The Stage

Big businesses up for arts collaboration award

Published Tuesday 11 November 2008 at 15:45 by Lalayn Baluch

Sky Arts, Deutsche Bank and BP are among the list of five nominees that have been shortlisted for the inaugural Lloyd’s A&B Innovation Prize, in recognition of their ground-breaking collaborations with arts organisations such as the Almeida Theatre, English National Opera and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

Land Securities and Beck’s are also in the running to win the prize, which has been established to pay tribute to the “most remarkable” cultural partnerships of the last three decades, as part of the 30th year of the Arts and Business Awards.

The winner of the Lloyd’s A&B Innovation Prize will be announced along with prize recipients of seven other categories, during an awards ceremony at the Victoria and Albert Museum on November 24.

Lloyd’s chief executive Richard Ward said: “In art, as in business, we often need to take risks in order to innovate and succeed. This prize celebrates the most innovative partnerships of the last 30 years, where the arts and business sectors have been able to learn from each other, to demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit and a willingness to take calculated risk, and which have changed the face of sponsorship as a result.”

Arts and Business is the national charity dedicated to encouraging new and sustainable relationships between the corporate and cultural industries.

The shortlist of the Lloyd’s A&B Innovation Prize is:

• Beck’s for its relationship with the Institute of Contemporary Art, the Contemporary Art Society and the Royal College of Art.
• BP for its work with the Royal Opera House, Almeida Theatre, Tate Britain, British Museum and the National Portrait Gallery.
• Deutsche Bank for its partnership with Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, the Frieze Art Fair, the Royal Academy and the Royal College of Arts.
• Land Securities for its relationship with the Southbank Centre, Open Air Theatre Regent’s Park, the Young Vic, The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts, the Tate Modern, Westminster City Council and the National Gallery.
• Sky Arts for its partnership with the English National Opera, English National Ballet, the Hay Festival and the Hampton Court Festival.