The Culture Diary is the first of its kind, an invaluable tool for organisers and promoters of UK cultural events, across all art forms.
The user-friendly tool will be vital for UK organisations in assisting with planning, promotion and partnerships, saving time for increasingly busy people working in the cultural sector. It will also maximise the impact and reach of events delivered by UK organisations, both in the UK and overseas.
The Culture Diary has been brought to life through a unique collaboration between Arts Council England, British Council, Department for Culture, Media & Sport, GREAT Britain campaign, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the Mayor of London, VisitBritain and UK Trade & Investment.
From 28th April 2014, UK organisations working in the cultural sector can:
- Upload information about public and private events including details of international tours
- Upload reviews
- Avoid clashes when planning events
- Find mutually beneficial partnerships
- Improve communication with other UK arts organisations, and government and arts development agencies
- Be promoted internationally by GREAT partners including across partner websites and social media channels
- Discover ways to expand projects abroad with the help of GREAT partners’ network.
Another benefit for users is that the platform will be used by the founding organisations when looking for ways to support to the UK culture sector. Users can now upload information in one place and highlight their activity to government bodies and the largest UK development agencies.
Cultural organisations can include events of all different sizes and types and covering all art forms; from Glastonbury to Glyndebourne, Edinburgh Fringe to the National Eisteddfod, Frieze Art Fair to the London Film Festival. The tool now has the extended capability to host details of UK touring events overseas as well as upcoming national campaigns such as First World War Centenary and Shakespeare 400 which will provide much-valued input for British cultural diplomacy, trade, education and tourism promotion around the world.
The Culture Diary has already proven itself as a valuable tool, when it was set up by the Mayor of London to support nearly 4,500 cultural events planned in the capital during the London 2012 Olympic Games. The platform has now received a complete upgrade to deliver a truly international service, include all art forms and offer better functionality for users. In addition there are advanced search and download functions and a more efficient and intuitive system for uploading content.
In order to immediately deliver the greatest shared benefits, users are encouraged to register right away and share their short and long term plans. By sharing their plans from the earliest stages, and continuing to regularly update them, events organisers will also be contributing to the development of a long-term strategic overview in these areas, which will benefit the UK economy through improved export of UK culture.
The service will be the go-to tool for a variety of arts professionals including event organisers, cultural attaches and marketing and press officers. The site launches on 9th April 2014 as a Beta version, allowing scope for evaluation and user feedback to further develop and improve the system.
“Culture is essential to our well-being and quality of life but cultural diplomacy can build trust and relationships with other countries, helping to drive trade and investment. This new cultural diary along with our Cultural Export Fund will help the UK’s cultural organisations to build on their huge success both at home and abroad, helping underpin the trade deals of tomorrow.” Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Minister for Women and Equalities
“The Culture Diary will help to capture some of the great arts and culture being created by British artists and organisations all over the world so that more can be made of it both in the UK and overseas. It’s a good example of how simple ideas and collaborative working can have an impact on something as important as exporting and touring work internationally; supporting growth and international partnerships, offering opportunities for artists to develop their creative skills and share their work more widely." Sir Peter Bazalgette, Chair of Arts Council England
“Our arts and culture is a huge draw for international visitors and brings in £4.5bn in overseas spend, equivalent to one quarter of all inbound tourism income. The Culture Diary will help us use events to showcase the best of British culture and subsequently attract even more visitors.” Sandie Dawe, Chief Executive, VisitBritain
“It’s great news that The Culture Diary - a tool initiated in London during 2012 - will be super-sized in order to serve organisations up and down the land. Culture plays a critical role in attracting tourists, students and business to Britain and it is right that we maximise the rich and dynamic work our organisations do here and overseas.” Boris Johnson MP, Mayor of London
“The British Council is dedicated to supporting the cultural sector’s success through working and collaborating internationally, and through the resulting work that audiences experience, building the UK’s wider reputation. The Culture Diary will help highlight the significant role the sector already plays in linking the UK to the world. It will also make it easier for us and our partners to support the sector, and identify areas where we can stimulate even more activity” Graham Sheffield, Director of Arts, British Council
Notes to editors
Launch: 28 April 2014 www.theculturediary.com Contact: [email protected]
For press information and images please contact: Toby Kidd at Pelham Communications Tel: +44 20 8969 3959 Email: [email protected]
Partners
The GREAT Britain campaign showcases the very best of what Britain has to offer. We welcome the world to visit, study and do business with the UK. The GREAT Britain campaign unifies the international growth promotion efforts of UK Trade & Investment, VisitBritain, British Council and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. www.gov.uk/britainisgreat
Arts Council England champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives. http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/
The British Council is the United Kingdom’s international organization for educational opportunities and cultural relations. http://www.britishcouncil.org/
Department for Culture, Media & Sport protects and promotes our cultural and artistic heritage. We help businesses and communities to grow by investing in innovation and highlighting Britain as a fantastic place to visit. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-culture-medi…
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office promotes British interests overseas, supporting our citizens and businesses around the globe. It is a ministerial department, supported by 11 agencies and public bodies. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-office
The Greater London Authority is the local government authority for London comprising two distinct parts: the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. http://www.london.gov.uk/
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) works with UK-based businesses to ensure their success in international markets, and encourage the best overseas companies to look to the UK as their global partner of choice. http://www.ukti.gov.uk
VisitBritain is the national tourism agency for promoting Britain worldwide and developing Britain’s visitor economy. http://www.visitbritain.com/en/EN/