Businesses from across Bristol have taken part in volunteering ‘speed dating’ event to match the skills of their staff with those needed by local arts organisations.
With funding pressures intensifying for most arts projects, paying for professional advice is becoming even harder. Many organisations are having to put plans on ice or make cut backs to save cash.
Yet the kinds of skills they need are available from Bristol’s professional community – from marketing to property advice and from accounting to legal support.
The matchmaking event, staged by Arts & Business (A&B) and hosted by law firm TLT, brought together some of the city’s professionals to hear about the kinds of volunteering opportunities available in local arts groups.
Among those taking part from the art’s sector were Spike Island, Travelling Light Theatre Company, Jamaica Street Artists, the Architecture Centre, the city council’s museums, galleries and archives and the Encounters film festival.
Arts & Business has been selected by the Cabinet Office to be an official partner for the European Year of Volunteering and is leading the project for the arts and culture in England.
A&B regional director James Taljaard said: “We will be casting the net wide to recruit a new generation of people willing to give their time to the arts. Arts & Business will also add value by leveraging our business network offering volunteers who can advise and help on topics from marketing to business planning, IT to accountancy, as well as 'on the night' volunteering, helping front of house or wherever arts and cultural organisations might need extra support.”
Businesses taking part in the Bristol matchmaking event included law firms Burges Salmon and Veale Wasbrough Vizards.
