Click here for photos of winners

Mining company Rio Tinto was a double winner in the annual Australia Business Arts Foundation (AbaF) Awards in Western Australia, announced on 2 September 2009.

Cultural organisation DADAA (Disability in the Arts, Disadvantage in the Arts, Australia) also won two awards.

The AbaF Awards honour the best relationships between business and the arts in the areas of partnering, volunteering and giving.  Director AbaF-Western Australia Henry Boston said: "Business support for the arts continues to be strong in Western Australia.  The partnerships honoured in the AbaF Awards demonstrate creativity and community engagement, while making an important contribution to the cultural life of the state."
 
The Western Australian winners and national finalists will go on to the national AbaF Awards to be announced on 15 October in Brisbane. Winners are available for interview.

The winners are:
MARSH PARTNERING AWARD (for large businesses partnering the arts):
DADAA (Disability in the Arts, Disadvantage in the Arts, Australia) & Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto and DADAA have partnered for a seven-year research and publishing project, Disseminate. This project evaluates community arts projects across the state for their impact on health and wellbeing.

QANTASLINK REGIONAL AWARD (for regional business-arts partnerships):
Michael Leslie Foundation for the Arts & Rio Tinto
The Michael Leslie Foundation for the Arts and Rio Tinto have partnered to bring festivals, dance and arts workshops  to children in the Pilbara.

TOYOTA COMMUNITY AWARD (for partnerships with a community focus):
DADAA (Disability in the Arts, Disadvantage in the Arts, Australia), City of Swan & Midland Redevelopment Authority
The Lost Generation project assists people with intellectual disabilities to connect to their communities through film-making and the arts.

ABAF GIVING AWARD (for arts organisations with giving programs): Perth International Arts Festival
Perth International Arts Festival's Medici Donors program secures one production per festival and has become a reliable and growing income stream.

ABAF SME AWARD (for small businesses partnering the arts): Barking Gecko Theatre Company and Clarity Communications
An effective partnership that exchanges creative experiences for employees of Clarity Communications for communications benefits that help Barking Gecko increase ticket sales.

The following partnerships are finalists from Western Australia in national-only categories:
CITY OF BRISBANE ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD (for businesses making their first partnership with the arts)
NATIONAL FINALIST: Tura New Music and Total E&P Australia
Creating a tour across the north of Australia of Crossing Roper Bar, a collaboration of Australian Art Orchestra, artists of the Ngukurr Community and Ruby Hunter.

AUSTRALIA COUNCIL YOUNG AND EMERGING ARTIST AWARD (for business-arts partnerships that benefit young and emerging artists)
NATIONAL FINALIST (1) City of Swan and Midland Gate
The 2008 Hyper Festival is  a music and visual arts project run by a voluntary group of 25 young people in a commercial shopping precinct.
NATIONAL FINALIST (2) Community Arts Network WA, City of Stirling and Filmbites Youth Film School
The Reel Connections project in Perth's northern suburbs brings together young people from diverse cultural backgrounds to make films and learn about other cultures.
 

AbaF media contact: AbaF Director - WA, Henry Boston (08) 9211 7923 / 0412 387 257.