Arts & Business Scotland press release, 14th March 2019

Local businesses in Argyll and Bute are being invited to hear about the business benefits of collaborating more closely with the cultural sector at special events being hosted in Dunoon and Rothesay on the 20^th and 21^st March respectively. At two early evening receptions organised by independent charity Arts & Business Scotland, local businesses will have the opportunity to hear businessman David White talking first-hand about how his award-winning creative partnership with Cultural Documents has benefited his business, international freight services company IFS Worldwide.

Also speaking at these events will be Cultural Documents Director Deirdre MacKenna, whose creative partnership with IFS Worldwide won the award for most innovative international collaboration at the 2016 Arts & Business Scotland awards. In 2017, Deirdre MacKenna also successfully devised a new creative partnership between cultural organisations Oban Community Trust and the Rockfield Centre and local businesses Glenburnie House and Hazelbank Motors. The partnership became the first project in Argyll to secure funding from Arts & Business Scotland’s Culture & Business Fund Scotland (CBFS) programme, which provides match funding for business sponsorship of arts or heritage projects.

Launched in April 2017, CBFS is managed by Arts & Business Scotland and is funded by the Scottish Government via Creative Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland. In its first year, the CBFS programme invested more than £260,000 to support 38 creative partnerships. During this period, every £1 of CBFS investment leveraged £1.41 in business sponsorship, creating a total investment of £645,698 into partnerships located throughout Scotland.

The events taking place in Dunoon and Rothesay are the latest in a series of roadshow events hosted by Arts & Business Scotland to promote the CBFS programme. At both venues, local arts and heritage organisations will have the opportunity to attend an afternoon workshop giving them real life examples of successful partnerships between business and the cultural sector as well as practical advice on how to apply to the CBFS. The early evening receptions that follow on both days are open to cultural organisations and local businesses to attend, providing an opportunity for networking and to hear David White and Deirdre MacKenna speak about their positive experiences of business and cultural partnership.

The first CBFS workshop takes place at Dunoon Burgh Hall from 12.30pm until 3pm on Wednesday, 20^th March and will be followed by a networking drinks reception at the same venue, starting at 5.30pm. On Thursday, the 21^st March, the roadshow then moves to the Isle of Bute, where a further CBFS workshop takes place at the Winter Garden Discovery Centre in Rothesay from 3.30pm until 5pm, followed by a second networking reception from 5.30pm.

Since the launch of CBFS, Arts & Business Scotland’s CBFS roadshow has visited locations across Scotland as far-reaching as Aberdeen, Benbecula, Oban, Paisley and Shetland.

Commenting ahead of his appearance at the networking events in Dunoon and Rothesay, David White said:

“As a businessman, I’m really looking forward to having the opportunity to share with other local businesses my own positive experience of collaborating with the cultural sector. Three years on, the partnership with Cultural Documents continues to deliver benefits to my business and it’s something I’m really pleased to have done. Based on that experience, I’d have no hesitation in encouraging other businesses that might be considering a partnership with the cultural sector to take the plunge.”

Commenting on the forthcoming roadshow events, Arts & Business Scotland Head of Programmes Carl Watt said:

“We are delighted to bring our Culture & Business Fund Scotland roadshow to Dunoon and Rothesay. For local cultural organisations, these events are a great opportunity to find out more about the CBFS programme and how to apply and to draw inspiration from past successful examples of business and cultural collaboration, both locally and throughout Scotland. I’d also encourage local businesses to take advantage of the opportunity to come along to one of our free evening drinks receptions, to broaden your network and to hear first-hand from David White how closer collaboration with the cultural sector has benefited his business.”

To book your place at either of the afternoon workshops or either of the evening receptions on the 20^th and 21^st March, please email events@aandbscotland.org.uk, stating your name, job title and business or organisation and specifying which event you would like to sign up for.