The winners of the Arts & Business National Awards, the UK’s most prestigious awards rewarding excellence in partnerships between business and the arts, were revealed at a gala concert at the Barbican in London last night (Wednesday 18 February).  Lesley Quirk, of management consultancy Quirk & Co, has been awarded the Unilever UK Arts & Business Individual of the Year Award for her work with the Skye-based An Tuireann Art Centre. 

Lesley has been working as a mentor to contemporary arts and crafts centre An Tuireann to increase business and management skills and advise on future developments.  Widely credited with helping to save the formerly struggling art centre, Lesley worked closely with An Tuireann’s director Norah Campbell.  Thanks to Lesley’s advice, Norah has completed the second phase of developing long-term financial systems, which has given the organisation greater control, management and planning information to benefit the viability, stability and performance of An Tuireann.
 
Lesley Quirk, of Ouirk & Co, says:
‘I am absolutely delighted on a personal level, particularly when I saw how strong the competition was, but I am pleased that it was mentoring that won the award.  Mentoring can make such a difference to individuals and to their organisations.  I want to recognise my mentee Norah Campbell – she is an exceptional person and everyone should go to Portree and visit An Tuireann.  It is a fabulous arts centre.’

Colin Tweedy, Chief Executive of Arts & Business, comments:
‘It is wonderful to see such inspirational and innovative partnerships recognised and rewarded for the good work they are doing.  When businesses and the arts work together they can make a significant and enriching impact on the lives of employees, children and the local community, and the partnerships honoured tonight are shining examples of this.’

Other winners at the Arts & Business National Awards were:

• THE ARTS & BUSINESS CHAMPION OF THE YEAR – Unilever & Tate (The Unilever Series)
• TOTAL ARTS, BUSINESS AND BRAND IDENTITY AWARD – Unilever & Tate (The Unilever Series)
• BP ARTS, BUSINESS AND SUSTAINABILITY AWARD – MMC (Marsh & McLennan Companies) & City of London Sinfonia
• RBS (ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND) ARTS, BUSINESS AND THE COMMUNITY AWARD – Co-operative Insurance Society Limited (CIS) & Manchester City Galleries
• JP MORGAN ARTS & KIDS AWARD – Shell UK Limited & National Theatre
• BARCLAYS Plc ARTS & SME AWARD – Quadrant & Welsh National Opera
• MMC (MARSH & MCLENNAN COMPANIES) ARTS, BUSINESS & EMPLOYEES – Personal Pension Management Ltd & Salisbury Playhouse
• THE GOODMAN AWARD SPONSORED BY OGILVY & MATHER for outstanding achievement in supporting the arts in a voluntary capacity – Wilf Weeks, chairman of the Dulwich Picture Gallery
• THE GARRETT AWARD SPONSORED BY OGILVY & MATHER for outstanding achievement in the encouragement of business support of the arts – Lucy Bird, Director of Marketing at The Sage, Gateshead