UK BUSINESSES IN UNIQUE ARTS CSR OPPORTUNITY
UK businesses are being given a unique Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) opportunity - via an arts show with a difference.
The artist who's spent the last decade putting together the 'Fragments' sculpture exhibition is now giving it all away to a landmine charity - and he's inviting the business community to get involved. In return, they'll be associated with a brand new art movement, and receive excellent CSR recognition.
Canadian-born sculptor Blake will be raising valuable funds for The No More Landmines Trust when his collection of 20, quarter life-size bodies is exhibited in London. Businesses are being invited to put their CSR policies into practise by buying a sculpture not just for art's sake - but for life's sake. Five, limited edition copies of each sculpture are being made, resulting in 100 for sale.
Each sculpture sold will provide The No More Landmines Trust with funds to clear thousands of square metres of mine affected land and support survivors of landmine accidents. Sales from Blake's sculptures have already funded mine clearance in Vietnam and helped to free up land in countries such as Angola.
The shocking, yet strangely beautiful human forms will be on display at La Galleria, 5 Pall Mall, 1-17 November. Their broken bodies tell of the tragedy of war, but also man's enduring instinct for survival. They have been inspired by the artist's experiences in Vietnam where he witnessed the ongoing tragedy of landmines. It is believed there are up to 100 million landmines in the ground in one third of the world's nations, killing or maiming 15,000 to 20,000 innocent civilians every year and threatening millions more with their presence.
Corporate buyers will not only take ownership of a beautiful piece of art but, in supporting The No More Landmines Trust, they will also receive a tax deduction while helping 250 children walk again or clearing an entire minefield for a 1,000-strong community. Sponsors will also be given branding opportunities in media and promotional materials, online on the exhibition's website at www.motive-art.org, and at the Fragments show in November. The exhibition can also be used for clients, with closed viewing slots available.
Participating corporations will empower their CSR strategy and reporting with field reports from The No More Landmines Trust specifying exactly the areas cleared with funds from the purchase of their sculpture, including what landmines and unexploded weapons have been found.
Fragments is the first rallying cry of a new social responsibility movement for artists, called Motive. Blake has launched Motive to encourage other artists to help with charitable fundraising by donating time and work to registered charities helping the victims of war, poverty and disease around the world.
Blake said: "The exhibition is called Fragments because that's what landmines create. They shatter people's lives. In the time it takes to look around the exhibition, two more people will have been killed or maimed by a landmine, but it's so easy to help: just £1 would clear a square metre of land. And, by getting involved, businesses will also be delivering a money-can't-buy PR message about their organisation. A message to employees, customers and the public that you're trying to make a difference."
Ends
Corporate sponsors interested in finding out more about Fragments and Motive can visit www.motive-art.org
For further information, please contact Becky Maynard (tel 0207 471 5582), email becky@landmines.org.uk or Randall Kehrig, email randall@motive-art.org
• For further information on No More Landmines, visit www.landmines.org.uk
Art for good
This web site recognizes and showcases the work of artists who donate their work to benefit registered charities. If you know of an artist who you believe should be featured on this site, please email us with a short summary (250 words) followed by written biography of the artist, several j-peg images of their work, a description of the charity including its registered address and registration number, and a link to their website where the artist is described. While we applaud all artists who use their talent to benefit charities, we showcase artists who donate at least 30% of the proceeds from the sale of an item to a registered charity. We encourage all visitors to this site to support the artists listed here. For more information on how to register as a featured artist or to purchase Motive-art, please contact Randall by email on randall[at]motive-art.org.