Arts organisations’ partnerships with businesses have been honoured at this year’s Arts & Business awards
John Middleton, Chair of the Board at the Broadway theatre, has been honoured as Prudential A&B Board Member of the Year, and Vanessa Swann, Chief Executive of Cockpit Arts, has been awarded The Garrett Award for “exceptional fundraising” at the 32nd Arts & Business Awards.
Other winners were organisations recognised for their achievements in a range of fields: Sheffield engineering firm Ekspan transformed a factory into a theatre with Open Door Theatre Company, winning the Jaguar Land Rover A&B Community and Young People Award; the Prudential A&B People Development Award went to Siemens plc and Hallé Concerts Society, for their work offering singing lessons to Siemens employees; and the partnership between Travelex and the National Theatre, specifically the NT Live! series of broadcasts, won the Lloyd’s A&B Business Innovation Award. The Classic FM A&B International Award went to HSBC and The British Museum for the bank’s support of the museum’s Indian Summer programme, which reached 2.8m people across the UK, India, Australia, the USA and the UAE. Classic FM and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic won the BP A&B Sustained Partnership Award for their work to increase live classical audience numbers, and Sky Arts won the Simon Hornby Award for “continuously putting culture at its heart”.
Colin Tweedy, Chief Executive of Arts & Business, said: “It is necessary for many arts organisations to tap into the only area of growth – business. We know that business engagement in the arts is not only critical for survival in this harsh age but actually makes good business sense. We believe culture is the most cost effective way for businesses to reach out to consumers, develop staff and take their brand around the world.”