Digital Ambassador – Shortlist
Meet the Shortlisted entries for the Digital Ambassador category in the 2025 Digital Culture Awards, which celebrates someone who uses digital technology or tools to create lasting and meaningful change.
The Winner will be announced in the middle of March.
The Shortlist
1. Daniela Zaharieva – Increasing digital awareness and engagement at the Migration Museum
Engagement with exhibition Instagram post © Migration Museum
As the Migration Museum’s Digital Content and Design Officer, Daniela Zaharieva’s role is to use digital platforms to create fresh content and shape engaging narratives that explore how migration has shaped us as individuals and nations.
Daniela has developed her digital skillset with assistance from external experts, giving her the tools to maximise effective use of social media and data analytics. Her initiative helped Migration Museum grow digital audiences, heightened online visibility and increased interaction – along with giving those with migrant backgrounds an important voice.
Her work to craft original and appealing content, underpinned by analytics and supported by targeted use of paid ads, has led to a 73% rise in Instagram followers and 155% increase in reach
2. Steve Spamer – Samplitude Access
Image © Steve Spammer
Steve Spamer is a blind musician who has designed Samplitude Access, a comprehensive scripting solution. Samplitude Access empowers fellow blind and visually impaired musicians to use Samplitude Pro X – a complex multi-track Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software – via a screen reader and without limitation.
Steve recognised a lack of DAW software available for screen reader users and was determined to solve that problem. Before embarking on finding an access solution, Steve first had to learn the Samplitude Pro X programme inside out. He then taught himself the scripting language for the JAWS screen reader system which he employs to access the workstation. Steve employed beta testers to aid the process and launched a dedicated mailing list and a website to grow the user base.
The initiative has created an ever-expanding global user base, and empowered many visually impaired and blind musicians to work at the same level as a sighted user.
3. Simon Moore – Digital Engagement at Darlington Libraries
Simon Moore, Digital Engagement Manager at the newly revamped Darlington Libraries, has the remit of offering exciting tech opportunities to library users and cementing its role as a 21st-century place of knowledge and learning.
Keen to enhance digital accessibility for the whole community, he decided to concentrate the service’s financial resources on funding specific technology. This initiative funded by the Arts Councils Libraries Improvement Fund, provides resources to enable large groups, including schools and hobbyists, to work on projects together, and learn new skills while experiencing new technologies. The resources on offer now include coding, Virtual Reality, animation, 3D printing and digital crafting.
Simon’s work has helped the library see a surge in daily visits since they reopened, welcoming not just new visitors but thousands of school pupils, offering them the opportunity to boost their current curriculum by engaging in STEAM based activities at a much earlier age.
4. Jonny Goode – Digital transformation at Blast Theory
Image © Jonny Goode
Jonny Goode is Communications Manager at Blast Theory, an interactive artist group which uses interactive media, digital broadcasting and live performance to create work exploring key social and political questions.
As the sole person responsible for marketing, Jonny has led a digital transformation at the organisation, carrying out a communications audit using a range of digital tools. Working with external experts, Jonny led the development of a new strategic, data-driven approach to social media and Meta marketing, with the aim of engaging a wider audience.
Jonny generously continues to share their practices and experiences of leading digital change to help other organisations and individuals across the sector to adopt similar successful strategies.
What next?
Head back to the main Awards page to learn about the Shortlisted organisations in other categories.