2021 Business To Arts Awards Shortlist Announced
February 26th, 2021
Business to Arts Awards Shortlist and Sculptor Announcement 2021. ‘Balance’ by Kathleen Walsh, commissioned by daa. Photo: Conor McCabe
Despite the significant challenges faced by businesses and the arts over the past year, entries to the 29th Business to Arts Awards were significant. The shortlist showcases outstanding examples of creative partnerships, which are adapting to the current environment and are setting new standards for arts engagement and backing. The nominations received represented over €9m contributed to Irish arts and culture.
The Business to Arts Awards recognise businesses, philanthropists, artists and arts organisations that develop creative partnerships. Shortlisted partnerships focus on arts sponsorship, commissioning of artist, staff engagement and CSR initiatives, philanthropy and community engagement. Many of the collaborations are the result of long-term relationships. All of the shortlist demonstrate the importance of supporting the arts and the impact that can be made by quality partnerships.
This year’s winners will be presented with a limited edition award sculpture created by artist and woodturner, Kathleen Walsh. The Award Sculpture ‘Balance’ has been commissioned by daa for the 29th year. Kathleen Walsh’s art is an ongoing exploration of materials and processes, which attempts to find a balance between seemingly opposing elements such as the traditional and the modern. In the award sculpture ‘Balance,’ she builds further on this concept, and captures the balance necessary for a successful partnership between the arts and business.
The 2021 Business to Arts Awards will be broadcast online on April 21st from the GPO at 5pm. RSVP details here.
Andrew Hetherington, Chief Executive of Business to Arts, said:
“Now in their 29th year the Business to Arts Awards are more important than ever. Supporting the arts and recognising best-in-class partnerships between the businesses and the arts is critical. This year’s shortlist is full of exceptional relationships that showcase what can be achieved through collaboration, combined resources, determination and creativity. Together with our partners, Accenture, Arthur Cox, The Arts Council, daa, ESB, Irish Life, The Irish Times and TileStyle we congratulate the shortlist and look forward to celebrating with you all online on the 21st of April.”
Commenting on this year’s entries:
Etain Seymour, Director of Marketing + Communications at Accenture in Ireland said:
“It’s a real honour for me to chair this year’s judging panel. As an organisation that cares deeply about the arts, we are really delighted to support the judges’ special recognition award. The entries this year were of an extremely high standard; it was wonderful to see how the partnerships came together and showcased exceptional talent in many different forms of art from music and dance, to theatre and literature, and beyond. These creative partnerships span the length and breadth of the country and bring such joy to our communities and our workforces, while providing a powerful platform for artists. It is more important than ever to support the arts. “
Orla O’Connor, Chair, Arthur Cox said:
“Arthur Cox is delighted to partner with Business to Arts to support the awards. As we have lived through the challenges of life in a global pandemic over the last year, art has helped us to rise to those challenges. Art has given us inspiration and a sense of hope, positivity and wonder. It plays a vital role in helping us to connect and to find the creativity that is all around us. We wish all the shortlist the very best with their entries”.
Tony Lawless, Vice President, Canada Life (Irish Life) said:
“Creativity has always had a major role to play in lifting the nation’s spirits, and it was never needed more than now. Irish Life is delighted to support the award for “Best use of Creativity in the Community” and to recognise some truly great initiatives.”
Martin O’Sullivan, Deputy Director of the Arts Council said:
“As the Arts Council continues to create and embed a culture of sustainable giving to the arts sector, we are honoured to celebrate and acknowledge all philanthropic giving in support of the arts and recognise the extremely valuable contribution it makes. The Arts Council extends our thanks and congratulates the shortlist for this year’s award.”
Pat O’Doherty, CEO, ESB said:
“ESB is proud to support the award for “Best use of Creativity in the Workplace” as we believe creativity is key to sparking new ideas, facilitating change and driving employee engagement. There was an exceptionally high standard of entries for this category. Well done to everyone that entered and congratulations to those who made the shortlist.”
Liam Kavanagh, Managing Director, The Irish Times said:
“Trust, resilience and creativity are the hallmarks of the best long term partnerships and The Irish Times is all the more delighted to support this award. Congratulations to all those short-listed.”
Gerry Butler, Managing Director, TileStyle said:
“At TileStyle, we are proud and long-term supporters of the arts and Business to Arts. The shortlist in the Jim McNaughton / TileStyle Perpetual Award for Best Commissioning Practice reflects some of the best public art, online performances and workplace-based art we have seen. Commissioning artists to create new work is one way to support the arts and make our spaces more vibrant. Our congratulations to this year’s shortlist.”
The Business to Arts Awards 2021 Shortlist:
Best Large Sponsorship supported by Arthur Cox
- An Post Irish Book Awards
- Davy & National Concert Hall
- Dublin Port Company & axis Ballymun for ‘The Pumphouse Presents’
- Zurich & National Gallery of Ireland with Crawford Art Gallery for ‘Zurich Portrait Prize & Zurich Young Portrait Prize’
Best Small Sponsorship
- Aerogen & Druid
- ESB Energy for Generations Fund & Cork International Film Festival with Creative Ireland, Rethink Ireland and UCC School of Nursing and Midwifery for ‘Illuminate’ and ‘Intinn’
- Gurranabraher Credit Union & Sample-Studios for ‘PhotoGo’
- Medtronic & Baboró International Arts Festival for Children
Best Long Term Partnership supported by The Irish Times
- An Post Irish Book Awards
- Ecclesiastical & Wexford Festival Opera for ‘Ecclesiastical Volunteer of the Year Award’
- ESB & National Gallery of Ireland for ‘ESB Centre for the Study of Irish Art’
- Zurich & National Gallery of Ireland with Crawford Art Gallery for ‘Zurich Portrait Prize & Zurich Young Portrait Prize’
Best Use of Creativity in the Community supported by Irish Life
- An Post & Children’s Books Ireland for ‘ImagineNation’
- ESB Energy for Generations Fund & Cork International Film Festival with Creative Ireland, Rethink Ireland and UCC School of Nursing and Midwifery for ‘Illuminate’ and ‘Intinn’
- Flogas & Galway International Arts Festival with John Gerrard for ‘Mirror Pavilion’
- The Digital Hub & Dublin Dance Festival with the Selina Thompson Company for ‘The Missy Elliott Project’
Best Use of Creativity in the Workplace supported by ESB
- Iarnród Éireann / Irish Rail & Christopher Steenson for ‘On Chorus’
- KPMG & Children’s Books Ireland for ‘KPMG BOLD GIRLS meets 20×20’
- Publicis Dublin & Fishamble
- Walkers Ireland & Kate Nolan for ‘Walkers Photographer-in-Residence’
Jim McNaughton Perpetual Award for Best Commissioning Practice
- Accenture & Paul Harrison for ‘Quinquaginta’ and Fuchsia MacAree for ‘Fierce Determination’
- Chartered Land & Rachel Joynt for ‘Keepsake’
- Dublin Port Company and Iarnród Éireann / Irish Rail & Fishamble for ‘Embargo’
- IPUT & Leah Hewson for ‘Abiding Traces’
Best Philanthropic Support to the Arts supported by the Arts Council
- Lauritzson Foundation & Royal Irish Academy of Music
- Naughton Foundation & Museum of Literature Ireland
- Science Foundation Ireland & National Concert Hall in partnership with UCD and TCD Schools of Education
- Taylor Art Trust & RDS
Judges’ Special Recognition Award supported by Accenture
- Children’s Books Ireland for partnerships with An Post, Brown Bag Films, Community Foundation for Ireland, Ecclesiastical, KPMG, Rethink Ireland and William Fry
- Cork International Film Festival for partnerships with The Gate Cinemas, ESB Energy for Generations Fund, Creative Ireland, Rethink Ireland and UCC School of Nursing and Midwifery
- National Concert Hall for partnerships with Davy, Grant Thornton and Science Foundation Ireland
- National Gallery of Ireland for partnerships with ESB and Zurich
The following award will also be presented on the 21 April:
Jim McNaughton / TileStyle €10,000 Bursary for Artists
Members of this year’s Jury Panel were:
- Olga Barry – Director, Kilkenny Arts Festival
- Tony Lawless – Vice President, Canada Life (Irish Life)
- Hugh Linehan – Arts & Culture Editor, The Irish Times
- Gerard McNaughton – Creative Director, TileStyle
- David Molloy – Partner, Arthur Cox LLP
- Clodagh Dwan-O’Reilly – Employee Engagement & Communications Lead, ESB
- Martin O’Sullivan – Deputy Director, Arts Council
- Etain Seymour – Director of Marketing + Communications, Accenture in Ireland (Chair)
For more information, please contact awards@businesstoarts.ie