The upside to the climate change challenge issue for business is all about innovation

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A sophisticated society looks for art that is innovative and pushes boundaries – and that’s just what the people of Western Australia saw when ARTRAGE, a Perth-based producer of contemporary culture, teamed with a local small business, AdultShop.com, to run a series of erotic art exhibitions and prizes in recent years.

Not only has the local community benefited from the promotion of vibrant and daring visual art, the sponsoring business, AdultShop.com, also received a boost in broader awareness and acceptance of its purpose, and this seemingly unusual partnership was celebrated when it won the NAB Small-Medium Enterprise award in Western Australia in 2007. The award is part of a program run by the Australian Business Arts Foundation (AbaF), which recognises the importance and value of support from the private sector for cultural organisations.

As ARTRAGE’s Executive Director Marcus Canning observes, a true synergy exists between the arts and business, particularly in the small-to-medium sector where “cultural and corporate bodies are the powerhouse and engine room of innovation in Australia”.

Growing and supporting the arts is not only vital for building healthy local communities, it’s also good for businesses. History shows an enduring connection between economic prosperity and the arts, says Jane Haley, CEO of the AbaF. Haley points to renaissance Florence as an example, and observes that what is memorable about that prosperous and enlightened era is not the profits that were made, but the achievements in art, literature and philosophy.

NAB is committed to making the arts more accessible to local communities, and through its support of the AbaF over the past three years has been continuously unveiling talent Australia-wide.

“The benefits to businesses large and small are clear,” says Andrew Whitechurch, State General Manager WA, NAB. “Supporting the arts not only creates a ‘good vibe’ in the community in which a business operates, businesses also benefit both directly and indirectly because a vibrant arts community helps attract people into a town or city to live, work and visit. Partnerships with local arts organisations have been shown to attract and build good relationships with customers. They can also provide networking and business development opportunities for the business.”

2008 marks the second year of the NAB SME Award (for businesses with less than 200 employees that partner with an arts organisation). Last year South Australia’s Port Adelaide Football Club took out the national award for its support of the Australian Festival for Young People.

“Entries were welcomed from a wide range of industries including retail and hospitality, construction, wineries, consultancies, information technology and financial services, to name just a few,” says Andrew. “We look forward to broadening that field even further in 2008.”