AbaF launches Art Sponsorship Gold Book
15 December 2008 at 3:40 pm
Successful relationships between business, donors and the arts take the spotlight in The Gold Book 2008, published in December by the Australia Business Arts Foundation (AbaF) with support from Australia Post.
The Gold Book includes 42 case studies from all over Australia, among them large and small arts organisations ranging from major festivals and performing arts companies to community arts projects.
Top billing goes to the West Australian Symphony Orchestra’s long-standing partnership with professional services firm Ernst & Young. Since 2001 they have paired popular artists like Ben Lee, Kate Ceberano and The Whitlams with the orchestra for free public open-air concerts which has resulted in a huge increase in younger audiences not usually seen at orchestral concerts. This partnership is AbaF’s 2008 Partnership of the Year.
Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, Elizabeth Ann Macgregor is profiled as AbaF’s cultural leader of the year. She began her career as a bus-driving curator in Scotland, and has succeeded in turning the MCA’s fortunes around by increasing public visitation, corporate partnerships and donations.
Filmmaker and social entrepreneur Ian Darling, who made The Oasis, the highly-regarded documentary about homelessness in Sydney, is honoured as the business leader of the year for his work to stimulate greater business and philanthropic support for the arts.
The national AbaF Award winners are profiled in detail, with key facts and an explanation of how the partners made their relationships work.
AbaF CEO Jane Haley says the Gold Book is a practical guide to the best business-arts relationships and the case studies are invaluable for anyone working in the field of sponsorship, development and cultural giving.
She says as the financial landscape changes, it will become even more important for business to retain community trust and confidence, and artists and arts organisations are well-equipped to assist with that objective.
The book is free and can be downloaded as a pdf from www.abaf.org.au or ordered in hard copy by emailing info@abaf.org.au.
