The AR Programme is a partnership between Business to Arts and the Creative Ireland Programme’s National Creativity Fund, working with businesses to develop new (or significantly enhance their existing) CSR activity. The AR Programme covers a broad spectrum of activity, with programmes involving community engagement, staff engagement and work-place creative activities by the host companies and artists.

BHP Insurances focuses on providing insurance solutions for the Not For Profit (NFP) Sector including Charities, Volunteer Organisations, and the Social Housing Sector. BHP Insurances’ CSR strategy involves supporting initiatives of many organisations in these sectors. Education is a major part of the NFP sector and many NFP organisations incorporate music education and performances into their programmes.

Harmony

Harmony is the BHP Insurances AR Programme, taking place in Limerick city. Following an open call process, concert pianist Máire Carroll has been selected to work with families living in the Mid West Simon Community Family Hub. Máire will also work with BHP Insurances staff, facilitating performance-based and education-based activities and workshops, which are designed to develop appreciation of music among all participants.

From October 2019 – May 2020, Máire will facilitate 12 two-hour workshops, using musical games, movement exercises and bringing a love of the piano to all participants. The workshops will culminate in a final showcase performance which will be held in May 2020, featuring all participants coming together to perform for friends and family.

Artist Profile

Headshot by Mark Taylor

Irish pianist Máire Carroll has performed extensively throughout Europe, Asia, North America and Canada including performances at Wigmore Hall, the Barbican, Carnegie Hall and the National Concert Hall, Dublin. She is the 2018 winner of the RDS Collins Memorial Prize, the recipient of the Jim McNaughton / Tilestyle Artist Bursary (Business to Arts Awards, 2015) and the 2012 winner of the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) Music Bursary, the first pianist to have won these prestigious awards. Máire has performed with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of the Ukraine, Hibernian Orchestra, Royal Irish Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Cecilia and the Marlborough Baroque Orchestra.

Máire has a keen interest in contemporary music and she has collaborated with the London Sinfonietta and Crash Ensemble. In 2018 Irish composer, Bill Whelan, composed a piece called ‘Educo’ for Máire and Crash Ensemble. Máire has performed with Crash Ensemble at GAIDA contemporary festival, Lithuania, the Homecoming Festival in Ohio, USA, and as part of their 20th Anniversary CrashLands series. Last summer Máire was selected as a fellow to attend Bang on a Can festival, at Mass MoCa in the USA.

In 2018, Máire launched her sell-out concert series: Hidden Pianos. The Hidden Pianos Series is a new, intimate performance experience, which brings an audience into an unfamiliar or never before used performance space. Venues so far include Dublin Port, Waterways Ireland and 14 Henrietta Street.  As a winner of the 2018 Docklands Arts Fund Small Grants Arts Award, Máire was thrilled to take her Hidden Pianos series to primary schools in the Docklands in Dublin. Máire’s love of collaboration has also led to her recent project: ‘Classical Collision’ with RTÉ 2FM, which included a performance on the main stage at Body and Soul Festival in Ireland in June 2019.

Máire’s debut solo piano album ROADS is out now and available on all major streaming platforms. Máire graduated from her M.MUS one year intensive degree with distinction, at the Royal Academy of Music, London where she studied on scholarship, with Christopher Elton. She was awarded an LRAM degree and she is the 2016 winner of the Royal Academy of Music’s Franz Reizenstein Award, awarded for outstanding achievement. Máire is currently completing her DMusPerf (Doctor in Music Performance) at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

Commenting on her selection as the BHP Insurances Artist-in-Residence, Máire said:

“I am absolutely delighted to collaborate with the Mid West Simon Community in Limerick as part of the BHP Insurance AR Programme. This is a wonderful, unique opportunity for me to work with the Simon community and staff at BHP Insurance and to lead a series of exciting musical workshops, including a final performance, over the coming months.”

Martina Westphal, Managing Director, BHP Insurances commented:

“We are delighted and very proud to partner with Business to Arts and Creative Ireland to offer the Residence in Arts (Pianist) Programme to Mid-West Simon Community.

We are excited to add to some of the amazing programmes and services that Mid West Simon already provide to the local community by offering a series of collaborative workshops between the artist, award-winning pianist Máire Carroll, families and service users of Mid-West Simon and our own BHP Staff.

Supporting our Charity customers in the struggling Social housing /Homeless Sector forms a huge part of our overall CSR strategy and hopefully this will be the start of many similar programmes to come for BHP and our customers”.

Agnes Carey, Team Leader Family Hub, Mid West Simon Community stated:

“Mid West Simon Community Family Hub are delighted to have been chosen for the BHP Insurances AR Programme. The Programme will provide children and adults residing in the Hub with a fantastic resource and bring much joy, fun and hope. The Artist in Residence Programme will contribute immensely to emotional wellbeing and allow for self-expression and learning in a fun positive way.”

For any queries or more information, please contact Sarah.