4 ALLIANZ BUSINESS TO ARTS AWARDS 2009 Sunday Independent May 24, 2009
ALLIANZ
Theatre helps create
BUSINESS
TO ARTS
a new era for cancer care
Through its alliance with Mundipharma Ireland, the play ‘Cancer Tales’ is helping to bridge the emotional gap between the
AWARDS
patient’s experience of cancer and the approach of health professionals during its treatment
2009
representatives gave great
H
AVING teamed
up with a insights into how patients
unique theatre and families felt they are
production spoken to during their treat-
called Cancer ment,” says Flanagan.
Tales, Mundipharma Ireland What has also made the
is playing a pivotal role in play so thought-provoking
WINNERS
helping healthcare profes- is that after each perform-
sionals be more empathetic in ance there is a questions and
understanding cancer from answers session.
the patient’s perspective. In the case of the
Cancer Tales has already Mundipharma Ireland per-
been performed in front of formances, palliative care
healthcare professionals all specialists, ICS spokesper-
over Europe, with Mundi- sons and members of the
pharma bringing the play to Mundipharma Ireland man-
Ireland in 2009. Now, the agement team all had the
partnership between the two opportunity to engage and
has won the Best Use of Cre- give feedback after the play.
ativity category at this year’s “People talk about their
Allianz Business to Arts experiences. The mes-
Awards. sage that keeps coming
Because pain associated across is how much see-
with cancer is often not dis- ing the play helps nor-
cussed between patients and malise cancer,” explains
healthcare professionals, Walker.
Mundipharma International Actors Robert Hickson and Laura Fitzpatrick portray Mr Lawrence and Claire in ‘Cancer Tales’, winner of the Best Use of Referring to the collabora-
recognised the need to open Creativity category at this year’s Allianz Business to Arts Awards tion with Mundipharma, he
up lines of communication says it has allowed Cancer
between both parties. medical curricula.
‘Mundipharma has
audience, telling them the Cancer Tales have been Tales to reach an audience of
The play depicts the inter- “A new approach was there- stories from the perspective shown both at international several thousand healthcare
twined stories of five women fore required to help the med-
allowed us to open
of the characters. medical conferences and at professionals who can really
with cancer, as they explain ical community more actively It was a performance of the Mundipharma educational change things.
how they deal with their con- support patients and their
up that dialogue
play in Italy at a charity event, meetings across Europe. “Mundipharma has
dition and interact with fam- families,” she explains. which was attended by a Then, in February of this allowed us to open up that
ilies and carers. Cancer Tales has been between the director at Mundipharma year, Mundipharma Ireland, dialogue between the
Guen Flanagan, group intrinsic to improving dia-
patient’s
International, that sparked along with First Medical Com- patient’s experience and the
brand manager, Mundi- logue between patients and the collaboration between munications and Walker doctor’s experience. There
pharma Ireland, points to a those working in healthcare,
experience and
Mundipharma and the Can- brought Cancer Tales to Ire- is a sense that a piece of the-
recent survey among almost helping them to understand cer Tales team. land, whereupon the play was atre is actually making a dif-
5,000 cancer patients across pain, its treatment and
the doctor’s
Explains Flanagan: performed in front of health- ference to healthcare.”
Europe, which identified control. “Mundipharma Interna- care professionals in Cork, Reiterating this point,
huge problems in commu- Trevor Walker, director of experience’ tional began working with Galway and Dublin. Flanagan says the response
nication between cancer Cancer Tales, Strawberry Hill Nell Dunn, Trevor Walker The initiative was also from healthcare profession-
patients and healthcare Creative and head of drama, and many other healthcare supported by the Irish Can- als has been incredible.
professionals. St Mary’s University College, experts to develop a com- cer Society (ICS) and the “In the feedback forms,
“Literature searches and London, says the genesis of munications workbook as Irish Pain Society. there were many healthcare
discussions with key third the play came about in 2001 an educational tool for “Members of the ICS spoke professionals who felt that
parties confirmed that poor when the UK playwright and healthcare professionals: at the three performances of this play would make them
doctor-patient communica- author Nell Dunn sent him The resulting play, Cancer Cancer Tales Communicat- Cancer Tales about the impor- question their day-to-day
tion negatively impacts the transcripts of interviews car- Tales, is unconventional in ing in Cancer. tance of communication with practice and look for ways to
cancer experience and is ried out with doctors, nurses that the actors both act in In addition to this work- patients, families and health- communicate differently
conspicuously absent from and carers. scenes and talk directly to the book, productions of the play care professionals. These with patients and families.”
The language of theatre
Can you imagine someone making a cast of your nose at work, or choreographing
Alan Stanford, Johnny Murphy, Barry McGovern
a dance to represent your daily tasks? These are the types of things that have
and Stephen Brennan, setting off on The Gate
happened as part of the Art@work programme in Co Roscommon
Theatre’s national tour of ‘Waiting for Godot’
Getting
inside
the mind
Brendan Murphy, CEO, Allianz; Cormac
McCarthy, CEO, Ulster Bank Group; Stuart
of the
McLaughlin, chief executive, Business to Arts;
and Michael Colgan, director, The Gate Theatre
An ambitious theatre tour, sponsored by Ulster Bank, has scooped the title of
Best Sponsorship of an Event at the 2009 Allianz Business to Arts Awards
creator
‘Money Matters’ by Catherine Donnelly, created as part of her
residency in Bank of Ireland, Roscommon Town. This piece was
one of many featured in the Art@Work project, recognised at the
Allianz Business to Arts Awards
FORTY venues, 32 counties, eight committed to touring, and while The on the ground to help with market-
weeks and 8,459 miles covered – Gate had toured all over the world it ing everywhere we went. They came
these are the headline statistics of the never did in Ireland.” up with ways to bring a unique qual-
unprecedented Gate Theatre Waiting Naturally, the tour was a massive ity to every show such as a question A UNIQUE programme in an artist makes the things
for Godot tour, sponsored by Ulster undertaking and The Gate couldn’t go and answers session afterwards.” Co Roscommon is helping they do,” he explains.
‘Art@work allows
coming out of it. We put it in
the window and someone
Bank, which ran last year. it alone. Colgan approached group McMahon says the tour engaged people within companies to “Naturally, what’s made
people to delve
bought it. Two years ago, an
When director of The Gate, Michael chief executive of Ulster Bank Cormac staff in a new way. “We had updates think of their work in a whole relates strongly to that par- artist made a cast of every-
Colgan, came up with the idea and told McCarthy who was behind the idea and interviews with the cast on our new light, by bringing artists ticular environment. More deeper and find one’s nose and then made a
people he aimed to fill every theatre for straight away. intranet and gave employees the into their environment and often than not staff play a
one night only with five shows in a “Ulster Bank was my first choice of opportunity to win tickets and write allowing them to interact. key role, either supplying the
out how it all
recording of what each per-
son could smell – no two peo-
week, they thought he was mad. sponsor. It wasn’t about its pound of reviews. It gave them a sense of own- Called Art@work, this motivation for the artwork or
But there was obviously method to flesh; it was about making sure the ership as they became spokespeople distinctive project has bringing their particular
starts, how ideas
ple said they smelled the
same thing,” he explains.
his madness. Throughout the run, product was right.” for promoting the tour.” deservedly received the Best skills and experience to the
develop, why an
Delamare notes that
12,668 people saw the show. Each Carol McMahon, group sponsor- The tour simply would not have Sponsorship by Small to making of the artwork.” Art@work is a unique mar-
performance enjoyed a full house ship and events manager at Ulster happened without Ulster Bank, says Medium Enterprises award The companies involved
artist makes the
keting tool. It advertises a
and in more than half the venues, the Bank, says the Waiting for Godot Colgan. The Arts Council and the at this year’s Allianz Busi- in 2008 were Arigna Fuels, brand to new audiences,
actors got a standing ovation. tour was the ideal way to reinforce the Department of Arts, Sport and ness to Arts Awards. Bank of Ireland (The Square, things they do’ whilst demonstrating open-
“It was The Gate’s 80th year and bank’s positioning as lead sponsor of Tourism also came on-board, so that First started by Roscom- Roscommon), Feelystone, ness to new things and a cre-
the 20th anniversary of our produc- the arts on the island of Ireland. the venture became “a four-legged mon County Council Arts FDK Engineering, Gleeson’s ative approach to business.
tion of Waiting for Godot. I thought “We had sponsored the Dublin The- stool”, he adds. Office in 2002, the pro- Guesthouse and Molloy’s This was evident in the latest
one of the best ways to mark this atre Festival and the Belfast Festival. “This tour set a marker to show gramme involves a range of Bakery, although some com- residency at Molloy’s Bakery.
was to celebrate the theatre’s ori- The Gate gave us the opportunity to that if an arts product is intrinsically artists spending three weeks panies become involved year artists actually do, as well “Last year, the artist
gins,” says Colgan. broaden our key messages and allowed good and is marketed properly, there in certain companies. While after year. as building character, pride Michelle Brown wanted to
Those very origins were based on us to speak to a regional audience. Nor- is an audience for it outside the main there, they make artworks “Having artists onsite often and morale within the bak- get across the idea that our
the idea of a touring theatre company. mally a branch manager wouldn’t cities.” using either the materials makes a major impact on the ery. A fourth-generation fam- products were made by
Colgan recalls: “Anew McMaster have something as special as this to McMahon adds: “The feedback we from the firm or inspired by employees. For example, ily business, Molloy’s Bakery human beings rather than
(actor and impresario) was touring invite key customers to.” got from customers and the general the environment, staff or dancer Catherine Donnelly, a has turned the clock back to machines. She sketched the
with Shakespearean plays and intro- Ulster Bank has 216 branches and public was this was what theatre is all working practices within it. former bank official herself, the way bread used to be bakers at work, got their
duced Micheál MacLiammóir to 34 business centres, covering more or about – bringing live performances to “We started Art@work to created a video piece using a processed 30 or 40 years ago. faces printed onto labels and
Hilton Edwards. One day, while walk- less every town in Ireland. the masses. When the Waiting for give people the opportunity to box theme to reflect what it’s “Bakers have a connection stuck them on every packet,
ing up Vinegar Hill, they decided “What made the relationship fit Godot bus pulled in anywhere, there see art being made, rather like to work in a bank, which with artists, as they have to be according to what each baker
to found The Gate. McMaster was so well was the fact we had someone was a real sense of excitement.” than just the finished product got a strong reaction from able to express themselves made.”
hanging on a wall,” says Philip the staff,” says Delamare. with innovation, while using Delamare says the entire
Delamare, arts officer, Declan Molloy, owner man- their hands, for example, project was fun and devel-
Roscommon County Council. ager of Molloy’s Bakery, says when decorating cakes. oped interaction between
“Art@work allows people Art@work has given him “One artist designed a the staff. In turn, the staff
to delve deeper and find and his team of 38 people a Valentine’s Day cake with a enjoyed being part of the art,
out how ideas develop, why different outlook on what chocolate dagger and blood the art of the baker.
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