Arts and culture organisations of all sizes from across Wales are being asked to work with those with digital expertise to help them understand the potential offered by new technologies and together develop innovative project proposals for submission to the new research fund.

It is hoped that the research and development projects, supported by the Digital R&D Fund for Arts in Wales, will not only support Welsh cultural organisations to innovate to increase their audiences and revenues, but will also ultimately have the potential to produce new data and research insights that can be shared with, and benefit, other organisations in the arts and culture sector.

Jon Kingsbury, Nesta's Director of Creative Economy programmes said: "The Fund is a great way for Wales' world-renowned arts and culture sector to explore new digital opportunities and create useful evidence for the arts in Wales and beyond."

Lisa Matthews, Portfolio Manager, Arts Council of Wales, said: "We're delighted to be working with Nesta and AHRC to help realise the potential digital brings to the arts in Wales. As well as directly supporting the successful projects the wider learning gained will inform for how we support our sector to adapt to an ever-changing technological world."

Professor Mark Llewellyn, Director of Research, Arts and Humanities Research Council, said, "Wales has a rich creative and cultural tradition, and we are delighted to be supporting current and future innovation in this sector. Facilitating researchers to undertake funded projects that enhance their disciplines and engage with the creative economy, this R&D fund is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate how the arts and humanities can drive growth. The combination of intellectual leadership and digital innovation is vital."

The call for applications follows an online scoping exercise with the sector to determine the areas and themes of most importance. This exercise revealed several themes that the sector is keen to explore including:

• Digital content distribution (delivering content in new ways)
• Social media  (using technology for interactive engagement)
• Making the most of archives through digital technology
• Mobile and location-based services
• Fundraising (using technology to generate giving, sponsorship and membership)

Applications are invited from all sizes of arts and cultural organisation based in Wales from today (Thursday 27 June) until September 9th.  To be eligible organisations must be based in Wales and collaborate with a technology organisation.

For further information and to submit an application, visit http://www.nesta.org.uk/digital_rnd_wales

- Ends -

Notes to editors:

For more information, please contact:

Nesta:  Sarah Reardon:  020 7438 2606 / [email protected]

Arts Council of Wales:  Bestan Moses 07970 751057 / [email protected]

Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC): /[email protected]

About the fund:

The Digital R&D Fund for the Arts is a £400,000 fund to support collaboration between Welsh organisations with arts projects, technology providers, and researchers. It is a partnership between Arts Council Wales, Arts and Humanities Research Council and Nesta.  It funds projects that use digital technology to enhance audience reach and/or develop new business models for the arts sector. With a dedicated researcher or research team as part of the three-way collaboration, learning from the project can be captured and disseminated to the wider arts sector.  

The Funds sits alongside the Digital R&D Fund for the Arts (England) and the Digital R&D Fund for Arts and Culture in Scotland.