- Arts & Business Scotland launch series of events demystifying business benefits of culture sector collaboration
- Part of new ‘Building Capacity: Developing Skills’ (BCDS) programme, six, FREE online events will take place from 1 September – 12 October
- Experts and business leaders will speak directly to business and culture sector organisations located in three Scottish regions
ARTS & Business Scotland sets off on a digital road trip this September with a series of online events that put local communities and businesses centre stage, supporting Scotland’s regions to build back better post pandemic.
Part of the new Building Capacity: Developing Skills (BCDS) programme from Arts & Business Scotland (A&B Scotland), these events will demystify the business benefits that come with culture sector (the arts, heritage and creative) collaboration. Six FREE events will take place between 1 September and 12 October, aimed at three distinct Scottish regions: South of Scotland, Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire and The Highlands.
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Expert speakers and leaders from a diverse range of businesses will talk to the benefits of partnering with the culture sector, giving live examples (alongside historic case studies) of how such partnerships are instrumental in the rebuilding of town centres, helping businesses reach new audiences, supporting staff retention, and improving corporate social responsibility, among many other things.
At a time when businesses across the country are facing some of their toughest ever challenges, from staff shortages and low morale, to disrupted income streams and a disengaged client base, the transition back to ‘normal’ can seem a daunting prospect, and yet the creativity of the culture sector can hold the key.
David Watt, Chief Executive of Arts & Business Scotland, said: “These events are about enabling culture sector organisations to see what they do through the eyes of a business. It’s about encouraging them to reach out to businesses local to them, at a time when so many are struggling, to find new ways to work together and support communities as they face struggles caused by lockdown and the pandemic.
“All too often the benefit of business and culture sector partnership is seen as weighed towards culture sector organisations, when in actual fact it is these organisations that offer the key to so many business benefits –from incentives that support staff wellbeing, to those that offer opportunities to engage new audiences, even those that help meet sustainability targets – there is no end to the possibilities when the creativity of the culture sector is engaged.
We want businesses to know that the funding is there for cross sector collaboration. Funding that will double your financial investment and pay dividends when it comes to the positive impact on every aspect of your business.”
Based on the desire to understand what it is that businesses, from across commercial and public sector in Scotland, need in order to rebuild and surmount the challenges caused not only by Covid-19, but also growing economic and societal change, the first event for each region will be business and public sector facing.
Alice Samtoy, Sponsorship consultant and corporate partnerships expert, said: “Sponsorship is often perceived as a narrow range of activity, although the reality is that you can build a partnership to deliver against any business goal – whatever it is that your business needs.
The cultural sector is inherently creative, and the organisations A&B Scotland represent offer a huge range of opportunities to both private and public sectors. The past 18 months has affected every company in every industry and these BCDS events will provide valuable insights and practical direction to inspire future partnerships, which in turn will help communities across Scotland bounce back and become even stronger post-pandemic.”
The second event for each region will have a culture sector focus and will present an opportunity to relay the needs of local businesses to organisations who may be in a position to help them, while also supporting these culture sector organisations in understating how they too, can benefit.
Ray Grant, Environmental Director at John Lawrie Metals Limited, said: “We have first-hand experience of what a culture sector partnership brings to a business. We were a new business when we decided to team up with The Swan Trust and our project ‘#LitterCUBES’ not only helped us develop our community links as a developing business in the area, it also allowed us to meet our objectives of promoting our environmental credentials, image, and brand awareness throughout Shetland. It surpassed our expectations.
If I could share one piece of advice with anyone thinking about partnering with the culture sector – be it with a local theatre, charitable trust, or community run castle – it would be just do it.”
- John Lawrie Metals Limited and The Swan Trust partnered through the Culture Business Fund Scotland
Philip Bassett, Managing Partner at Brightwell Partners (Private Equity Company), said: “Our business likes to prioritise working partnerships which bring both financial and social return. We have a strong CSR ethos and are committed to spending a certain part of our net income on charitable causes with a potential of becoming sustainable and [this project] fits those criteria.”
“The Trojans is a fantastic example of how the Arts can be used for social change – as well as being beneficial to the participants, the play and film are able to educate a wider audience as possible about what it feels like to be a refugee, and specifically a Syrian refugee now resettled in Scotland.”
- Brightwell Partners and Trojan Women Scotland CIC partnered through the Culture Business Fund Scotland COVID-19 Recovery & Renewal Strand
Donald Mathieson, Managing Director at D&E Coaches, said: “Sponsoring Beauty and the Beast has given us great promotion around the Highlands as well as being a fun way to engage with our staff, clients and hopefully new customers!”
- D&E Coaches and Eden Court partnered through the Culture Business Fund Scotland
It is not only commercial businesses embracing the opportunities of culture sector collaboration, public sector organisations are also discovering new ways to harness the creativity of arts and heritage organisations, allowing them to further engage with their local community, generating positive change.
Prof James Curran MBE, Chief Executive at Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), said: “By partnering with Right Line Productions we raised awareness of a number of issues SEPA engages with on a daily basis, namely flooding, climate change, land use conflict and environmental and ecological issues.
We believe the additional sponsorship and match funding enabled performances to be tailored to individual venues, allowing the audience to engage better with a thoroughly entertaining, locally relevant performance and with the issues raised. It also allowed SEPA and the Floodline service to be promoted both during and after the performances, and through positive media and social media coverage of the tour.”
- Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and Right Lines Productions partnered through the Culture Business Fund Scotland
Further details on expert speakers will be released in due course. To find out more and to sign up for FREE for either a culture or business/public sector event visit https://www.aandbscotland.org.uk/events/.
For more on Culture Business Fund Scotland COVID-19 Recovery & Renewal Strand visit https://www.culturebusinessfund.scot/
