The Digital Culture Network (DCN) has reached a major milestone! Since 2019, we’ve delivered one‑to‑one support to arts and cultural organisations and practitioners across England over 10,000 times.
Across these 10,000 cases, the DCN has helped organisations of all shapes and sizes build confidence in digital marketing, technology and skills – offering practical, tailored guidance that meets people at different stages of their digital journey. From improving audience engagement and developing content strategies, to strengthening data use and brand perception, each case represents focused, hands‑on support designed to develop real digital confidence and skills.
The expertise of the Tech Champions is so valuable. I am so grateful for this support. It saves me so much time trying (and often failing) to work things out for hours myself. An amazing resource for arts organisations.
– New Adventures Charity
We’ve reached people in every region of England, spanning artforms, organisation sizes and communities, including in Priority Places. Our service is open to any organisation or practitioner eligible for, but not necessarily in receipt of, Arts Council England funding, completely free of charge – making it an accessible entry point for those looking to strengthen their digital and marketing skills.
It’s 10,000 times that the DCN has solved a problem, unlocked an idea, built confidence or turned “we really should do something about digital” into “we know what to do next.
– Owen Hopkin, Director of New Technologies and Innovation, Arts Council England
As part of DCN’s offer, people working in the cultural sector can work directly with specialist Tech Champions to develop their skills in areas such as digital strategy, social media, email marketing, websites, data analytics and so much more. Our approach is intentionally practical, focusing on building skills and confidence to empower the arts and cultural sector to tell better stories about their work, improve their brand, use data more effectively, and connect with more people in ways that really matter.
As always, the DCN’s advice and guidance is incredibly useful and inspires our entire team to think more thoughtfully and strategically about our digital marketing. This resource is so incredibly valuable to us and we’re so grateful to have access to it.
– Curve Theatre
The 10,000 case milestone also represents the value of sustained public investment in digital skills. Delivered on behalf of Arts Council England, as part of the ambitious UK Government initiative “Culture is Digital”, DCN plays a key role in supporting a more resilient, connected and future‑ready arts and culture sector. Looking ahead, we’re committed to reaching even more organisations and practitioners – particularly those in Priority Places, where there is strong potential to deepen digital engagement.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to build on existing skills, the Digital Culture Network is here to help – even if you’re not sure where to start.
Explore DCN’s free support, including one‑to‑one sessions, upcoming events and webinars, newsletter, resources and podcast, and join a growing network of organisations and practitioners taking practical steps to thrive in a fast-moving digital world.
Digital Culture Network rewind: Your year in digital skills
As we near the end of 2025, we’re looking back at the digital skills that mattered most to the creative and cultural sector this year – spotlighting the Digital Culture Network resources that you loved the most. Look back at them, save them for later, or share with a colleague!
Stagetext: how subtitles can help you improve access, engage audiences and expand your reach
During Captioning Awareness Week (10-16 November), we caught up with Rachel Jele, Head of Advocacy and Engagement at Stagetext. She told us about the significance of Captioning Awareness Week and why theatre captioning and subtitles are so important for the creative and cultural sector, now more than ever.
Announcing the 2025 Digital Culture Awards Winners!
Meet the Winners of the 2025 Digital Culture Awards and read more about the winning projects.
