Business and Arts – The Power of Partnership
Business and Arts – The Power of Partnership
By
Creative Scene
Discover Creative Scene's top tips for working with local businesses on arts initiatives.
Background
Creative Scene is the Arts Council England Creative People and Places programme for North Kirklees, West Yorkshire.
We're working with local people to create a place where people not only participate in the arts, but they make them happen - working together with professional artists, arts organisations, and producers. It is all about making art a part of everyday life.
Sir Peter Bazalgette, Chair of Arts Council England, recently summed up the value and impact of arts and business partnerships: 'Any employer has a vested interest in their locality being a rewarding place to live. That is how you attract a talented workforce. But imaginative cultural organisations are themselves agents of regeneration'.
Creative Scene is actively encouraging local businesses, small and large, to conenct with the organisation if they are interested in exploring how they can partner on an arts and cultural event or project. It is not just about investing into the community - although that is a powerful reason - it is also about identifying how arts and culture can benefit businesses, staff creativity, workforce skills and motivation. Ultimately it is about making North Kirklees a great place to work and play.
Objectives
- To identify and connect with local businesses interested in exploring arts and cultural presentation and activity
- To help us identify spaces and places to present work, engage audiences through outreach activity and market effectively
- To build awareness of the cultural activity being developed by Creative Scene with potential audiences who may work with or visit businesses in the area
- To explore how arts and culture can benefit businesses, staff creativity, workforce skills and motivation - and ultimately make North Kirklees a great place to work and play
The target audience
We aim to work with a diverse bunch of people who reflect the demographics of the area and thus the audiences we are trying to reach.
We have worked with small business owners such as cafe owners through to local shopping outlets such as Batley Outlet Mill. So far, as part of Artist@Work programme in particular, artists have been hosted in two cafes, Aakash Restaurant, The Batley Bulldogs Rugby Club, Dewsbury Market, The Mill Outlet Centre, Batley and at Fox's Biscuit factory.
We have also delivered programmes of work with larger employers in the area including Transpennine and bonprix, an online clothing company.
Delivery of the activity
Over the last 18 months Creative Scene, an Arts Council England project, has been sowing the seeds with people and businesses in North Kirklees to create an ambition and aspiration that great art can happen in this area. The power of partnering with businesses large and small to achieve this has been evident.
A number of initiatives developed by Creative Scene have involved the team working locally with businesses to create arts activites and events that fit into the concept of making art a part of everyday life. Examples include the ON TOUR programme, which sees pubs and social centres acting as hosts for theatre shows, as well as the Artist@Work activity where local businesses host an artist in their organisation to work with staff and customers.
