Business sponsors take in the washing to help out the arts
By Susannah Herbert Arts Correspondent
BUSINESSES are supporting the arts by washing theatre costumes, lending lorries, and
providing clay, cars, rooms and services, rather than by simply donating money.
The trend towards sponsorship in kind is highlighted in a report by the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts. Although cash sponsorship of the arts fell by 2.2 per cent last year, to £56 million, sponsorship in kind doubled and is now worth more than £6 million.
Ms Marah Winn-Moon of the association, said yesterday: "Companies which are feeling the recession are learning that they can support the arts without necessarily spending a lot of money.
"They also like it because it means they get thoroughly involved. They don't just sign a cheque." Examples of non-cash support include an offer by the Duds and Suds laundrette in Belfast to wash the costumes for the city's Arts Theatre production of The Steamie. Safeway, the supermarket chain, has lent articulated lorries to help Scottish Ballet move their sets and equipment during a tour of Russia.
Ibstock Building Products of Liverpool gave clay to the sculptor Antony Gormley for an exhibition at the Tate in Liverpool. And Digital installed computer box office systems at the English National Opera and the National Theatre. Mr Colin Tweedy, the association's director general, welcomed the move towards more sponsorship in kind, but said the arts also need cash.
"Both the business and arts communities have been battered by the recession," he said.
"Many companies froze or cut their budgets and the arts found sponsorship increasingly difficult to find."
