The traditional approach to building websites for arts and culture venues is broken. Every 3-5 years, venues invest heavily in rebuilding their websites, often because their current site has become outdated and cumbersome to manage. This cycle creates a significant financial and technological burden on the sector, particularly when many organisations are already facing funding pressures.
The problem with traditional website development
Many venues come to us with familiar challenges:
- Their website feels outdated and lacks essential features
- Content updates require costly agency intervention
- Making changes through their web agency is too slow for this fast-moving sector
- Their current platform has become sluggish as content has grown
- Technical limitations create missed opportunities for audience engagement
The root cause? Most website platforms and content management systems (CMS) aren't designed to handle the unique needs of arts and culture venues and the demands of critical onsales periods. Generic platforms like WordPress, Drupal or Craft require significant customisation to integrate with ticketing systems, handle event management, and provide the specialised features venues need.
This customisation comes at a cost – both initially and over time. When venues switch platforms or need updates, these modifications often need to be rebuilt at considerable expense.
This is also a burden on agencies and it's created a cycle that's becoming increasingly unsustainable. As our digital carbon footprint grows, why are we rebuilding the same tools over and over again?
Enter Peppered: a CMS built for arts and culture
After 20 years of building websites for venues worldwide, from the Honolulu Museum of Art to The Joyce Theater in New York, we realised there had to be a better way. That's why we developed Peppered – a CMS specifically designed for arts and culture organisations.
Rather than building websites from scratch, Peppered provides a comprehensive platform with all the essential tools venues need, right out of the box:
- Seamless integration with ticketing and event management systems
- Automated content updates based on synced data from 3rd party platforms
- Flexible building blocks that marketing teams can customise without technical expertise
- Built-in accessibility compliance
- Powerful personalisation tools for audience engagement
- Regular security, SEO and performance upgrades
- Built-in digital signage solution that seamlessly connects to content from your website
A new model for digital sustainability
What sets Peppered apart isn't just its features – it's the fundamental shift in how websites are maintained and improved:
Continuous Innovation
Instead of major rebuilds every few years, Peppered receives updates every three weeks. This ensures your website stays current with the latest security standards, SEO best practices, and new features without additional cost.
We recently undertook a comprehensive accessibility audit across the platform to ensure we meet the latest standards, which will be rolled out to all Peppered websites at zero cost to the venues.
Community-Led Development
When one venue suggests an improvement, every Peppered user benefits. For example, when Nationale Opera & Ballet identified the need for better ticket sharing capabilities, we developed a feature that now helps all our venues track and engage with their full audience, not just primary ticket buyers. Now, all Peppered-powered venues can take advantage of ticket sharing or even build upon the feature to suit their specific needs.
Predictable Investment
Rather than large upfront costs and unexpected maintenance fees, Peppered operates on a subscription model. This makes digital investment more predictable while providing ongoing support and regular updates. No features are locked behind a paywall and any newly-developed features are automatically available for your website.
Real results from real venues
The impact of this approach is already evident. As Ben Clare, Head of Marketing at Donmar Warehouse, explains: "We're very pleased with the Peppered platform. Our old website was over 5 years old and was very much showing its age. We're excited to move to a platform which means we won't encounter those previous challenges again in the future."
Similarly, Zara Foxcroft, Head of CRM & Digital at Lowry, notes: "Before Peppered, our website had a number of restrictions — with content updates often needing agency support. Now our digital team has the creative freedom to craft engaging digital experiences."
A future-proof solution
In today's challenging economic climate, arts and culture organisations need digital solutions that are both powerful and sustainable. Peppered offers exactly that – a platform that evolves with your needs, supported by a community of cultural venues all contributing to its development.
Paul Callaghan, Chair of Sunderland Music, Arts and Culture Trust, also delivers a suite of technlogy platforms with Leighton said this about our model:
"What I like about CultureSuite is the approach—the learnings they get from lots and lots of cultural organisations, bringing that into a central platform so they can make the changes that we all benefit from, rather than everything being customised and bespoke."
Whether you're a venue looking to escape the cycle of rebuilds or a design agency seeking a more sustainable solution for your clients, Peppered provides a path forward that makes digital more accessible and sustainable for the entire sector.
Make digital sustainability a reality
No matter what stage you're at in your search for the perfect web platform or digital marketing tool for your venue, we'll help you get the information you need to make the right decision.
- Join our community of venues and get insider insights.
Learn how to get the most out of Peppered, gain insights from other venues, and add new features to the Peppered development roadmap. Visit CultureHub. - Want to see how Peppered works?
We’re proud of how easy we make it for venues to manage their website. That’s why live event venues around the world trust Peppered. Book a personalised demo. - Looking to partner with us and design a Peppered-powered website?
If you’re a design agency looking for a more sustainable way to build websites whilst giving your team more time to focus on the creative, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us here. - Want to learn more about digital tools for venues?
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