The 2021 Business to Arts CEO Forum in association with PwC will take place virtually on Thursday, 4th November 2021.

Sustainability is now a central part of every conversation about the future of the corporate and cultural sectors.

In 2021, PwC conducted a CEO Survey which found that in Ireland, just 32% of leaders are factoring climate change into their strategic risk management.

The 2021 Business to Arts CEO Forum in association with PwC invites CEOs and leaders across business and the arts sectors in Ireland to share knowledge and discuss emerging ideas in their sectors.

This year’s Forum will have 5 speakers from a diverse range of industries discussing their sustainability strategies, how they are tackling challenging targets and the power of communications in our journey to Net Zero.

This year’s panellists include:

Tania Banotti, Director of Creative Ireland

Cathal Marley, CEO at Ervia Group

Virginia Teehan, Chief Executive of The Heritage Council

David McRedmond, CEO of An Post

Feargal O’Rourke, Managing Partner at PwC

With moderation from Dearbhail McDonald, Journalist & Broadcaster and opening remarks from Andrew Hetherington, Chief Executive at Business to Arts.

Access to the event is available for Business to Arts’ Members and Affiliates. For more information email Emily.

Pictured are Louis Lovett and Lola Metcalfe from Theatre Lovett, one of the groups to receive funding, along with Bank of Ireland Interim Chief Marketing Officer Laura Lynch. Theatre Lovett is one of the leading companies in Ireland making theatre for all ages.

Bank of Ireland, in partnership with Business to Arts, have announced the 39 projects spanning music, theatre, dance, film, craft and the visual arts that will receive support from the second phase of the Bank of Ireland Begin Together Arts Fund.

Funding of €335,000 will be provided to artworks or arts projects which have been inspired by the experience of living through COVID-19 or have been adapted in response to the pandemic. The all-island Begin Together Arts Fund will open for a third round of applications in 2022 and will make a total of €1 million in arts funding available between 2020 and 2022.

Francesca McDonagh, Group Chief Executive of Bank of Ireland, said:

“The arts enrich our lives, but this sector has been one of the most seriously impacted during the pandemic. The Begin Together Arts Fund has helped sustain the development of new work and artistic practice during the pandemic and the new projects announced today will continue to enrich our lives and communities into the future.”

Among the 39 artists and projects funded, the Begin Together Arts Fund grants will support:

Theatre Lovett, The Girl who Forgot to Sing Badly, by Finegan Kruckemeyer, directed by Lynne Parker is a highly-acclaimed theatrical performance presented by Theatre Lovett. In partnership with Theatre Royal, this project will reframe the performance, digitally, for a new generation of young audiences. Teachers will receive free access to a pre-recorded performance from the Sydney Opera House, and a tailored teaching resource pack to support classroom engagement. In addition, each classroom around the county will have access to an inspiring Q&A session with actor Louis Lovett live from Theatre Royal. The Girl who Forgot to Sing Badly was originally commissioned by The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children and produced by The Ark in association with Theatre Lovett.

Connecting Communities will see artists Kathryn Boyle and Ciara Dunne working in partnership with Beat Carnival to facilitate the creation of an outdoor winter lantern parade connecting neighbouring communities through the crafting of festival floats and lanterns.

The Music Box, conceptualised by visual arts duo Cleary Connolly in partnership with Sample Studios and Cork City Council’s Glow Festival, will see the Cork Youth Orchestra perform while motion capture technology turns their movements into light projections, bringing a sound and light show to both interior and exterior audiences.

The Music Network Roscommon Teaching Residency, led by musician Cathy Jordan will take a hybrid approach to music residency, providing participants with a course of one-to-one lessons, both in-person and online, culminating in a series socially distanced ensemble performances.

Please see here for the full list of supported projects.

Minister Catherin-Martin with Gill Fenton of Lime Tree Theatre (L) and Catherine Hearn of Music Network (R) with Business to Arts CEO Andrew Hetherington. Credit Conor McCabe

Business to Arts is delighted to announce applications are now open for the third round of the 24-month Fundraising Fellowship, Ireland programme in partnership with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

Fundraising Fellowship, Ireland will offer two cultural organisations 50% part-funding toward the employment of full-time ‘fundraising’ or ‘marketing & fundraising’ professionals over a 24-month period. The recruited Fellows will be supported by a structured programme of training and mentorship with Business to Arts. The aim is to equip the recruited fellows and their cultural organisations with skills to build fundraising capacity in their organisations.

Grants will be for a maximum of €15,000 per annum over a 24-month period and are aimed at subsidising the cost of full-time or contracted (minimum two-year) Fundraising or Marketing & Fundraising Executive.

For Business to Arts and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, the overall objective of the Fundraising Fellowship, Ireland is:

• to continue and enhance prior investment by national and regional cultural organisations in the development of human resources and capacity building.
• to create stronger cultural organisations who are committed to long term sustainability, based on business minded planning and a cultural strategy.
• to facilitate cultural organisations in gaining knowledge so they can leverage and increase resources in a long-term and sustainable way thereby maintaining and improving their longevity.
• to address the 6 key barriers identified in the 6-year review of New Stream programme review 2016 http://www.businesstoarts.ie/newstream/.

Lime Tree Theatre and Music Network are organisations currently completing the programme. Past participants under Fundraising Fellowship, Ireland include Druid Theatre and Cork International Film Festival. Past participants under Fundraising Fellowship, Dublin include Helium Arts, Temple Bar Gallery + Studies & Fishamble: A New Play Company. Druid Theatre, Cork Film Festival and Dublin Theatre Festival.

For full details & to apply please click here.

The closing date for applications is 5pm on Wednesday 24th November 2021. 

Fundraising Fellowship, Ireland is a partnership between Business to Arts & the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

Job Description 

Contract: Fixed Term (full-time – negotiable), three years

Salary: €42,000 – €47,000 (+ performance-related bonus)

Location: Blended on-site (Dublin 2), client-based (Dublin & National) & remote. 

Full job description

Deadline:  23rd Feb 2023

Are you a driven and dynamic person with a passion for the arts and an entrepreneurial mindset? Do you have a proven track record in increasing revenue streams? Could you combine your business acumen and creativity to play a critical and strategic role in helping Business to Arts to achieve its ambitions? At an exciting time for Business to Arts, we are looking for a dynamic individual to join our high-performing and supportive team, in a varied role fundamental to the success of Business to Arts corporate and donor engagement. 

Our key activity includes Capacity Building in the arts sector, providing Curatorial & Cultural Strategy Services to the corporate sector, and Community Building between arts and business. For more information, see the notes at the end of this document. 

Business to Arts is in the process of developing a new five-year strategy to deliver ever greater impact across the arts sector and value for our members while exploring emerging opportunities to realise the financial value of BtoA’s own specialist services and expertise. This senior management role will be a key player in the future of BtoA and our impact, and in the innovation of our operations and activity, so this appointment is a critical one to ensure our ambition is supported by the most highly engaged and dynamic fundraising and delivery team possible.  

Job Description

The Head of Business Development is a fundraising and business development role that takes a portfolio approach to lead, develop, and deliver Business to Arts’ Membership programme—including corporate and private donors, and oversee the development and delivery of member projects, which include Advisory Services and Arts Funds. 

Reporting to the CEO, as the Head of Business Development you will form part of our executive leadership team and will work closely with the Head of Communications & Partnerships, the Arts Portfolio Manager, and the Curatorial Projects Manager to support the development and delivery of our wider services, and line-manage the Membership & Projects Manager. You will coordinate with the Board of Business to Arts’ to leverage their expertise, insights, and networks. 

Core Competencies

The Head of Business Development will be an experienced fundraiser, business development executive, account manager, or similar who knows how to quickly mobilise new prospect pipelines and convert leads, attracting, building, and maintaining relationships across the corporate sector and beyond. 

The successful candidate must have the drive to reach challenging revenue targets and KPIs. You must combine commercial acumen and budgeting expertise to ensure a sustainable future for Business to Arts by proactively increasing opportunities for corporate engagement and the retention of these relationships. 

You will be a consummate networker with a proven track record of winning business and working successfully with corporate clients or members and/or private donors. The team at Business to Arts is mission-led and business-focused, and we seek someone with similar values who can inspire those you interact with to commit to and support our mission to support the arts, driving value for all parties involved.

Full job description, key responsibilities and terms and conditions can be read here.

To apply for the role 

• Candidates can submit enquiries and their application in confidence to recruitment@businesstoarts.ie with [your name // Head of Business Development] in the subject line. 
• Each application must include a concise cover letter (max. 1 page) outlining how they meet the above requirements and CV (max. 2 pages). 
• The deadline for applications is 5.00pm on 23rd Feb 2023. 
• First-round interviews are scheduled for the week commencing 27th Feb 2023. 
• Applicants should be available to commence the role (ideally) in March 2023.

Business to Arts is an equal opportunities employer.