Our main priority during the COVID-19 pandemic is the safety of our employees, members, affiliates and the wider public. Our mission involves supporting people who work in the arts and in business. As a result, we will maintain an updated central reference page for all COVID-19 related advice and opportunities as they become known to us.

Business to Arts phone lines remain open for calls with our members, affiliates and for general queries from the public. We ask you to communicate with us through direct staff email or info@businesstoarts.ie as much as possible over the next couple of weeks to help us manage the workload as efficiently as possible.   

Here are the steps we are taking to help our members and affiliates

We advise that you maintain awareness of Government advice and supports contained on:

Hse.ie

Gov.ie including: Information for employers, information for employees and self employed, illness benefit for COVID-19 absences, social welfare COVID-19 contacts 

Department of Culture, Heritage & Gaeltacht 

Arts Council 

Charities Regulator

There are many useful Business Toolkits available online – here is one from BDO Ireland

Business to Arts & Fund it initial response:

We will centralise Business to Arts information and guidance here

Business to Arts will offer a series of online one-to-one clinics commencing 2nd April for our arts affiliates. We will be focusing on the individual needs of each organisation caused by COVID-19 during the session. These may include crisis fundraising and communications, sponsorship contracts and obligations, future fundraising plans and general business continuity queries. To book, please contact Michelle@BusinesstoArts.ie. 

Fundit.ie is accepting COVID-19-related emergency fundraising campaigns from March until the end of May. This will allow anyone that has experienced a sudden loss of income or may require funds as a result of COVID-19 to harness the power of their supporters to fund some or all of their needs.

From March until the end of May Fundit.ie will also reduce our commission for COVID-19 related crowdfunding campaigns from 8% to 4% during this period. i.e. only payment processing, merchant services and basic admin charges apply. We will work to reduce these further over the coming weeks. [update as of May 31st: commission reverted to 8%]

Fundraising Continuity / Advice ¹-²

Have a highly visible donation button on the homepage or your website and on your social media profile if possible.

For any cancelled performance/events, ask ticket buyers to donate the value of their ticket to you / your organisation so that the artists and your organisation is paid.

If you have cancelled or significantly scaled back a sponsored event, ask the sponsor/funder to relax the use of their funds. 

If you have large suppliers for your sponsored activities, ask for extended payment terms and/or consider payment forgiveness if your circumstances require this.

Gradually start to showcase your future plans for Autumn/Winter 2020 and beyond. While doing this, encourage your followers to support your organisation’s friends / membership campaign or ongoing fundraising campaign.

This might be a good time to kickstart or reinvigorate your  digital fundraising opportunities (e.g. fundit, patreon, gofundme etc). 

All communications related to the above should outline how the ticket price, sponsorship or donation will help you / your organisation survive during this difficult time.

One of the best ways to support artists is to buy their work. Find artists and arts organisations online and support them directly. Buy their vouchers, buy their books, listen to their music or watch their films on your chosen streaming services.

The Importance of Arts Advocacy 

It is important we all continue to make Government, the general public and private sector sponsors aware of the critical role of artists, creatives and Ireland’s cultural sector plays. We must make evidence-based arguments, which enhance supports for/investment in:

Artists, arts organisations and businesses impacted by the cancellation of mass events and closure of venues.

Self-employed workers and businesses (especially SME’s and cultural and creative businesses).  

In order to do this, we will work with all stakeholders to share knowledge, develop solutions and identify relevant supports. If you have an idea that you would like to discuss with us, please make contact via phone or info@businesstoarts.ie Please note that new Business to Arts initiatives will require further planning.

With thanks to key additional sources, partners & credits

1.DeVos Institute

2.NCFA

3.ThinkBusiness

RCSI Art Award 2018 recipient winner Amelia Stein commission launch. Pictured: Andrew Hetherington (Chief Executive, Business to Arts), Patrick T. Murphy (Director, RHA), President Kenneth Mealy (RCSI), President Abigail O’Brien (RHA), Aíne Gibbons (Director of Development, RCSI) and Amelia Stein (Photographer). Photo: Maxwell Photography

A new collection of nine contemporary photographic portraits of leading academic staff has been officially unveiled at RCSI. The portraits, by photographer Amelia Stein, recognise and celebrate the achievements of the extraordinary academic staff at RCSI.

The series was created by Amelia Stein, winner of the RCSI Art Award 2018 in association with The Irish Times and the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) Annual Exhibition. Complementing the Women on Walls collection which commemorates historical female leaders in healthcare, the portraits were commissioned by RCSI to enhance female representation across the University and to capture and honour the character and contributions of valued members of staff.

Professor Cathal Kelly, Chief Executive, RCSI, said: “We are committed to showcasing the achievements of our female academic leaders, providing inspiration for current and future generations of students and promoting gender diversity in higher education and healthcare. By raising the visibility of trailblazing colleagues who make significant contributions to education, research and healthcare here at RCSI, we create role models for future generation which we know is critical in promoting greater female representation. These portraits mark a significant place on our journey towards embedding a culture of equality, diversity and inclusivity throughout RCSI.”

Aíne Gibbons, Director of Development, Alumni Relations and Chair of the RCSI Art Committee, said: “We are delighted to add these wonderful portraits of RCSI’s great women leaders to RCSI’s art collection. I would like to congratulate Amelia Stein on this inspirational series of portraiture. We hope these portraits will inspire future generations and returning alumni.”

The RCSI Art Award was established in 2016 to celebrate the common heritage of RCSI and the RHA and the long-standing association between art, medicine and wellbeing.

Both RCSI and the RHA have Georgian origins and are 32-county bodies. RCSI was occupied, while the RHA was destroyed in the Easter Rising of 1916 and the RCSI Art Award was established to coincide with the centenary of these historic events. Past winners of the award include Remco de Fouw (2016), Miranda Blennerhasset (2017) and Mary A. Kelly (2019).

The nine trailblazers featured:

• Professor Marie Guidon, Foundation Head of School of Physiotherapy
• Professor Anne Hickey, Professor of Psychology and Deputy Dean for Positive Education
• Kate Kelly, Director Library Services, RCSI Library
• Professor Hannah McGee, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
• Professor Zena Moore, Professor and Head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery
• Professor Niamh Moran, Head of School of Postgraduate Studies
• Professor Mary Leader, Head of Department of Pathology
• Professor Tracy Robson, Professor and Head of the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences
• Professor Teresa Pawlikowska, Director of Health Professions Education Centre

About the artist
Born in 1958, Amelia Stein lives and works in Dublin, where she has established herself as a singularly exacting photographer whose work is characterised by meticulous attention to detail in tandem with the attributes of fine black and white photography.

As a performing arts photographer, Stein has worked in theatre and opera in Ireland from 1979 to 2000. Her signature black and white photography has featured widely in the music Industry and she was elected a member of the RHA in 2004 and of Aosdána in 2006. Fore more information, visit ameliastein.com.