In 2020, Bank of Ireland worked with Business to Arts to create an all-island corporate philanthropic fund that would demonstrate Bank of Ireland’s support for the arts and provide much-needed funding to artists and arts organisations at such a difficult time. The all-island approach meant it had input from leading curators and judges from Northern Ireland, as well as receiving applications from a wider range of art and artists.

Applicants were asked to submit projects that were either adapted due to the pandemic, or had been inspired by its effects. Each project could apply for up to €10,000 in funding and the objective was to fund a project in every county in Ireland. This approach aimed to direct money towards artists’ fees, helping to maximise the budgets of arts organisations, and to enhance the well- being of the audiences and communities involved.

For Mark O’Kelly, representing the Arts Council when judging the Best Philanthropic Support to the Arts Award, this project was also significant in its scope and ambition. ‘This outstanding contribution to our national arts culture stood out to me in particular for the scale and breadth of leadership demonstrated by the reach and impact of this philanthropic fund. The Bank of Ireland Begin Together Arts Fund demonstrated real and committed leadership in its support of artists over these last few years and in this, provided great national means to sustain and enable resilience, artistic innovation, audience engagement, and participation.’

In 2021, a total of 39 projects created works for their local communities, and by the end of the Bank of Ireland Begin Together Arts Fund in 2023 over 100 projects will have taken place. A total of €1 million has been allocated to the Fund over the three years, which is a substantial level of support relative to Bank of Ireland’s other partnership activities, in line with their purpose, to enable customers, colleagues, and communities to thrive.