A new fund, the Digital Innovation Fund for the Arts in Wales, that will help Welsh arts organisations and projects experiment with digital technologies has been launched by the Arts Council of Wales and Nesta.

The Digital Innovation Fund for the Arts in Wales will support organisations to see how digital technology can be used to grow audience reach or develop new business models.

Arts organisations will work with technology partners to find new solutions to their current challenges with potential applicants invited to open workshops to help shape their ideas. Details of these are available at www.nesta.org.uk.

Eight projects will be selected to receive £5,000 and business support to develop their ideas and build a project team over three months. A number of projects will then receive up to £75,000 and additional business and research support to deliver the plan over nine months. The findings from each project will be shared with the wider industry.

The Digital Innovation Fund for the Arts in Wales follows on from the Digital R&D Fund for the Arts in Wales which encouraged arts organisations to work with technology and research partners on digital technology projects. The seven projects funded between 2013-2015 included Sibrwd, an audio description tool for audiences whose first language was not Welsh, and UCAN Go, a mobile app intended to help visually impaired audiences navigate arts spaces.  

Lisa Matthews, Portfolio Manager for the Digital Innovation Fund for the Arts, comments: “There are some great examples of Welsh arts organisations already embracing digital technology but we know that a lack of resource, knowledge and confidence remain a barrier for many. By working closely with arts organisations from project conception, right through to scaling great ideas, we hope we can uncover the potential for digital technology to transform their work and help foster a culture of innovation in Wales.”

You can find out more about the Digital Innovation Fund for the Arts in Wales at: www.nesta.org.uk/digital-innovation-fund-arts-wales-full-details