The Stage

2,000 at Arts and Business gala

Published Tuesday 24 February 2004 at 12:25 by Ruth Gillespie

Almost 2,000 people attended the first gala ceremony organised in London by Arts and Business for its annual awards, with the National Theatre and Welsh National Opera among the winners.

Prizes were awarded at the Barbican Hall for firms and arts organisations that have worked together successfully.

Shell and the National Theatre received the JP Morgan Arts and Kids Award for their Shell Connections project, which creates new drama for and about young people and encourages the participation of schools and youth theatres from all over the UK.

Welsh National Opera and Quadrant Media and Communications received the Barclays Plc Arts and SME Award for their sponsorship partnership that has been running since 2000.

Other winners included the Marsh and McLennan Companies and the City of London Sinfonia partnership, which received the BP Arts, Business and Sustainability Award. Personal Pension Management Limited and Salisbury Playhouse accepted the MMC Arts, Business and Employees Award, while Lucy Bird, director of marketing at The Sage, Gateshead, was awarded the Garrett Award for outstanding achievement in the encouragement of business support for the arts.