The approach to digital in the arts and culture sector isn’t working.
Arts and culture are the lifeblood of our society, but relentless cuts to the sector and the unpredictable times we live in mean that many organisations are struggling to operate day-to-day. The need to adapt quickly and cost-effectively to changing circumstances means that the current approach to digital experiences is failing the sector.
Let's set the scene.
Take your website, for example. It’s in a constant cycle of rebuilding for many reasons: a rebrand, new integrations, your old supplier can't support you anymore, or it simply crumbles under the weight of funding cuts. Let’s face it: thorough maintenance and ongoing developments aren’t exactly free.
If you do have the cash, you can commission a completely new website to fix the past faults, but what about the long haul? You're often left to fend for yourself.
The truth is, digital is paramount to your success, so why are we treating it like a disposable commodity, completely overhauling it every few years? Modern websites are intricate, dynamic services that demand continuous care. Those ad-hoc, hourly-billed jobs you invested in for the most basic updates have become unsustainable. The responsibility for continuity falls on you while the economic landscape remains as turbulent as ever.
When funding cutbacks hinder your creative ambitions, you cut back, but you shouldn’t have to. So, if collaboration fuels our artistic endeavours, why go it alone when it comes to digital? We need to come together to evolve. We need a more sustainable approach.
Enter CultureSuite, a group of thinkers, designers, and tech experts who work with 90+ arts and culture organisations. Our collective experience spanning two decades has allowed us to see the bigger picture. We’ve realised that though every organisation is unique—from local theatres to the world's biggest arenas—all can harness the power of a single, robust platform. Together.
What does this mean? It’s not just about building a new website; it's about crafting a new digital platform that supports you as you grow. Instead of individual solutions for each organisation, we're growing an ecosystem that helps sustain the entire sector in the long term.
CultureSuite isn’t just another product company, but a group of people creating a brighter future for the arts and culture sector. Building a sustainable digital experience will help open the doors wider for more people to enjoy the arts. That is our purpose.
Let's move arts and culture forward together.
Coen van der Poll
CEO, CultureSuite
At its core, the purpose of CultureSuite is to make digital more sustainable for the arts and culture sector.
- Industry-specific solutions
The arts and culture sector needs tailor-made tools to handle its unique challenges. - Configurable, not custom
Digital solutions should be adaptable to change; we’re focused on evolutions, not revolutions. - Real people, not robots
Human support should come standard, not tacked on at an hourly rate. - Inspire and be inspired
We encourage the community to drive new ideas and in turn, benefit from the ideas of others. - Collaboration is key
A more cooperative style model isn’t just sustainable; it’s how you thrive long-term.
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