Best National Business-arts Partnerships Crowned

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16th October 2009, 08:21am - Views: 1002





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16 OCTOBER 2009

Best business-arts partnerships honoured


A partnership between Bangarra Dance Theatre and Boral Limited has won the

Partnership of the Year Award at the national Australia Business Arts Foundation (AbaF)

Awards, presented at Brisbane City Hall on the evening of Thursday 15 October.

Arts minister Peter Garrett presented the award to Stephen Page, artistic director of

Bangarra and Rod Pearse, CEO and managing director of Boral at the national AbaF

Awards dinner, attended by 700 leaders of business and the arts.

While a partnership between a building materials company and an indigenous contemporary

dance company may seem unexpected, the two have a long-term relationship.

Boral’s cash sponsorship pays for Bangarra to develop new work for performance in

Australia and overseas. The partnership creates opportunities for Boral’s 15,000 staff and

their families to enjoy Bangarra performances in Sydney and regional centres. 


The AbaF Awards judges said: “This partnership provides significant community benefits in

key locations for Boral, while Bangarra is enabled to create and present new work to fulfil

important artistic and audience objectives.”


There were three major individual award winners:

Singer, artistic director and arts advocate Robyn Archer AO won the Dame Elisabeth

Murdoch Arts Business Leadership Award. Robyn Archer is a singer, writer, director, artistic

director, arts advocate and arts patron who has been artistic director of Melbourne

International Arts Festival, Tasmania’s Ten Days On The Island, and Adelaide Festival of the

Arts and many other arts festivals

Gallery owner and philanthropist Philip Bacon AM won the Goldman Sachs JBWere

Philanthropy Leadership Award. Brisbane art gallery owner Philip Bacon has been an

influential supporter of the arts for more than 30 years, and his personal donations have

assisted many organisations. He was a founder of the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation in

1985 and remains one of its principal benefactors. He has served on the board of Opera

Australia for 15 years.

Media magnate, chairman of arts organisations and art collector Kerry Stokes AC won the

Richard Pratt Business Arts Leadership Award. The owner of the Seven Network, Mr Stokes

owns one of Australia’s best private art collections. He has served as chairman of the

National Gallery of Australia (1996-2000), the Art Gallery of Western Australia and the

Canberra Theatre Trust, and was a director of Sydney Dance Company. 

A special presentation was made to Jeanne Pratt and the Pratt family in recognition of

Richard Pratt’s exceptional contribution to the arts in Australia.

MORE NEXT PAGE

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National winners of AbaF Awards – summary




AbaF Partnership of the Year: Bangarra Dance Theatre and Boral Limited



Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Arts Business Leadership Award: Robyn Archer AO



Richard Pratt Business Arts Leadership Award: Kerry Stokes AC 



Goldman Sachs JBWere Philanthropy Leadership Award: Philip Bacon AM



Bytecraft Entertainment Commitment Award: Company B Belvoir and Optus



Marsh Partnering Award: Bangarra Dance Theatre and Boral Limited



Toyota Community Award: DADAA (Disability in the Arts, Disadvantage in the

Arts Australia) City of Swan and Midland Redevelopment Authority.



Australia Council Young and Emerging Artist Award: City of Swan and Midland Gate. 



QantasLink Regional Award: Michael Leslie Foundation for the Arts and Rio Tinto 



AbaF Giving Award: Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra



AbaF SME Award: Bendigo Youth Choir and Bendigo Community Telco



City of Brisbane Encouragement Award: Tasmanian Regional Arts and 

RACT Insurance



AbaF Business Volunteering Award: Gondwana Choirs and Brent Duffy,

Maximus International




Media contact: Nick Gadd, communications manager, AbaF. (03) 9616 0308 / 0425 862 119.


ENDS






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