Wesfarmers’ vision splendid

A long-time sponsor of the arts community in Western Australia, Wesfarmers has again been recognised in 2005 for its continued commitment to supporting local artistic endeavours.

The company was awarded the arts development award, which highlights business contributions that foster development within the state’s arts and cultural community.

Wesfarmers’ long-standing relationship with the UWA Perth Inter-national Arts Festival is regarded as an outstanding business-arts collab-oration, working to foster development within local arts communities.

Wesfarmers’ corporate level sponsorship for the arts through key arts organisations such as the West Australian Ballet, West Australian Opera, West Australian Symphony Orchestra and Black Swan Theatre Company exceeded $550,000 from 2004-2005.

Wesfarmers Arts manager Helen Carroll-Fairhall said that, although Wesfarmers’ commitment to the arts community spanned more than a decade, it had been the company’s most recent contributions that had focused on the commissioning of new works.

“We began this sponsorship initiative with consultation with West Australian art communities about commissioning local companies for major new works,” Ms Carroll-Fairhall said.

“At that time there wasn’t a lot of investment in new projects [in the WA art community] and it coincided with Wesfarmers’ wish to get involved in that area.

“It was a matter of synchronicity”.

With involvement in this phase of artistic endeavour, Wesfarmers’ realised there was a real opportunity to make a difference with its sponsorship. The research and development stage of major art works is often a costly and lengthy process, making it difficult to attract government funding.

Corporate sponsorship is, therefore, critical for new works commissions and offers corporate partners the chance to strike new ground with their support. Sponsorship in this respect contributed to the sustainability of the WA arts sector and has provided a platform for Wesfarmers to achieve recognition as an Australian corporate leader in the commissioning of new work.

The Wesfarmers Commission Series represents a four-year association with the UWA Perth International Arts Festival. Sponsorship for the event has enabled the performance of works by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, the West Australian Ballet, the West Australian Opera and the Black Swan Theatre Company.

In close collaboration with the festival’s artistic director, Lindy Hume, the commissioning partnership, which spans five different art forms, was the first of its kind in Australia.

“Wesfarmers considers the festival to be one of the most significant arts community events in the state,” Mrs Carroll-Fairhall said.

And what began as consultation with then managing director, Michael Chaney, is set to flourish under new boss Richard Goyder’s watch.

“He is very committed to the program and wants to see it remain an important part of the WA arts community,” Mrs Carroll-Fairhall said.

With Wesfarmers’ sponsorship the festival plans to present two arts commissions in 2006 – the Black Swan Theatre’s The Odyssey and Brett Dean’s world premiere of Vexations and Devotions with the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra.