From June 20th - 21st, we kicked off our Cork Midsummer Showcase — a specially curated cultural experience for Business to Arts Members, in partnership with Cork Midsummer Festival, Cork Opera House, and a host of our Cork City Arts Members. 

Across two sunny days, our members celebrated the vibrant arts scene Leeside, enjoying immersive dance and theatre at 'Burnout Paradise' by PonyCam, ‘Lien’ by Lewis Major, and ‘Theatre for One’ by Landmark Productions. 

Day One: On Friday evening, Fiona Clark, CEO of Cork International Film Festival, and Board member of Business to Arts and our own Chief Executive, Louise O' Reilly warmly welcomed our business and arts members, friends and guests to the Cork Opera House for a night of entertainment, networking and hospitality. As our guests were whisked off for immersive one-on-one performing arts activities, the rest of us mingled and enjoying the Midsummer atmosphere.

Day Two: Saturday was more visual arts focused and began with a guided tour of the headline-making solar sculpture 'Helios' by Luke Jerram, followed by a gallery tour of Cork Printmakers, and rounding off with a walking tour of Island City: Cork's Urban Sculpture Trail. 

There is no doubt, Cork is a thriving hive of creativity and culture. If you, or your business, are interested to find out how to get involved and support BtoA's work in developing and supporting the arts sector in Cork and beyond, please contact valerie@businesstoarts.ie

This June, we offered our Business to Arts members an exclusive invite to be amongst the first to see the next generation of Irish visual arts talent at the 2025 Graduate Shows.

Members were treated to private, guided tours of this year’s graduate exhibitions at the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) and Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin). These bespoke experiences were guided by the Heads of Department, offering rare insight into the vision, process, and ambition behind the students’ work.

The private shows provided a fantastic opportunity to connect with the artists, discover the ideas shaping Ireland’s future creative landscape and support creative talent at its source. 

On the 22nd May, our Business to Arts members joined us for an exclusive tour of the 'Mainie Jellet and Evie Hone: The Art of Friendship', currently running at the National Gallery of Ireland.

The National Gallery of Ireland is one of the country’s most popular visitor attractions housing the nation’s collection of European and Irish art from about 1300 to the present day, and an extensive Library & Archive. 

Welcomed by Andrew Hetherington, former Chief Executive of Business to Arts, members enjoyed a guided tour of the Gallery's major Spring-Summer exhibition, dedicated to the pioneering Irish modernists Mainie Jellett and Evie Hone.

This exhibition brought together 90 of their works of art, exploring their friendship and shared experiences while studying in Paris during the early 1920s, and tracing their careers back to Ireland. Featuring paintings, stained glass, and preparatory drawings, the exhibition revealed how both women as trailblazers in Irish art while they remained connected to conventional themes such as religion and landscape.

This May, we celebrated Dublin Dance Festival's 21st edition with an immersive evening of contemporary dance at The Abbey Theatre. 

The evening featured a pre-show reception and post-show conversation between Dublin Dance Festival's Artistic Director, Jazmin Chiodi, and choreographer Oona Doherty. Specky Clark, by Oona Doherty, tells the story of a young boy as he arrives in Belfast. The powerful performance was supported by striking visuals, and haunting music by Lankum.

On April 3rd, Business to Arts, the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM), and Timoney Leadership Institute hosted an exclusive evening of music followed by insights into the impact of music on leadership and teamwork, in the stunning surrounds of the Whyte Recital Hall in RIAM.

This event gathered together local businesses, friends of RIAM, and our members to explore the power of classical music and how it impacts the way we work, think, and relate to one another.

On Monday, 3rd March we hosted our first in-person ArtWorks session of 2025, open to all of our business and arts members in the bright and airy Salesforce Tower on Dublin's North Wall Quay.

ArtWorks is our capacity and capability-building programme for arts members, made possible through our business members' annual subscriptions.

'Mastering the Ask' was a dynamic morning of knowledge-sharing and learning, dedicated to the art of pitching. Bringing together a diverse lineup of speakers and influential leaders with expertise in entrepreneurship, corporate leadership, sustainability, and cultural advocacy. 

Our speakers included FUEL's Director of Brand Experience, Jonny Boyle, who talked about the importance of 'moving in the same circles' with business people, and the arts' unique capacity for compelling storytelling, which can help to bridge gaps between business and arts and culture.

We also piloted a new segment for our events, Spotlight, which hones in on the stories from our incredible arts members, and allows them to provide insight into their organisations and how they approach corporate partners. We heard from Conall Ó Riain of Cork Midsummer Festival, Áine O'Mahony of Children's Books Ireland, Aoife Daly, from Irish National Opera, and contemporary artist Al Maser about their projects in development and how they engage with their key stakeholders.

We then delved into the developing area of sustainability, hearing from Business to Arts' board member, and Just Transition Programme Lead at the Impact Investing Institute, Aisling McCaffrey. Aisling highlighted the evolving nature of corporate-cultural partnerships, and the requirement for corporates to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals and how accessibly these can be harnessed by the arts.

Finally, our own Chief Executive Louise O'Reilly sat down with THINKHOUSE Founder and Head of Creative Innovation Jane McDaid and explored the importance for arts organisations to measure their impact in easy to achieve ways, and thereby demonstrate the transformative potential of their projects and partnerships to their potential funders. 

Attendees agreed this was a most practical, accessible and inspiring session that provided plenty of rich takeaways for all. 

We were delighted to welcome many of our business and arts members to our first event of 2025 in the beautiful surrounds of the Royal Irish Academy of Music's (RIAM) Whyte Recital Hall on Westland Row, Dublin 2, for an evening that combined film and classical music conducting artforms in Maestra which shone a spotlight on the world of female conducting.

Screened as part of Dublin International Film Festival (DIFF), Maestra is a behind-the-scenes documentary that follows five international women conductors who participate in 'La Maestra', Paris, the only competition in the world for female orchestra conductors. The struggles and triumphs of these gifted artists offer a microcosm for the challenges faced by women in every industry and in every walk of life today.

Members were treated to a pre-screening talk with the film's producer Melanie Miller and editor Finola Couling, hosted by the Director of RIAM, Deborah Kelleher.

After this inspiring and entertaining documentary, we retired to the nearby Alex Hotel for further discussion and drinks with the RIAM, DIFF and Maestra teams including DIFF Chairperson Trish Long and Commercial & Marketing Director, Sam Javid.

We kicked off our new programme ArtWorks: Arts Innovation, a series of capability-building activities, in the slick surroundings of LinkedIn in October.

Our Arts Members joined us for breakfast bites and networking before two highly experienced subject matter experts (Oonagh O'Donovan, Director of Strategy & Operations, OKC, and Ian Murray, Social Impact Lead, Bank of Ireland) did a deep-dive into the landscapes of trusts, foundations, and corporate sponsorship.

Oonagh kicked off the session with an energetic presentation covering the common pitfalls when approaching trusts and foundations and provided an overview of the 200+ trusts and foundations operating in Ireland. 

Business to Arts CEO Louise O'Reilly then led a fireside chat with Ian Murray discussing how best to win hearts and minds with your sponsorship pitch and the imperative of finding the right person to make your approach. 

This session also featured two engaging Q&A sessions and a chance to swap stories with other development professionals. For those Arts Members who couldn't attend, you can watch the presentations back on the Member's Portal.

On Wednesday 10th July, our members were taken on an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of The Lir Academy - Ireland's National Academy of Dramatic Art at Trinity College, Dublin. 

Led by The Lir's Director of Development, Joanne O'Hagan, our members were given a private tour backstage of The Lir's two vibrant performance spaces, showcasing students' work in acting, movement, voice, stage management, and technical theatre. 

The tour was followed by a performance of Martin Sherman's powerful 1979 play 'Bent', as part of GradFest 2024. 

"It was a wonderful occasion filled with wine, good conversation, an interesting and enlightening tour, and last, but by no means least... a splendid piece of theatre. Some fabulous performances – I suspect we will be seeing more of [them] on stage and screen in the future." 

On Tuesday, 9th July we celebrated the launch of Accenture’s Women on Walls at University College Cork with a fantastic event at The Glucksman Gallery.

Following a delicious networking lunch attended by many of our business and arts members, the launch event kicked off with a warm welcome from President John O’Halloran and Michelle Cullen, MD Inclusion & Diversity, Accenture, and featured a chat with National Gallery Director, Caroline Campbell on the history of the women in portraiture. 

This was followed by some hot takes on the future of female representation in the digital age from panellists Jess Majekodunmi, Managing Director of the Human Sciences Studio, Accenture, journalist Clodagh Finn, and Dr Nessa Lynch, Matheson Lecturer in Law, Innovation and Technology, moderated by tech entrepreneur and former journalist Mark Little.

On May 15, we were delighted to celebrate Graffiti Theatre and Sing Ireland, along with guests, at the graduation of Fundraising Fellowship Ireland 2022 - 2024. 

The graduation was introduced by a brilliant panel discussion on the current context for private investment in the arts, with Dr Fiona Kearney, Director, The Glucksman, Dr. Ian Flanagan, Chief Executive Munster Rugby, Barney Whelan, Chair, Cork International Film Festival and Siobhan Howe, Senior Client Director, AM O'Sullivan PR providing sharp insights from their critical perspectives for the graduating Fellows and the assembled guests.

The panel discussion was followed by uplifting presentations from our graduating Fellowship organisations on their experience of the Funding Fellowship Programme. 

The programme, a partnership between Business to Arts and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, provides a structured training and mentorship programme to the selected fellows over two years.

We were excited to share an extraordinary Irish film premiere with our members: ‘Don’t Forget to Remember’, a creative collaboration between the artist Asbestos and film director Ross Killeen at this year's Dublin International Film Festival. An emotive human story, Killeen’s unconventional documentary is a moving exploration of the grieving process for a loved one living with Alzheimer’s. Considering the simultaneous fragility and fortitude of memory, it concludes that we can never truly lose our loved ones as long as we remember them.

Following an audience Q&A, our members enjoyed a private drinks reception and a chance to meet with the director and artist in person. Our members fell into deep conversations with each other about our own experiences with loss, memory, family, and more. A really special evening. This film went on to win the Audience Award at DIFF 2024. 

At Business to Arts, we aim to improve our business members' understanding of the importance of supporting emerging artists through collecting, bursaries, or the exhibition of their work. The RDS Visual Arts Awards is one of the most important platforms for visual art graduates in Ireland with a significant prize fund of over €35,000, as well as vital exposure for emerging visual artists as they move into early professional practice. For the first time this year, the selected artists are being exhibited at IMMA, an amazing opportunity so soon out of college.

Our private evening for members included a drinks and canapé networking reception, with introductions from IMMA, the RDS Foundation, and Business to Arts, and a guided highlights tour of the VAA exhibition by artist and curator Elaine Hoey. We were delighted that a number of the exhibiting artists joined many of our business members interested in corporate and private art collecting on the evening, and many rich and rewarding conversations were stimulated, and connections made.

Our annual thought leadership breakfast panel (previously the CEO Forum) is moderated by journalist Dearbhail McDonald and convenes leaders from the corporate and cultural sectors in Ireland to share their insights and approaches to cross-cutting strategic issues.

The 2023 Business to Arts Leadership Forum, in association with PwC Ireland, took place on 9th Nov 2023, 7.30-9.30 am on the topic of Transformation.

Exclusive to Business to Arts members, the theme of this not-to-be-missed networking breakfast and panel discussion is 'Innovation Meets Creativity: Driving Change Together'.

What does it take to succeed in challenging times? To turn threats into opportunities? To lead with purpose and passion? 

We learned how Ireland's most innovative corporate and cultural organisations have developed transformative visions, engaged stakeholders, and unlocked the full potential of their organisations to future-proof, grow, and drive societal change.

A dynamic room of leaders across the business and arts landscape gained valuable insights into navigating complex challenges, embracing risk, and fostering a culture of creativity and collaboration that drives sustainable change.

Tom Donnellan, CEO, Bord na Móna

From Brown to Green’ - one of Ireland’s greatest transformation stories, Tom led Bord na Móna from the brink of failure as a fossil fuel company to a hugely successful climate solutions company.

Annie Fletcher, Director, IMMA

IMMA reimagines 'the museum' as an open and participatory space that connects people to contemporary life through art.

David Lee, Chief Technological Officer and Technology Practice Lead, PWC Ireland

David’s 30+ years advising companies on navigating challenges through transformation brought us significant insights.

Dr. Orla MacDonagh, Dean, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, TUD

Orla plays a key leadership role at the forefront of higher education transformation and will share what it takes to lead a large and diverse institution through immense organisational and structural change.

Non-Members: If you wish to attend these kinds of thought leadership events, but are not yet a Business to Arts member, please contact membership@businesstoarts.ie to find out more about our corporate memberships.

Previous themes:

• 2022 ‘Reimagining the City for a Hybrid Workforce’
• 2021 ‘Sustainability in Focus’
• 2020 ‘Resilience & Stabilisation’
• 2019 ‘Empowering the Consumer through Digital Technology'

Panellists have included David McRedmond, CEO, An Post, Virginia Teehan, Director, Heritage Council, Liam Kavanagh, former Managing Editor, Irish Times, Tania Banotti, Director, Creative Ireland, Múirne Laffan, former Chief Digital Officer, RTÉ, Maureen Kennelly, Director, Arts Council, and Cathal Marley, former CEO, Ervia.

Irish National Opera launched its new Future Leaders’ Network initiative at the Clayton Hotel on Cardiff Lane, in partnership with Spencer Lennox, and in association with Business to Arts.

This initiative is aimed at young professionals across a variety of industries looking for an enjoyable way to expand their professional network, empowering them to forge meaningful connections that can open doors to new opportunities, enhance their skill set, and broaden their perspective – all while enjoying a world-class opera performance!

At a drinks and canapé reception in the Clayton Hotel, special guest Angela Burke, a career consultant who is passionate about helping people navigate their work and career with clarity, confidence, and personal alignment spoke to the group about the importance and power of a strong network. 

INO Artistic Director Fergus Sheil have a fantastic insider introduction to the opera, 'La Bohème', before guests who availed of the amazing discounted tickets headed over to Bórd Gáis Energy Theatre for the show. 

We were delighted to welcome our business members to a private drinks and canapé reception in the historic townhouse, Belvedere House, Great Denmark Street to hear from the Festival Director and leading artists from this year's Festival, before we headed into the O'Reilly Theatre for an extraordinary performance from one of Europe's most celebrated avant-garde directors, Miet Warlop, in a show about how one simple song can transform, hypnotize, and energize. 

After the show, our guests were welcomed to continue the festival buzz at the Festival Club just around the corner at the Gate Theatre, where we met many of the festival artists and continued enjoying themselves into the late hours. 

We were first treated to an exclusive tour of the Ireland Glass Biennale led by Karen Donnellan, one of the four judges for the biennale selection, who shared their insights on the selection process and why this medium is so compelling and exciting at the moment. 

Then PhotoIreland's Director Ángel Luis González took our members through three different exhibitions that delved into the complexities of the African diaspora through a thought-provoking collection of contemporary photographs.

The largest of the three exhibits, "I See the Face of Things to Come," was curated exclusively for PhotoIreland Festival. This groundbreaking project brought together nearly 100 women and non-binary artists from the African diaspora who passionately engage with photography as a powerful tool for self-expression, activism, and reclamation.

Our annual CEO Forum and Business Breakfast returned in person at PwC’s Spencer Dock in 2022. The topic ‘Reimagining the City with a Hybrid Workforce’ resonated deeply with both sides of our membership, with corporates keen to learn more about strategies to entice staff back into the office, and art organisations striving to encourage venue attendance. The desire to collaborate on designing strategies for the city to thrive was the key takeaway from the morning, with corporate and cultural leaders deep in conversation as the event ended.

A lively panel discussion included Niall Gaffney, Chief Executive of IPUT, Willie White, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Dublin Theatre Festival, Neil Freshwater, CEO of Zurich, and Nathalie Weadick, Director of the Irish Architecture Foundation. The panel was moderated by journalist and broadcaster Dearbhail McDonald. 

We teamed up with the Irish Architecture Foundation to highlight architecture as an art form at their critically acclaimed Housing Unlocked exhibition, and used the opportunity to run a strategy consultation workshop to design our own future!

We kicked off the evening with a drinks and canapé reception followed by a short round-table consultation session on our five-year strategy, a topic which united our business and arts members with passionate discussion around the meaning and value of our work to their sectors and wider society. 

The main event of the evening was a highlights tour of the exhibition with IAF Director Nathalie Weadick and one of Ireland's foremost architects, Valerie Mulvin, of McCullough Mulvin. The tour saw strong audience engagement, igniting plenty of debate and discussion around the topic of housing and urban planning, perspectives sharing and food for thought. 

We invited members with an interest in traditional music and film to an exclusive night with leading Irish actor Brendan Gleeson of live music, discussion, and exclusive clips from Brendan’s new film in post-production ‘When the Music Stops’ - a love letter to Hughes’ Pub in Dublin 7, a former haven of the trad music scene.

We heard from Brendan, ITMA Director Liam O’Connor, fiddle player, and filmmaker Ciarán Ó Maonaigh, and concertina player/dancer Caitlín Nic Gabhann about the legacy of Hughes’ and why this film was so important. Guests were then treated to an intimate gig followed by drinks and canapés and an opportunity to chat with the filmmaking team. 

We hosted our first Cork event for our Munster-based members with a reception in the stunning surroundings of the Sculpture Gallery at the Crawford Art Gallery. New connections abounded between arts and business members over a buzzy bubbles and canapé reception. 

The evening continued when we brought our guests to the Cork International Film Festival’s Opening Gala film ‘Aisha’, directed by Frank Berry, starring Letitia Wright and Josh O’Connor, a truly moving film that struck a chord with our attendees. Our guests rounded the evening off at the Festival Club, where cultural conversations and connections continued to be made until late into the night. 

Collaborating with our Patrons Linesight and CBRE, we hosted a bespoke event for the property and construction industries with an exclusive reception, talk, and guided highlights tour of the RHA’s 192nd annual Summer Exhibition from our Curatorial Projects Manager Rachel Assaf, and we heard from artist Fuchsia MacAree about her illustration work to large-scale placemaking projects such as data centers and national schools. 

For our first in-person member’s event of 2022 we organised a first-look artist-led tour of the new Dean Arts Studios and exhibition from its first residents, artists Leah Hewson, Salvatore of Lucan, Brian Teeling, and Ruth Medjber.

Our members were welcomed to a reception in the newly refurbished gallery space and heard from our new CEO Louise O’Reilly, as well as Press Up CEO Ben Barclay, about the importance of contributing to Dublin’s cultural ecosystem with much-needed studio space.