SCOTTISH Opera has secured a major six-figure sponsorship agreement with management and technology consultancy Accenture.
The three-year deal - one of the largest arts sponsorships currently in place in Scotland - will provide a combination of cash and "value-in-kind support" worth in excess of £400,000.
Accenture said that under its "intelligent funding" model, it
would develop a "close working relationship" with Scottish Opera. Its management consultancy and technology expertise will be used to enhance the organisation's operational performance.
The first of a range of productions and performances to benefit from the sponsorship will be "Five:15 Operas Made in Scotland" - Scottish Opera's new programme of specially-commissioned 15-minute operas to be launched this week. This will form part of a wide package of client and employee benefits.
Trevor Hatton, managing director for Accenture Scotland, which employs more than 350 people in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, said: "This is the first time that Accenture has brought its innovative sponsorship model to Scotland and we are delighted to be working with Scottish Opera in this way to deliver genuine long-term benefit.
"We are about delivering high performance and Scottish Opera has both relevance today as well as a rich cultural heritage."
Alex Reedijk, general director of Scottish Opera, added: "The arts are increasingly looking to new models of funding, and I am delighted Scottish Opera is able to lead the way through this innovative relationship with Accenture. The fact that this is a three-year commitment is as important to us as the high value of Accenture's support."
The full article contains 267 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
