Walkers Ireland is delighted that its 'Photographer-in-Residence 2017 - 2020' programme in partnership with visual artist Kate Nolan and CBS Westland Row has been shortlisted for the third year running in the 2021 Business to Arts Awards under Best Use of Creativity in the Workplace supported by ESB.
The 29th Business to Arts Awards recognise businesses, philanthropists, artists and arts organisations that develop highly successful creative partnerships and which champion the spirit of collaboration between businesses and artists. All of those shortlisted, including Walkers, have demonstrated the importance of supporting the arts and the impact that can be made in the workplace through the development of meaningful partnerships, such as our Photographer-in-Residence partnership with Kate Nolan and CBS Westland Row. In their evaluation, the judging panel focused on the level of success and creativity in achieving both the business and artist's objectives, the history behind the partnership and how it has been successfully activated.
Walkers has been specifically recognised for innovative and mutually beneficial work with Kate Nolan, our people and CBS Westland Row through the 'Walkers Photographer-in-Residence' programme over the last three years. This partnership has brought further creativity into the workplace and engaged our people in collaborative photography workshops with students and teachers from CBS Westland Row. Commenting on the programme, Walkers Ireland Managing Partner, Garry Ferguson says, "Walkers has been located in the Docklands area since first opening for business in Ireland in 2010. Our partnership with Kate Nolan and CBS Westland Row has allowed us to introduce photography as an art form into the daily routine of those living, working and attending school in this locality. It has also given our staff a new perspective on the local Docklands community and afforded them the opportunity of learning a new skillset. By introducing art through the accessible medium of photography into our workplace while also collaborating with the students, we have facilitated a greater knowledge and understanding on the part of our staff of the history and vibrant diversity of the Docklands community." Also commenting on the shortlisting, Kate Nolan says, "After 3 years working on this programme with Walkers staff and CBS Westland Row students, it's a great honour to again be recognised for our creative collaboration achieved through respect and fun."
Congratulations to all of those shortlisted in our category under Best Use of Creativity in the Workplace. The full list of shortlisted partnerships which includes: KPMG & Children's Books Ireland for 'KPMG BOLD GIRLS meets 20 X 20' ; Publicis Dublin & Fishamble; Irish Rail & Christopher Steenson for 'On Chorus' and; Walkers Ireland & Kate Nolan for 'Walkers Photographer-in-Residence' with CBS Westland Row, can be viewed in today's print copy of the Irish Times or via Business to Arts.
President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, is Patron of Business to Arts and the 2021 Awards sponsors include: Accenture, Arthur Cox, The Arts Council, The DAA, The ESB, Irish Life, The Irish Times and Tile Style. The Business to Arts Awards is a high profile Irish arts and business event and the ceremony will be broadcast from the GPO on Wednesday, 21 April.
About the Photographer-in-Residence Programme
In 2017, we began a 3-year 'Walkers Photographer-in-Residence' programme in partnership with Business to Arts, the Docklands Arts Fund and visual artist Kate Nolan. Kate worked with CBS Westland Row TY students and our staff to develop their creative, documentary, visual literacy and photographic skills via workshops, 'story walks' of the area and field trips to the NGI, the RHA and the Gallery of Photography. Themes such as work, community and play were explored in each workshop, leading to the development and nurturing of technical skills and creative engagement of the TY students and our staff. As a global financial services law firm based in the Docklands, we have a strong commitment to the long-term development of the local community in which we operate. The Photographer-in-Residence programme has seen us commit significant staff time and resources to ensuring a successful outcome for all involved in this community based programme. Walkers was one of the first companies to invest in the Docklands Arts Fund in 2017 and to begin an Artist in Residence Programme. The conclusion of this project in 2020 coincided with the 10 year anniversary of the opening of Walkers' office in Ireland. To mark this occasion we are publishing a photographic collection of life in Dublin's Docklands to include photographs from our staff, the students of CBS Westland Row and from our Artist in Residence, Kate Nolan.
