More than 350 guests from the business and cultural sectors joined acclaimed film and stage actor Patrick Stewart at an awards ceremony in Town Hall Birmingham last night to celebrate the Midlands’ best partnerships between business and the arts.
The 10th Jaguar Land Rover Awards for Arts & Business, presented in association with The Birmingham Post and hosted by Sarah Falkland of BBC Midlands Today, recognised collaborations across a range of categories with the overall Jaguar Champion of Champions 2009 award going to Colin Wells of Prologic plc and community arts organisation Multistory.
Multistory, winners of the Jaguar Champion award
As winner of the Land Rover Board Member of the Year category, the judges selected Colin Wells and Multistory as the Jaguar Champion in recognition of Colin’s leadership and commitment as a founding board member of Multistory – an organisation which aims to bring together communities and artists to develop creative solutions to local problems in Sandwell. Although initially recruited to the board of The Public, after it went into administration Colin subsequently became a board member for the resulting new organisation. The judges felt that by “sticking with it” through bad times as well as good, Colin exemplified all a good board member should be and declared him Jaguar Champion.
Winners from the night:
The Labels Outlet Shopping A&B Community Award:
National Express Coach and EC-Arts for the Digbeth Public Art Project which involved the local Irish community in the creation of an artistic commission at the entrance of the new coach station.
The Clarke Associates A&B Cultural Branding Award:
A E Harris (Birmingham) Ltd and Stan’s Café for its unique use of redundant factory space as a rehearsal and performance venue at the heart of the thriving Jewellery Quarter. Subsequently branded @ A E Harris, the venue continues to promote the company’s profile.
The MLA A&B Museums, Libraries and Archives Award:
Inchcape Motors Shrewsbury and Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust for its
‘Design A Kart’ competition throughout Shropshire primary schools which, with the museum’s educational resources, provided an innovative and stimulating experience to core curriculum activities.
The Business Link A&B People Development Award:
Signet Trading Ltd, Holte Visual & Performing Arts College and St. Francis Primary School for its Schools Partnership Programme involving staff from Signet’s Birmingham head office. Employees chose the winning designs in an art competition between pupils and led a series of Enterprise Days enabling pupils to learn about jewellery design and manufacturing and careers in the industry.
The Advantage West Midlands A&B Sustained Partnership Award:
Rolls-Royce plc & Sinfonia ViVA for its 13-year innovative partnership incorporating sponsorship, community involvement, staff development opportunities and the annual Darley Park concert in Derby which is attended by 35,000 people.
The Marketing Birmingham A&B Young People Award:
Balfour Beatty Capital & County Youth Arts (Nottinghamshire County Council) for its three-year arts strategy devised for new schools across Bassetlaw, Nottinghamshire. Pupils were introduced to the skills and expertise of visual artists, involving them in the creation of visual art projects for their own school, and inspiring them to aim higher in their own artistic endeavours.
In association with:
