Business to Arts Board Appointments Davina Saint, Myles Clarke & Fiona D’Arcy. Pictured is a piece by Orla Whelan, winner of the inaugural Merrion Plinth Award. Credit Conor McCabe

Myles Clarke, Managing Director of CBRE Ireland and Fiona D’Arcy, Chief Marketing Officer of Linesight have joined the Business to Arts Board of Directors. They join Davina Saint, who is Independent Non-Executive Director, and was appointed as Chair of Business to Arts in 2020.

Speaking about the appointments, Andrew Hetherington said “These new appointments align with Business to Arts’ strategic objectives, which include creative place-making and the integration of art and design into the recovery of cities and towns across Ireland.”

In October 2020, Business to Arts was appointed to the Arts & Culture Recovery Taskforce by Minister Catherine Martin TD. Among the recommendations of the taskforce report were to work in partnership with the private sector to activate appropriate public spaces for arts and cultural events and commissions. Business to Arts is responding to this recommendation through the development of donor-advised Arts Funds with a variety of donors and enhancing our advisory services team for the commissioning of art in the public realm.

• Davina Saint was appointed Chair of Business to Arts in 2020. Previously the Head of Branch for BNP Paribas Securities Services in Ireland, Davina joined the Board of NAMA in January of 2021. Davina is a senior level banking executive and qualified solicitor. She has extensive legal experience with 19 years as head of legal and general counsel for BNP Paribas’ operations in Ireland. She is also a chartered director and has built corporate governance and risk management experience across multiple boards and executive committees.
• Myles Clarke has 20-years’ experience running businesses in banking, capital markets and real estate in London and Dublin.  Myles was appointed Managing Director of CBRE Ireland in 2018 – Ireland’s largest real estate advisory firm.
• Fiona D’Arcy  has over 25 years’ national and international experience in B2B organisations ranging from start-ups through to large multinationals developing and implementing business and marketing positioning strategies. At Linesight, a global consultancy firm providing cost, project and program management services to a multitude of industry sectors, Fiona is passionate about driving growth in international markets and building brand profiles, brand positioning and brand awareness.

On their appointment Davina Saint, Chair of Business to Arts said: “I am so pleased to welcome Myles and Fiona to the Board.  They bring a wealth of experience and will add genuine stakeholder engagement to our organisation.   We are always looking to broaden the industry sectors with which we engage and these appointments deepen and broaden this base.”

On his appointment Myles Clarke said: “I am delighted to join the Business to Arts board at this critical time for artists and the arts sector. I have long admired the ethos and great work of the team at Business to Arts in supporting the importance of culture  world. I look forward to contributing to Business to Arts’ important mission and furthering the long-term strategy to champion the arts with businesses in Ireland”

On her appointment Fiona D’Arcy said: “All too often the value of arts and culture in the busy world of business can be overlooked. It has never been more important than it is now, as we live through a global pandemic, to recognise the positive impact that an immersive culture experience or beautiful artistic or creative place-making can have on our daily lives. We must continue to reinforce to our government and business communities alike the value that organisations such as Business to Arts can deliver. I am excited to have been welcomed to join such a coveted group of Board members in Business to Arts and relish the opportunity to make an impactful contribution to the roll out of their strategy and hope to act as an advocate for the organization both in Ireland and globally.”

Launching the Bank of Ireland Begin Together Arts Fund in partnership with Business to Arts, Francesca McDonagh, Group Chief Executive, Bank of Ireland and Andrew Hetherington, CEO, Business to Arts at the Bank of Ireland Cultural and Heritage Centre. Picture Robbie Reynolds.

The second round of the Bank of Ireland Begin Together Arts Fund, in partnership with Business to Arts was launched today. The all-island Begin Together Arts Fund will make a total of €1 million in arts funding available over three years, awarded to projects that are adapting due to the pandemic, or are inspired by and responding to our recovery.

The Arts Fund supports or commissions artists and arts organisations to develop arts projects that engage the individuals, audiences and communities involved. All art forms are eligible to apply to the fund. With this second round, Bank of Ireland and Business to Arts are encouraging more applications from artists who specialise in fine-art film and craft-related disciplines and from community arts organisations, who were under-represented in round one.

During the first round of the Arts Fund over €300,000 was distributed to 36 projects across the island of Ireland. Projects such as ‘Yes, But Do You Care?’, a collaboration between visual artist Marie Brett, choreographer/performer Philip Connaughton, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, and the Dementia Carers Campaign Network that recently launched online via the Irish Museum of Modern Art; Mobile Music Ensemble’s ‘Covid Care Concerts’ which toured hospitals and care homes during 2020 and will continue their concerts in coming months; and ‘Locked up in Lockdown’, a theatre collaboration between the Lyric Theatre, Belfast and members of a young offenders’ centre about their experiences of the pandemic.

Oliver Wall, Chief of Staff and Head of Group Corporate Affairs, Bank of Ireland said, “I’m delighted that the Bank of Ireland Begin Together Arts Fund continues to support new work and artistic practice during these challenging times for the arts. It represents an important part of our wider support for communities across the island of Ireland. The projects supported by the Fund will have an important role to play in helping us all to reflect on the last 12 months and look to brighter days ahead.”

Catherine Martin, TD, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media said, “The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown what we value most into sharp relief. It is both poignant and powerful to see the eagerness with which cultural content is being consumed and craved, as we now look hopefully towards better times.  Thanks to funding provided by my Department, this second round of the Begin Together Arts Fund, in partnership with Business to Arts, will support artists and arts organisations in realising their projects in innovative and engaging ways. I am delighted to see this Fund continue to benefit the sector.”

Andrew Hetherington, CEO, Business to Arts said, “The Begin Together Arts Fund is a vital source of private sector funding for the arts.  The projects funded in round one demonstrate the adaptability and resilience of Ireland’s arts sector. Business to Arts is proud work in partnership with Bank of Ireland as we progress the fund, reach more communities and help realise quality arts experiences for people across the island of Ireland”.

About the Bank of Ireland Begin Together Arts Fund:

This Fund provides fees to artists or groups of artists to create new work and help maximise the budgets of partner organisations (e.g. arts organisations, community/voluntary organisations, etc.) for their programme of activity.

Artists or groups of artists applying must work with a partner organisation (e.g. a venue or event, arts organisation, community/voluntary organisation or another funding agency/organisation). Applicants can request funds between €3,000 – €10,000 / (STG equivalent), and average grants will be €5,000 / (STG equivalent), with maximum grants of €10,000 / (STG equivalent). Arts projects with larger budgets that have secured funds elsewhere are encouraged to apply. With each grant round, the Fund aims to provide funding to an arts project in each county on the island of Ireland.

Closing date for the second round of applications is Wednesday, 23 June 2021 at 5pm. Go to www.businesstoarts.ie/artsfund/bank-of-ireland for information on the application process and to complete the online application form.