In 2019 Davy announced a new three-year partnership with the National Concert Hall (NCH) which saw them become the ‘Innovation Partner’ to the venue and primary sponsor of the NCH’s Contemporary Music programme, the ‘Perspectives Series.’ The partnership was the first of its kind for both Davy and the National Concert Hall and marked a commitment by Davy to directly support the presentation and growth of contemporary music at Ireland’s National Cultural Institution for Music.
In 2020 the NCH and Davy took their Innovation Partnership to another level and their relationship helped transition Ireland’s National Cultural Institution for Music to providing an unprecedented suite of live-stream concerts and digital content.
The ‘Imagining Ireland’ series of ten live stream concert showcases the most exciting Irish artists at work today while ‘Where are we now?’ allows both Irish and international artists a digital platform to reflect on the changes this year has brought.
“Although COVID 19 has presented many challenges, the National Concert Hall has endeavoured to stay connected with audiences while continuing to provide a platform for artists to perform during this time of crisis for the arts industry. This was achieved through a series of high-quality livestream concerts and online activities which, in our role as Ireland’s National cultural institution for music, has allowed us to continually support artists while providing a way to stay culturally connected with audiences and the public during this time”, says Helen Carroll, Head of Partnerships & Philanthropy at the National Concert Hall.
In addition to the live streams being advertised through a media partnership with the Irish Times and on Newstalk and RTÉ Lyric FM, over 120 pieces of press coverage were secured across national and international titles including The New Yorker.
“We activated this partnership through a series of Spotify playlists, a number of unique online events filmed in the NCH and tickets to the live-stream concerts for clients and colleagues, supported by regular social media notifications and email communication,” says Emma Dixon, Events and Sponsorship Manager at Davy. In September 2020, Davy and the NCH also launched ‘Davy Sound’ – an innovative, collaborative project that commissioned Iarla O’Lionáird to create an audio identity for the Davy brand.
For Business to Arts Awards judge David Molloy, Partner at Arthur Cox, the focus on delivering a partnership with creativity and a forward-looking approach is what impressed the judges.
“The theme of introducing contemporary genres and new Irish music to the NCH programme in a format that works during the Covid-19 crisis was timely, innovative and on the whole very impressive,” he says.
In the sponsorship categories of the awards, the judges were struck by what can be achieved when businesses collaborate with artists, creative enterprises and digital to bring projects to their audiences.
“It is important that businesses are alive to the need to contribute to their communities and adapt quickly to unforeseen circumstances. There is no better means to do this than through a dynamic, creative initiative which can engage audiences – either locally or as part of a project which is accessible in a nationwide format,” says Molloy.