A variety of local businesses and cultural organisations from Dundee and across Scotland are due to meet, network and exchange ideas as independent Scottish charity Arts & Business Scotland brings the first of a series of Scotland-wide regional Culture & Business Forums to Dundee Contemporary Arts on Friday the 1st September.
The Dundee Culture & Business Forum takes place following the successful launch in April of the Culture & Business Fund Scotland, which matches business sponsorship of cultural activities pound for pound and is funded by the Scottish Government via Creative Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland. The sold-out event will give local cultural organisations and businesses the opportunity to learn more about collaborating successfully together and how to make the most out of business sponsorship of cultural projects.
With public budgets under continued pressure, business sponsorship is becoming an increasingly important source of funding for cultural organisations. A recent survey carried out by Arts & Business Scotland found that, while most cultural organisations recognise the growing importance of partnering with businesses, most still find it challenging to forge such partnerships.
The Dundee Culture & Business Forum will showcase two successful partnerships which received match funding from the Culture & Business Fund’s predecessor, the New Arts Sponsorship Grants Programme. A representative of Dundee Institute of Architects will outline their experience of partnering with BAM Construction to create the People’s Tower project, where the local community was actively engaged to build a replica of Dundee’s Royal Arch out of cardboard boxes. Meanwhile, representatives of Scottish Ballet and scaffolding company Check-It Scaffold will offer reflections on their recent partnership which culminated in a brand new production of Swan Lake, formed out of a shared commitment to precision, strength and perfectionism.
Between 2006 and 2017, the New Arts Sponsorship Grants Programme successfully generated more than £7.5 million in public and private investment to help realise more than 500 individual cultural projects throughout Scotland. Building on this success, the Culture & Business Fund Scotland has been expanded to include a dedicated heritage strand while also offering projects that have already received match funding in a previous year the opportunity to benefit from second and third year support.
David Watt, chief executive of Arts & Business Scotland, commented:
“With contributions from businesses and cultural organisations who have benefited from the funding programme that preceded the newly launched Culture & Business Fund Scotland, our Dundee Culture & Business Forum is a fantastic opportunity to witness first-hand the benefits of positive collaboration between business and culture. That can be both in terms of boosting the profile and bottom line of a business and helping cultural organisations to make arts and heritage projects happen. Hopefully, many of those attending will be inspired to take advantage of the Culture & Business Fund Scotland, helping Dundee to retain and enhance its reputation as a city able to combine a successful business community with a vibrant cultural scene.”
The Culture & Business Forum is at Dundee Contemporary Arts on Friday 1st September from 2.30pm to 6.30pm. Tickets for the event are now sold out however any interested local cultural organisations and businesses can sign up to a waiting list via Eventbrite.
Arts & Business Scotland
Arts & Business Scotland is an independent Scottish charity. We act as a conduit between the cultural and business sectors, helping to nurture the creative, social and commercial relationships that will enrich creativity and cultural engagement across Scotland.
