Recognising Successful Business Arts Partnerships

The Federal Minister for the Arts and Sport, Senator Rod Kemp, has called for nominations for the Australia Business Arts Foundation (AbaF) Awards, which recognise outstanding partnerships between the corporate and arts sector.

Senator Kemp says the awards are an opportunity to recognise the significant support that corporate Australia offers the arts, and to celebrate best practice partnership models that enhance business and creative communities.
AbaF equips business and the arts to forge partnerships that are based on the business case approach, which is about building long-term strategic relationships.
Nominations are invited in the following categories:
 Commitment – partnerships that have developed creatively and strategically and provided multiple benefits to both partners over at least 10 years.
 Innovation – partnerships that develop new ways of meeting both partners’ needs.
 Community – partnerships that enrich community life, stimulate community involvement and bring benefits to disadvantaged sectors.
 Regional – partnerships that enhance the sustainability and quality of life outside the metropolitan areas of Australia’s capital cities.
 Australia Council Media Arts Award – partnerships that promote the arts to new and established audiences by uniting the business objectives and unique skills of media and arts organisations in innovative and creative ways. This is an initiative of the Australia Council.
 Open – partnerships falling outside the above categories. Nominations in this category are required to identify the objectives of the partnership.
Winners in these six categories will compete for the prestigious AbaF Business Arts Partnership of the Year Award.
Individual awards, the Richard Pratt Business Leadership Award and the Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Cultural Leadership Award, will also be presented to a business leader and a cultural leader who have made an exceptional contribution to business arts partnerships.
Senator Kemp also launched AbaF’s Gold Book of Business Arts Partnerships 2001, a valuable resource of case studies drawn from the entries in last year’s inaugural awards. The Gold Book was financially supported by Australia Post, making it possible for the publication to be distributed free of charge to arts organisations and business.
Pro Bono Australia has a number of publications to give to readers. The first 2 readers to e-mail us will receive a copy of The Gold Book.
As well AbaF’s has provided PBA with its newest hardback publication The Red Book which normally retails for $30. The best (and briefest) e-mail regarding your organisation’s partnership will win a copy of The Red Book.
Nomination forms for the AbaF Awards are available online at www.abaf.org.auor by e-mail from information@abaf.org.au.
Prime Minister, John Howard, will present the Awards in Melbourne on 1 August 2002.