News and Reviews

News: Partnership Project Wins National Award
November 2008

A special partnership project between East Midlands' orchestra sinfonia ViVA and Rolls-Royce plc has won a prestigious national award.

Project Ocean, which involved professional musicians from ViVA working with the submarines business of Rolls-Royce on team building exercises related to the delivery of a specific new project, clinched the Arts & Business People Development Awards, sponsored by Prudential, at a gala dinner at London's Victoria & Albert Museum on Monday November 24.

ViVA and Rolls-Royce were up against four other partnership projects from across the UK shortlisted for the award and was scrutinised by a panel of esteemed judges from Blue Chip, multi-national companies who considered how each partnership between the arts and business had embedded culture as a core element to employee development and made the most significant business improvement.

This award is in addition to one which Project Ocean had already won at the Arts & Business East Midlands 2008 awards in recognition of its success bringing together musicians and the Rolls-Royce team to work together composing and performing several percussion pieces.

Mike Saunderson, Rolls-Royce Business Improvement Specialist explained: "Project Ocean has been an important business and IT transformation programme for the submarines business of Rolls-Royce, directly affecting 1,500 employees. To deliver this on time without disrupting business performance is an outstanding achievement for the project team."

He continued: "Our partnership with ViVA musicians was important step in 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 win this national award in addition to 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 won this prestigious award."

He added: "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