The pandemic has forced the cultural sector to reassess, reimagine and regroup. We open the conference by asking leading voices in and beyond the cultural sector to share how we can build a fairer and more sustainable future and what our priorities should be to accelerate the pace of change.

Covid-19 has for many cultural organisations permanently shifted their core purpose, business models, and strategic direction. We’ll share what our research is telling us about this and you’ll also hear from guest contributors about what this has looked like in practise. We’ll also explore what relevance looks and feels like in a with / post Covid sector, and what the implications are for those organisations who have been unable, or unwilling, to change.

In the first of two sessions sharing findings from The Audience Agency’s Cultural Participation Monitor, we explore the ways in which audience behaviour has changed, and the implications for the future. Guest contributors will share their perspectives on how organisations are radically rethinking their relationships with their audiences.

In partnership with the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre.
Throughout the crisis it has become clear that place-based partnerships and local cultural resources  have been pivotal in helping cultural communities respond, recover and rebuild. In this session we share and discuss findings from our research and explore the case for investment in these local initiatives, and discuss the lessons learned from those who got it right.

Evidence is showing that Covid-19 is exacerbating existing inequalities in the cultural sector.  We’ll discuss how and why this is, focusing on audiences and the cultural sector workforce. Guest contributors will share their perspectives on the impact of Covid and what needs to happen to build a more equitable sector.

Covid-19 has dramatically impacted the cultural sector workforce, including  a deepening of existing inequalities. Some workers have been hit harder than others, and we’ll share findings from our research and discuss key findings and implications with guest contributors. How do we support those whose future in the sector is under threat, and build back a more representative workforce?

Did digital experience shift the relationship between organisations, artists and audiences during the pandemic, or did it just bring the shortcomings of digital engagement into sharp relief? We discuss the different models being used by organisations, the intentions and appetites of audiences, making the digital social, and the challenges and opportunities of changing modes of engagement.

After two days of insights and implications, in our closing session we bring together the lead researchers from our project, and you the audience, to collectively ask what now? What are recommendations and actions that we can all take with us to enact positive, lasting change?