Academy to champion digital technology for audience development

A new initiative aimed at developing better understanding of the role and use of digital marketing and technology for developing arts audiences is preparing to “champion an approach of rapid iteration and sharing findings across the sector”. 20 of England’s most senior and experienced digital cultural marketing practitioners will be invited to join the CultureHive Digital Marketing Academy, which will provide a virtual forum for experimenting with digital marketing approaches and gathering evidence that will lead to new ways of thinking and more effective practice. The seven-month programme of experiments, mentoring, online training and events will begin in June with provocations from international practitioners known for digital innovation, and an opportunity to develop ideas with other Academy Fellows, all of whom will be selected following a country-wide recruitment process.

The development of the Academy was a recommendation of Thoughtsmith, a network of consulting professionals who work with government departments, arts and cultural institutions, and other large organisations to develop digital, creative and business strategy. Co-founder Jonathan Drori CBE commented: “… here’s hoping that it will be a forum for best practice and exchange of ideas and also a place that feels safe enough that people will share what hasn’t worked so well. Human beings, after all, learn fastest from our ‘mistakes’.”