Tuesday, 22 November 2005
Westcountry Digital Communications Agency Wins Arts and Business Award
Leading digital communications agency Somerset based Iconography has been recognised for its support and sponsorship of the Westcountry’s newest arts festival, Quartz, by Arts & Business.
Iconography has recently won an investment from Arts & Business in recognition of its partnership with Quartz through the New Partners programme, which rewards vigour and innovation in relationships between business and the arts in the UK.
Having previously been actively involved in promoting Somerset Arts Week the company saw an opportunity to support Queens College in Taunton in launching its 2 week long Quartz arts festival last month (October) by designing a website (www.quartzfestival.org.uk) with online ticket booking facilities. With several thousand tickets available for the wide range of events the organisers needed to ensure high ticket sales without incurring major advertising costs. The near sell-out event has been a major success and the website has placed the event firmly on the region’s arts calendar. Iconography, with financial support from Arts & Business, also sponsored the creation of a new willow sculpture at Queens College by the celebrated artist Serena de la Hay, now renowned for her Running Man sculpture alongside the M5 at Bridgwater.
Arts & Business New Partners is part of comprehensive package of programmes designed to foster partnerships between the private sector and the arts and embed the arts more deeply into individual businesses. The package is funded by the Arts Council of England and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Ray Buckler, Iconography’s Creative Director, commenting on the award said, 'We saw this as an ideal opportunity to extend our business involvement in the arts sector and, at the same time, inspire and energise our creative team by delivering this challenging project to meet the needs of a new event on which so much rested for the future development of this festival in the region’s arts calendar’.
Colin Tweedy, Chief Executive of Arts & Business says 'The arts are the secret weapon of business success, offering unique and cost-effective ways of raising business profile, developing staff and being a responsible business in the community. This project is an excellent example of business and the arts working together creatively. We are delighted to support Iconography through Arts & Business New Partners.’
Picture shows Arts & Business award being made by James Taljaard to Fiona Madge, Iconography’s sales Director (right) and Ray Buckler (left).
