News and Reviews
News: Partnership Project Shortlisted for National Award
August 2008
A special partnership project between East Midlands' orchestra sinfonia ViVA and Rolls-Royce plc has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award.
Project Ocean, which involved professional musicians from ViVA working with Rolls-Royce Submarines business to re-energise the team before undertaking the roll out of a completely new business system, is shortlisted in the Arts & Business People Development Awards, sponsored by Prudential.
ViVA and Rolls-Royce are up against four other partnership projects from throughout the UK shortlisted for the award and is currently being scrutinised by a panel of esteemed judges from Blue Chip, multi-national companies who will consider how each partnership between the arts and business has embedded culture as a core element to employee development and made the most significant business improvement.
The winners will be announced at a gala dinner at London's Victoria & Albert Museum on Monday November 24.
Project Ocean has already won an award at the Arts & Business East Midlands 2008 awards in recognition of its success in bringing together musicians and the Rolls-Royce team to work together to compose and perform several percussion pieces.
Mike Saunderson, Rolls-Royce Business Improvement Specialist explained: "Project Ocean has been a major business and IT transformation programme for Rolls-Royce Submarines, directly affecting 1500 employees and demanding a major change of role for 650. To achieve this on time and with no disruption to business performance was an outstanding success built on the effectiveness of the project team. Our partnership with ViVA musicians was crucial to building and sustaining a project team with the creativity to solve problems, the energy to overcome difficulties, and a belief in their ability to succeed. To be short-listed for this award on top of winning the East Midlands Arts Business and Employees Award is well deserved recognition for all those involved."
ViVA Chief Executive Peter Helps said: "The success of Project Ocean with Rolls-Royce is a terrific example of how the arts and business can and should work together. Music is an incredibly powerful tool in the workplace and I am delighted that the project has been shortlisted for this prestigious award. For us the project was a huge step forward in our relationship with Rolls-Royce and its success is testament to the power music can have in the training and development arena. The fact that both Rolls-Royce employees and ViVA musicians still talk about the project reflects the deep seated effect such an event can have and the legacy it creates."
Media enquiries: Sarah Jenkin-Jones - Tel: 01332 515102/07951 945 665 sarah@jjpublicrelations.co.uk