CultureTalk: Rethinking Digital Investment in Arts and Culture with Ben Park

CultureTalk: Rethinking Digital Investment in Arts and Culture with Ben Park

What happens when someone who's worked both sides of the CultureTech relationship – running a venue and working inside a leading sector platform – looks at where the cultural sector is now? In this episode of CultureTalk, we're joined by Ben Park, a culture and entertainment sector consultant with over 20 years of experience. Ben spent 12 years at Spektrix, joining when it was a small startup and growing with the company as it became a sector standard. Before that, he worked venue-side at The Place, a contemporary dance theatre in London. He now runs his own consultancy helping cultural organisations and technology suppliers unlock growth. We explore why websites have been slower than ticketing systems to make the shift to SaaS, what "control" actually means when venues hand their technology to a third party, and whether the funding model the sector relies on is holding back digital progress. We also get into vendor responsibility, peer-to-peer learning, skills development, and where AI fits into all of this. Key topics covered: 💻 Why websites have lagged behind ticketing in SaaS adoption 🏛️ The real meaning of "control" in cultural technology decisions 💰 CapEx vs OpEx – and why the distinction matters more than ever 🤝 What effective vendor-led community building looks like 🧠 Skills development and the sector's digital literacy gap 🤖 How the sector should be approaching AI adoption 🔗 The case for peer-to-peer learning between venues Featuring Ben Park Consultant, BenPark.net Want more CultureTalk? Listen on your favourite platform: 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fZmkPCIiFac8GxvV3Lytg [https://open.spotify.com/show/2fZmkPCIiFac8GxvV3Lytg] 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culturetalk/id1792405488 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culturetalk/id1792405488] 🎧 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/768e691f-b4a7-4612-9ae4-c820ad9dba3f [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/768e691f-b4a7-4612-9ae4-c820ad9dba3f] Subscribe for more insights from leaders in arts and culture! New episodes every month.

CultureTalk: Unlocking Civic Powerhouses on Your Doorstep with Future Arts Centres

Arts centres are civic powerhouses – rooted in their communities, balancing artistic ambition with social responsibility, and doing it all on tight margins. So why is their potential still underestimated? In this episode of CultureTalk, we're joined by Annabel Turpin, CEO of Storyhouse in Chester, and Gavin Barlow, former chief executive of the Albany in Deptford. Together they co-lead Future Arts Centres, a network of over 180 art centres across the UK. Key topics covered: 🏛️ The unique civic role of arts centres in local communities 🤝 How peer networks are changing arts leadership 📣 Advocating for the sector — what's working and what isn't 💡 Shifting mindsets around risk, innovation and sustainability 🌱 Why now is a great time to lead an arts centre Featuring: Annabel Turpin, CEO, Storyhouse — storyhouse.com Gavin Barlow, Capital Project Director, the Albany — thealbany.org.uk Future Arts Centres — futureartscentres.org.uk Want more CultureTalk? Listen on your favourite platform: 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fZmkPCIiFac8GxvV3Lytg [https://open.spotify.com/show/2fZmkPCIiFac8GxvV3Lytg] 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culturetalk/id1792405488 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culturetalk/id1792405488] 🎧 Amazon Music: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culturetalk/id1792405488 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culturetalk/id1792405488] Subscribe for more insights from leaders in arts and culture. New episodes every month.

CultureTalk: Radical Storytelling Ushers in a New Era of Opera with Calgary Opera’s Sue Elliott

How can one of the world's oldest art forms become urgently relevant to contemporary audiences? Join us for a powerful conversation with Sue Elliott, General Director and CEO of Calgary Opera, who is revolutionising how opera engages with communities by telling stories that matter. Drawing from nearly two decades of groundbreaking work at Houston Grand Opera, Seattle Opera, and now Calgary Opera, Sue shares how documentary-style approaches to opera programming can transform perceptions, build deep community connections, and make opera feel essential rather than elitist. From collecting stories from hundreds of refugees to creating immersive theatrical experiences around Japanese-American incarceration, Sue demonstrates the transformative power of "artistic humility" combined with bold creative vision. Key topics covered: 🎭 Why documentary and journalistic approaches work for opera 🌍 Engaging 234,000 people through The Refuge project 🎵 Creating the world's first mariachi opera 🏛️ Moving beyond demographic segmentation to curiosity-based audience development 🤝 Building sustainable audiences through community programming 💡 The affinity model: seven ways people connect with opera ⚡ Why technology must be as easy as buying a book on Amazon Featuring Sue Elliott General Director and CEO, Calgary Opera https://www.calgaryopera.com [https://www.calgaryopera.com] Want more CultureTalk? Listen on your favourite platform: 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fZmkPCIiFac8GxvV3Lytg [https://open.spotify.com/show/2fZmkPCIiFac8GxvV3Lytg] 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culturetalk/id1792405488 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culturetalk/id1792405488] 🎧 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/768e691f-b4a7-4612-9ae4-c820ad9dba3f [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/768e691f-b4a7-4612-9ae4-c820ad9dba3f] Subscribe for more insights from leaders in arts and culture! New episodes every month. Learn more about CultureSuite at: https://www.culturesuite.co/ [https://www.culturesuite.co/]

CultureTalk: Why Arts Marketers Must Become Audience Champions featuring Katy Raines from Indigo

Why aren't audiences coming back after their first visit? Join us for a compelling conversation with Katy Raines, Founder and CEO of Indigo, who's been transforming how cultural organisations understand and connect with their audiences for 18 years. Drawing from groundbreaking research including the Missing Audiences study and Tomorrow's Audience insights, Katy challenges some uncomfortable truths about the sector: Are we only listening to the loudest voices? Is classical music mystifying newcomers with unexplained rituals? And could the structures of power be holding us back more than we realise? Key topics covered: 👥 Why 50% of first-time visitors never return (and what to do about it) 🎯 Moving beyond demographics to understand audience needs 🎭 Breaking down the invisible barriers in cultural experiences 📊 Using behavioural data effectively without overwhelming your team ⚖️ Confronting elitism in cultural sector leadership 🌱 Why AI could be both the challenge and the antidote for the future Featuring Katy Raines CEO, Indigo https://indigo-ltd.com [https://indigo-ltd.com] Resources mentioned: 🔗 CultureHive: https://www.culturehive.co.uk/ [https://www.culturehive.co.uk/] 🔗 Indigo Share platform for real-time audience insights: https://www.indigo-ltd.com/share [https://www.indigo-ltd.com/share] Want more CultureTalk? Listen on your favourite platform: 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fZmkPC... [https://open.spotify.com/show/2fZmkPC...] 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...] 🎧 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/768... [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/768...] Subscribe for more insights from leaders in arts and culture! New episodes every month. Learn more about CultureSuite at: https://www.culturesuite.co/ [https://www.culturesuite.co/]

CultureTalk: Breaking Down Digital Accessibility Barriers in Arts & Culture

Why is digital accessibility in the cultural sector such a minefield despite decades of guidelines? Join us for an honest conversation about the real barriers facing arts organisations and practical solutions that actually work. With roughly 1 in 6 people experiencing some form of disability, cultural venues risk excluding substantial audiences through inaccessible websites. Our guests reveal why the problem isn't just about budget or technical knowledge – it's about systemic issues and the need for better support structures. Featured Guests: Pim Teeuwisse - Co-Founder, Accessibility Desk George Hill - Chief Experience Officer, CultureSuite Key Topics Covered: ⚡ Why accessibility education is missing the mark 🎨 The hidden costs of inaccessible websites 🌟 Platform-wide vs individual venue solutions 💡 Simple tests anyone can do right now 🚀 How emerging technologies can help 📊 The business case beyond compliance Discover why keyboard navigation testing, colour contrast basics, and treating accessibility as quality control rather than an afterthought can transform your digital presence. Pim mentions the POUR principles in the podcast. Here's more information about them: https://www.culturesuite.co/resources/articles/digital-accessibility-for-all-understanding-wcag-2-2-in-arts-culture [https://www.culturesuite.co/resources/articles/digital-accessibility-for-all-understanding-wcag-2-2-in-arts-culture] Want more CultureTalk? 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fZmkPCIiFac8GxvV3Lytg [https://open.spotify.com/show/2fZmkPCIiFac8GxvV3Lytg] 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culturetalk/id1792405488 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culturetalk/id1792405488] 🎧 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/768e691f-b4a7-4612-9ae4-c820ad9dba3f/culturetalk [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/768e691f-b4a7-4612-9ae4-c820ad9dba3f/culturetalk] Subscribe for monthly insights from leaders in arts and culture! #DigitalAccessibility #ArtsAndCulture #WCAG #CulturalSector #WebAccessibility #InclusiveDesign #CultureTalk