Macsween of Edinburgh, Krispy Kreme, Glasgow Airport and A1 Toys among businesses in running for top accolade

Arts & Business Scotland has revealed an impressive shortlist for its annual Awards, celebrating outstanding, innovative relationships between the cultural and business sectors.

The shortlist showcases a wide and diverse range of businesses, ranging from small independents to large multi-national companies, which have collaborated with the arts to invest in Scotland’s thriving cultural sector. The businesses which have made the shortlist include everything from haggis and donuts, to toy shops, airports, major energy suppliers and a whole lot more in between.

Chief Executive of Arts & Business Scotland, David Watt said: “We’re delighted to see such a diverse range of businesses collaborating creatively with the cultural sector to produce an exciting shortlist showcasing the very best of cross-sector partnership working.

“It’s fantastically encouraging to see such commitment from across so many sectors of the business community to support cultural activity and cultural engagement throughout the whole of Scotland.”

The arts organisations making the shortlist is an equally impressive and varied selection with some of the cultural sector’s key players including the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, National Theatre of Scotland, Edinburgh International Book Festival and the Glasgow School of Art in the running. This year has seen an increase in smaller, grassroots organisations making the shortlist including Children’s Classic Concerts, Riddell Fiddles, Crossing Borders and ATLAS Arts.

The winners of the five partnership award categories – Placemaking, People, Digital Innovation, Entrepreneurship and International – will be announced along with the winners of two further awards for leadership and the Museum Galleries Scotland Enterprising Museum Award at a ceremony in February next year. The awards party will this year take place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on Wednesday 3 February 2016. The evening will have an informal format including a welcome party, with hot buffet, interspersed with various arts performances.