The positive impact of business and arts partnerships in Ireland on their respective sectors and the communities they serve emerged as a key theme at this year's Business to Arts Awards.
Business sectors at the awards represented included construction and pharmaceuticals with art forms ranging from music to digital art.
The awards, now in their 31st year, were held at a ceremony in the National Concert Hall in Dublin last night.
A total of 12 awards, including nine main categories and three bursaries worth €25,000, were presented to the projects by leaders in the business community.
Winners included The Tomar Trust and Sample-Studios for Studios of Sanctuary for their residency programme for artists from an asylum seeker, refugee or migrant background.
The also included Future Planet and Cork International Film Festival for their sustainability-focused partnership; the Housing Agency and Irish Architecture Foundation for their topical exhibition driving discussion around the housing crisis and IPUT for Living Canvas, Europe's largest digital art display.
A new Creative Access Award category, supported by Community Foundation Ireland, was won by Accenture and National Concert Hall for "Creative Lab" a programme for young people from traditionally underrepresented groups who are passionate about music.
Louise O'Reilly, chief executive of Business to Arts, said the organisation was blown away by the calibre of the projects this year and the extent to which they aimed to address very real and pressing societal challenges.
"It is very clear now that partnerships between the business and artistic community in Ireland have the ability to serve, not only the objectives of the respective partners, but also the communities they are embedded in and society as a whole," Ms O'Reilly said.
The 2023 Business to Arts Awards Winners
Best Long-Term Partnership supported by The Irish Times - KPMG and Children's Books Ireland for 'Reading Heroes'
Best Philanthropic Support to the Arts supported by The Arts Council - The Tomar Trust and Sample-Studios for 'Studios of Sanctuary'
Best Small Sponsorship supported by Kmend - Future Planet and Cork International Film Festival
Creative Access Award supported by Community Foundation Ireland - Accenture and National Concert Hall for "Creative Lab"
Best Use of Creativity in the Community supported by Irish Life - The Housing Agency and Irish Architecture Foundation for "Housing Unlocked"
Best Use of Creativity in the Workplace supported by ESB - BioMarin and Rachel Doolin for "The Giving Tree"
Jim McNaughton Perpetual Award for Best Commissioning Practice supported by TileStyle - Iarnród Éireann/Irish Rail and Fresco Consulting for "Actually I Can"
Best Large Sponsorship - IPUT Real Estate for "Living Canvas"
Judges' Special Recognition Award supported by Accenture - National Concert Hall for their collaborations with a portfolio of partners including, Walkers, the Tomar Trust, Grant Thornton, ESB and others
Jim McNaughton / TileStyle €10,000 Artist’s Bursary - Thommas Kane Byrne
Accenture Digital Innovation in Art Bursary €10,000 - Alan James Burns
Daa €5,000 Arts Award - Axis Ballymun for "Deadly Conversations"
