan Murphy, CEO of Allianz, Trevor White, Director of The Little Museum of Dublin, Liam Reid, Corporate Relations Director, Diageo , Rowena Neville, Director of Marketing & PR of Business to Arts, Diarmuid Morrissey, Managing Director, Direct Medical, Turlough Galvin, Partner, Matheson. The Little Museum of Dublin, won the Judges Special Recognition award at this year’s Allianz Business to Arts Awards

The Little Museum of Dublin, Ulster Bank, BNP Paribas, Coca-Cola and Google were among those who garnered awards at this years’ Allianz Business to Arts Awards ceremony at the National Concert Hall on 9 September 2014.

An Uachtarán na hÉireann, President Michael D Higgins joined 500 business and arts leaders at the National Concert Hall for the 23rd year of the event held to announce the winners of the 2014 awards. Both the highly commended and winning partnerships represent a broad range of artistic and business interests ranging from an international festival to artists collaborating with young people in hospitals on a diverse range of artistic projects, bringing joy, increased socialisation and a sense of ownership to the hospital space.

The Allianz Business to Arts Awards recognise businesses, artists and arts organisations that develop creative partnerships, bringing the arts and artists into mutually beneficial relationships across society.

The Allianz Business to Arts Awards 2014 Winners are:

Best Use of Creativity in the Community: BNP Paribas & Helium Arts for ‘Cloudlands Dublin’

Best Creative Staff Engagement: Coca-Cola International Services with Kieran Gallagher & Thomas Duffy for ‘Bridges’

Jim McNaughton Perpetual Award for Best Commissioning Practice: Mayo County Council & Linenhall Arts Centre for the FIND project

Jim McNaughton / TileStyle €10,000 Artist’s Bursary: Petal Pilley. Nominated by Blue Teapot Theatre Company

Dublin Airport Authority €5,000 Arts Award: Children’s Books Ireland for ‘Bookbag’

Allianz Community Art Prize: Creative Exchanges, a project by Age & Opportunity

Best Small Sponsorship – under €25,000 value: Mason Hayes & Curran & Temple Bar Gallery + Studios

Best Long Term Partnership: Ulster Bank & Galway International Arts Festival

Best Large Sponsorship – over €25,000 value: Google Ireland & Science Gallery

Judges’ Special Recognition: The Little Museum of Dublin

Speaking at the announcement of the winners, Brendan Murphy, CEO of Allianz said, “This year’s awards showcase an inspirational range of organisations and communities that work together to enrich our culture both nationally and individually. I am always inspired by the creativity and innovation of our winners. These awards demonstrate yet again the contribution and creativity in both the business and arts community, and its importance to our economic and cultural recovery. We may be seeing our economy start to recover, but we have always been culturally rich. The winners and those highly commended continue to add to this and show how cultural patronage will always bear economic fruit.”

Rowena Neville, Director of Marketing & PR for Business to Arts, said “as confidence grows in the marketplace, it’s been really interesting and positive to see a growth in the portfolio approach taken by some businesses in their arts sponsorship, developing partnerships across a number of artforms and organisations, helping them engage different audiences or deliver on specific business challenges. We’re also seeing arts organisations managing multiple high-profile partnerships to help them achieve their goals. This approach can only impact positively on the sustainability of the arts sector into the future.”

For a look at photographs from the Awards ceremony and event, please check our flickr account here