Three Midland projects which bring business and arts organisations together have been shortlisted for a national award to be held in London in November.

The partnerships, the winners of last year’s Jaguar Awards for Arts & Business, have been shortlisted for the 30th National Arts & Business Awards to be held at the V&A in London on 24th November.

Last year’s Jaguar Champion of Champions partnership, Mitchells & Butlers and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, sees the brewery sponsoring a series of community concerts taking CBSO musicians to different venues around the Midlands.

The venues include village halls, churches and libraries as well as historical settings and pubs.

A partnership between Wolverhampton’s Oceana Night Club, Deansfield High School and Creative Partnerships Black Country is also going to the national award ceremony.

Pupils at the Wolverhampton school developed a creative partnership with the night club involving eight schools,1,000 people and numerous professional practitioners from theatre, dance and music.

The project developed Safe Night Out workshops and brought new bands and live performances to the club.

Sewing machine manufacturer VSM (UK) and crafts development organisation Craftspace is the third partnership to go through.

Craftspace developed a textile project with VSM linked to Made in the Middle, an exhibition of new contemporary craft from the West Midlands.
VSM’s education and marketing staff worked with members of The Project Group, an arts social enterprise and with members of the Quilters’ Guild of Great Britain.

Led by internationally renowned textile artist Karina Thompson, they explored the innovative use of high-tech sewing machines distributed by VSM.