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The new fashion for major sponsorship deals to be clinched on the back of ?corporate social responsibility? benefits rather than the ?corporate hospitality? and ?brand building? of years gone by is going to be a bit of a problem for some arts organisations.
Those which have embedded in their Visions and Values (p8/9) a commitment to community involvement, education, and social inclusion will undoubtedly flourish now that businesses have suddenly cottoned on to the fact that being nice to your employees and supporting the things that matter to people is a commercially sensible strategy. Consequently, Spitalfields Festival, which has been doing sterling work in the community for many years, is finding itself flavour of the month and being courted by a string of potential suitors. But others ? including some of our most revered arts organisations ? are suddenly finding themselves out in the cold. And whilst it?s relatively easy for an arts organisation to put on a ?good do? and place a few ads in a programme, bolting on a commitment to community education is a bit more of a challenge. So it?s no surprise really that business support for the arts has taken a dive (p1).What most arts organisations do best is art, and in the market for sponsorship, art is out. So what next? Other funding sources that have fewer strings attached would be nice ? more individual giving, for example. Unlike businesses, individuals are more likely to be happy to stump up some cash for the sake of the art, rather than all the other stuff that can go with it.