The 2023 Business to Arts Awards shortlist highlights access to the creative arts and strong support from construction sector
Today, Business to Arts announces the shortlist for this year’s Business to Arts Awards, taking place at the National Concert Hall on Tuesday, 12th September.
This year’s shortlist represents a mix of innovative, new partnerships initiated as organisations emerged from the pandemic, as well as a clear intention to provide new pathways and opportunities for underrepresented artists and communities. The construction sector also showed renewed support for the Arts with applications from IPUT, Lioncor, Cairn Homes, Hibernia REG, Henry J. Lyons and organisations such as Irish Architecture Foundation and the Housing Agency.
The Judging Panel featured representatives from Accenture, The Irish Times, Community Foundation Ireland, ESB, RTÉ, daa, Irish Life, the Arts Council, TileStyle, Kmend, and Children’s Books Ireland and was chaired by Luke Reaper, Managing Director of Behaviours and Attitudes.
The Business to Arts Awards recognise businesses, philanthropists, artists, and arts organisations that develop compelling creative partnerships. Shortlisted partnerships focus on arts sponsorship, philanthropy, commissioning of artists, and CSR initiatives, such as employee and community engagement. This year a new Creative Access Award supported by Community Foundation Ireland was launched, seeking to recognise partnerships that offer the opportunity for marginalised and underrepresented groups to participate in the arts.
Award winners will be presented with a limited edition award sculpture created by sculptor Chloe Lennon. The Award Sculpture ‘Equilibrium’ has been commissioned by daa for the 31st year. Chloe Lennon grew up in the midlands of rural Ireland, with a strong interest in natural textures and forms. Her piece represents the relationship between natural and manmade landscapes, focusing on human interventions in nature as we strive to become more conscientious and symbiotic.
The 2023 Business to Arts Awards will take place on Tuesday, 12th September at the National Concert Hall. A total of €25,000 will be presented to successful artists and arts organisations through bursaries and awards on the night.
Louise O’Reilly, Chief Executive of Business to Arts, said:
“A bumper year of high-quality applications post-pandemic meant that this was a very tough judging process with a rise in the focus on community, societal issues, and access to the arts seen across the board. We are so grateful for the time, attention and consideration of the judges in what is a mammoth task.”
Luke Reaper, Judging Chair, said:
“It was an honour to chair the judging panel for this year's Business to Arts Awards, as they are vital in illustrating the impact of business supporting the arts. This year's shortlist makes it clear that businesses are engaging at a highly creative level across a breadth and depth of the activity in the sector, with exciting newer initiatives emerging alongside more established partnerships. I would especially like to thank the judges for their dedication and treating every entry as a potential winner. I wish the shortlisted partnerships luck on the night!”
The 2023 Business to Arts Awards shortlist is:
Best Large Sponsorship
- Ebow The Digital Agency and Museum of Literature Ireland for ‘Digital at MoLI’
- IPUT Real Estate for ‘Living Canvas’
- KPMG and Children’s Books Ireland for ‘Reading Heroes’
- Lioncor and IMMA for ‘Éirigh’
Best Small Sponsorship supported by Kmend
- Walter’s Bar and ArtNetdlr
- HLB Ireland and Graphic Studio Dublin for ‘Returning Home’
- Amcomri Entertainment and Richard Harris International Film Festival
- Future Planet and Cork International Film Festival
Best Long-Term Partnership supported by The Irish Times
- Inspirational Arts and PhotoIreland
- Mason Hayes Curran LLP and Royal Dublin Society for ‘The RDS Mason Hayes & Curran Centre Culturel Irlandais Residency Award’
- KPMG and Children’s Books Ireland for ‘Reading Heroes’
- Ecclesiastical Insurance and Wexford Festival Opera for ‘Wexford Festival Opera’s Volunteer Programme’
Best Creativity in the Community supported by Irish Life
- ESB and National Concert Hall for ‘Quavers to Quadratics
- ’The Housing Agency and Irish Architecture Foundation for ‘Housing Unlocked’
- Longford County Council and Tom Meskell for ‘Longford Lights Festival’
- Irish Hospice Foundation and axis Ballymun for ‘Deadly Conversations’
Best Creativity in the Workplace supported by ESB
- BioMarin and Rachel Doolin for ‘The Giving Tree’
- Walkers and National Concert Hall for ‘Primary Ensemble Project’
- Connected Hubs / Western Development Commission and Contemporary Irish Art Society for ‘Art in the Hubs’
- Hair & Beauty Industry Confederation of Ireland (HABIC), Leitrim County Council Arts Office and Amanda Jane Graham for ‘The Coiffured’
Creative Access Award supported by Community Foundation Ireland
- University of Galway, Cúirt International Festival of Literature and Speaking Volumes for ‘Breaking Ground Ireland’
- Royal Bank of Canada and axis Ballymun for ‘The RBC Reducing Barriers to Creation Programme’
- University College Cork and Cork Opera House for ‘Autistic Theatre Artist-in-Residence Programme’
- Accenture and National Concert Hall for ‘Creative Lab’
Jim McNaughton Perpetual Award for Best Commissioning Practice supported by TileStyle
- Pat McDonnell Paints and Ardú Street Art Ltd. for ‘Ardú Street Art Project’
- Iarnród Éireann and Fresco Consulting for ‘Actually I Can’
- Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and John Rainey for ‘Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery Portrait Sculpture Commission’
- Henry J Lyons and Alex Pentek for ‘Primal Form’
Best Philanthropic Support to the Arts Award supported by the Arts Council
- Suzanne Lopez and Museum of Literature Ireland for ‘The Edna O'Brien Young Writers Bursary’
- ESB, Lime Tree Theatre | Belltable and Theatre Royal Waterford for ‘ESB Brighter Future Arts Fund’
- The Tomar Trust and Sample-Studios for ‘Studios of Sanctuary’
- Rethink Ireland and Sing Ireland for ‘SongSeeking’
Judges’ Special Recognition Award supported by Accenture
- National Concert Hall with Walkers, Accenture, The Tomar Trust, Grant Thornton, and ESB
- Cork International Film Festival with ESB Energy for Generations Fund, GATE Cinema, Future Planet, and Bank of Ireland Begin Together Arts Fund
- ESB with Cork International Film Festival, Lime Tree Theatre, Sunday's Child, Theatre Royal Waterford, and National Concert Hall
The following awards will also be presented on the 12th September
Jim McNaughton / TileStyle €10,000 Artist’s Bursary
Accenture €10,000 Digital Innovation in Art Bursary
daa €5,000 Arts Award
The Judging Panel was:
- Luke Reaper (Chair), Managing Director, Behaviour & Attitudes
- Peter Lynch, Accenture
- Elaina Ryan, Children’s Books Ireland
- Hazel Hennessy, Community Foundation Ireland
- Susan Jackson, Irish Life
- Zbyszek Zalinski, RTÉ
- Máire Scully, ESB
- Andrew Clancy, Kingston School of Art (Arts Council)
- Solveiga Pangoniene, daa
- Gerard McNaughton, TileStyle
- Arthur Beesley, The Irish Times
