Creative partnerships deliver €13m sponsponsorship to the arts

BNP Paribas, Bank of America and Hennessy were among the winners at the annual Allianz Business to Arts awards, which recognise businesses, artists and arts organisations developing creative partnerships.

The awards specifically recognise partnerships that bring business and the arts into “mutually beneficial relationships across society”. The submitted entries for this year’s awards involved spending of over €13 million in sponsorship.

Eleven awards were distributed on Tuesday at the ceremony with best large sponsorship going to TileStyle and the best mid-size sponsorship being awarded to BNP Paribas for its collaboration with the Irish Museum of Modern Art (Imma).

Colourtrend were awarded best small sponsorship for their collaboration with Waterford Walls for its street art festival. Waterford Walls also won the DAA €5,000 arts award.

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Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan said the awards "play a vital role in benchmarking models of good practice in Ireland, and a platform to showcase ideas".

The judges special recognition award for a portfolio of investment went to Hennessy, for its art fund with IMMA, its literary awards in association with The Irish Times and New Irish Writing and a project called "Hennessy Lost Friday" in association with the Royal Hibernian Academy.

U2 and the Ireland Funds were awarded best long-term partnership for a project backed by Bank of America Merrill Lynch and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

Dublin's Forget Me Not Choir were awarded the Allianz Community Art Prize, while the best of use of creativity in the community award went to Bray Municipal District with Bray Credit Union, Megazyme and Platform Pizza in association with Chris Judge and Donna Carroll for their project "Brave Meave Children's Myth and Art Trail".

Law firm William Fry won the award for best creative staff engagement for its "Incognito" project with the Jack and Jill Children's Foundation.

The Jim McNaughton perpetual award for best commissioning practice went to MacDonagh junction shopping centre and Ani Mollereau for the “Kilkenny famine experience sculpture”.

A €10,000 artist’s burary in Mr McNaughton’s name and sponsored by Tilestyle was awarded to Aisling O’Mara.

“As partners of the Allianz Business to Arts Awards for 18 years now, we have seen how this process of arts and business collaboration has enriched us in ways you cannot measure,” said Allianz Ireland chief executive Sean McGrath.

"Celebrating and showcasing best-practice national and regional partnerships that have taken place this past year, encourages businesses in Ireland and abroad to look to the arts and identify ways to address business, social and environmental needs," added Andrew Hetherington, Business to Arts chief executive.

The award sculpture was this year commissioned by the DAA and created by Dublin based artist Ed Miliano. He took inspiration for the "shine" sculpture from the Tokyo skyline.