Hi MCGers

As many of you know Culture24 has, through our Let’s Get Real programme of collaborative action research projects and conferences, been on a quest to support arts and heritage organisations on their journeys to get better at understanding and responding to the variety of digital opportunities and challenge. 

I wanted to let you know about two forthcoming Let’s Get Real initiatives that address important issues that are essential for art and heritage organisations to explore in order to continue these journeys. Please join us!


Let’s Get Real Conference 2016

Many cultural organisations still believe that to respond to digital change means they need to just adapt their websites, create accounts on the latest social media platforms and develop new apps or other online tools. These can be important approaches to better reach and engage audiences but on their own they are not enough. To truly respond to digital change, we need to stop thinking of digital merely as a tool but instead we need to recognising digital as a changing culture affecting the way audiences perceive, interact and behave. To respond to this requires much more than a tinkering of our online channels, instead we need to reinvent our entire online cultural offer. But can we do this and how? Our upcoming Let’s Get Real conference Can we reinvent our online cultural offer? explores this further. 

We are really pleased to be hosted this year by the fabulous Whitworth Gallery in Manchester on the 27th of October and to welcome a brilliant line up of speakers to interrogate this question further; Jo Hunter from 64 Million Artists will talk to us about participation; Tom Compton from Common Cause will explore how we can strengthen our values; Frances Croxford from The Seeking State will be asking ‘Is the cultural sector dead yet?’ and arguing that we need to reinvent our cultural value to stay relevant. 

We'll also have our unique Crit Room offering you professional advice live on stage from industry experts from Facebook and Pottermore, plus the best after conference party ever with artist Tine Bech and her art treasure hunt for grown-ups!  

Here are three reasons why you really should come: 

•	This is still the only conference exploring a more holistic approach to digital for the cultural sector.
•	To get fresh strategies and tips on how to generate more income online from top industry experts, entrepreneurs and cultural thinkers.
•	Whatever the size of your cultural or heritage organisation, you will go away inspired by a powerful mix of strategic thinking and practical solutions

Earlybird tickets of £99 are only available until the end of September so make sure you get yours soon. You can find out more and book your tickets here: http://letsgetrealconference.com/ 




Let’s Get Real Young Audiences – Phase 2 Project

Finding ways to better reach and engage children and young people is becoming even more of a priority for arts and heritage organisations, as well as for funders. Digital technologies and digital content provide an incredible opportunity to do this. Are you grasping this opportunity or letting it slip through your fingers?  If you think you and your organisation could be doing more then you need to act NOW.  

Do something proactive today by signing up to Culture24’s collaborative action research project Let’s Get Real – Young Audiences Phase 2 to learn how to get better at serving the changing needs of children and young people through digital technologies and your digital content. You will learn from others, including experts in the field and young people themselves, learn through doing by practically testing out your ideas and learn together with your peers in a collaborative, supportive environment. 

The project builds on a successful first phase run between Autumn 2015 and Spring 2016, featuring 19 varied arts and heritage organisations including London Symphony Orchestra, National Portrait Gallery, Derby Museums, Pilot Theatre, V&A and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Find out more and sign up  per the link below. Deadline is 31st October 2016

http://www.weareculture24.org.uk/projects/action-research/lets-get-real-young-audiences-phase-2/

If you have any questions at all about the above please drop me a line. We hope you can join us on one or both of the abive

Cheers

Sejul

****************************************************************
       website:  http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/
       Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/ukmcg
      Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/museumscomputergroup
 [un]subscribe:  http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/email-list/
****************************************************************