Arts and Business Sustainability Award is won by BMW Group Plant Oxford & Oxford Inspires, Creation Theatre Company, Cowley Road Carnival and Oxford Philomusica

Wednesday 18 June 2008

Oxford Inspires is delighted to announce that, together with BMW Group Plant Oxford, Cowley Road Carnival, Oxford Philomusica and Creation Theatre Company, they have won the The Arts & Business Sustainability Award. This award recognises “an established and on-going partnership that continues to set standards in innovative arts-business collaborations.” The winners were announced last night (17 June 2008) at the Arts & Business South East Awards ceremony 2008, hosted by BMW Group Plant Oxford. The location of the ceremony in Oxford reflected the number of Oxford based organisations which were nominated.

Arts & Business South East aims to help business support the arts and the arts to inspire business, because good business and great art together create a richer society. A&B hosts this prestigious annual awards ceremony that recognises the best of corporate and cultural collaborations. Nominations are short-listed form across the entire South East of England and celebrate the mutual benefits that the partners derive from their collaboration.

Through its support of the partners BMW Group Plant Oxford has championed the role of arts and culture in the local community. Plant Oxford has supported high quality street arts, professional theatre, innovative concerts and imaginative high-profile artistic events that have allowed thousands of local residents to take part. The long-term relationships have made a real difference to all the companies involved, allowing them to plan, grow, create new work and to develop ideas.

Plant Oxford’s associates, and their surrounding community, have also benefited from involvement in dynamic activities like Oxfordshire 2007, Cowley Road Carnival and performances and workshops by Creation Theatre Company and Oxford Philomusica. The plant has taken an active role in these events and, on many occasions, invited the public into its site for the performances and shows. This look behind the scenes has allowed many people to learn about the industry and the important role manufacturing has in the local economy.

Below are just a few examples of what has been made possible through the involvement of Plant Oxford and why Oxford Inspires was delighted to nominate the company for the Arts & Business Awards on behalf of all of the partners.

• 60,000 people have attended and taken part in the Cowley Road Carnival
• Thousands of people have been to six Creation Theatre Company productions at the plant since 2005
• Plant Oxford's support of the partners has been part of enabling dozens of community workshops
• Oxford Philomusica has developed and performed sell-out concerts in Plant Oxford
• An audience of 20,000 viewed Luminox, coordinated by Oxford Inspires, which illuminated Broad Street in central Oxford with light and spectacular fire sculptures in 2007.

“I am absolutely thrilled that BMW Group Plant Oxford’s commitment to the arts in Oxford has been recognised. Plant Oxford has approached these relationships with a real sense of collaboration, bringing along resources and expertise in addition to financial support. The award acknowledges that Plant Oxford is a true business leader in supporting quality artistic activity and community events,” says Sarah Maxfield, Chief Executive, Oxford Inspires.

Rebecca Baxter, Manager, External Communications, at BMW Group Plant Oxford said “We’re absolutely delighted to have won this award and to have been nominated by our four arts partners. We are proud to play an active role in the community and feel that arts make a difference.”

Plans for future events are ongoing, demonstrating the sustainability of the partnerships. Since being nominated for this award Plant Oxford hosted a very successful and unique musical event, Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times, with Oxford Philomusica. The next Cowley Road Carnival will take place on 6 July 2008. Through Oxford Inspires, Plant Oxford is supporting ‘The Magic Hour’, a special collaboration between Oxford Contemporary Music and the University of Oxford Botanic Garden, taking place at dusk on 5,6 & 7 September 2008. Creation Theatre Company are working on their 10th show at Plant Oxford for 2009, when it is hoped the plant and the theatre will welcome their 100,000th audience member.

Information for Editors:
Oxford Inspires was also delighted to win the Cultural Branding Award for their partnership with Hook Norton Brewery. Information regarding this award is on a separate press release.


ENDS

For further information, pictures and logos please contact Olivia Thornton, Marketing and Communications Officer, Oxford Inspires, T: 01865 816392 E: olivia.thornton@oxfordinspires.org. She is in the office Tuesday to Thursday.

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