St. Paul's Cathedral is one of the most well-known buildings in the world. It has a rich history and serves many varied purposes, from Royal services to a place of sanctuary and a highly prioritised destination for international tourists. In this episode, host Tom Dawson speaks to St. Paul's Director of Visitor Experience, Sandra Lynes Timbrell.

After a tour of the building, Tom and Sandra settle in the Chapter House - where most of the offices that run St. Paul's are located - to discuss everything there is to know about the operation behind this iconic landmark.

They discuss a huge variety of subjects... from the unique management structure of St. Paul's (which combines religious and business inputs), to the re-shaping of the international tourist market post-COVID. A key theme that shines through is Sandra's focus on innovation and a can-do attitude to embracing new commercial opportunities.

There are useful lessons and insights here for anyone working with a variety of stakeholders and trying to take an enterprising approach to opening up new revenue streams.

The Arts & Culture Podcast seeks out and shares best practice and innovation from museums, galleries, heritage sites and beyond, all across the UK.

Host Tom Dawson is COO for the Association for Cultural Enterprises.

https://culturalenterprises.org.uk/

Introduction Article: Trapped in Survival Mode: Can we imagine it different? By Moira Sinclair, Chair of Clore Leadership

Clore Leadership's World of Work website

Imagine it Different report

Reframing the World of Work report

The Arts & Culture Podcast seeks out and shares best practice and innovation from museums, galleries, heritage sites and beyond, all across the UK.

Host Tom Dawson is COO for the Association for Cultural Enterprises.

https://culturalenterprises.org.uk/

Dynamic pricing has been making headlines for the wrong reasons with the recent release of Oasis tickets. Before that, Taylor Swift was breaking records in terms of ticket prices. It's a good time to talk ticketing.

In this episode we discuss everything from what dynamic pricing actually is (and isn't)... to upselling, audience perception, value-adding, demand management, potential new legislation, paths to membership and keeping arts and culture accessible to all.

Host Tom Dawson assembles 5 industry experts (two stand-alone interviews and one panel discussion) to make sure all angles are covered.

Interviews: 

Robin Cantrill-Fenwick (CEO, Baker Richards)

Ian Nuttal (TheStadiumBusiness / TheTicketingBusiness)

Panel:

Abbi Olive (Castle Howard Estate Ltd)

Charlie McKenzie (Brighton & Hove Museums)

Matt Thorley (Tate)

The Arts & Culture Podcast seeks out and shares best practice and innovation from museums, galleries, heritage sites and beyond, all across the UK.

Host Tom Dawson is COO for the Association for Cultural Enterprises.

https://culturalenterprises.org.uk/

Head of Commercial Development Conall Borowski introduces host Tom Dawson to Little Angel's resourceful and strategic way of operating commercially and creatively.

From a unique birthday party product developed during the pandemic, to insightful thoughts on how best to use staff and freelancers, this conversation is full of considered strategy and useful approaches honed through the need to be creative to thrive commercially.

Find out more about Little Angel Theatre here:

littleangeltheatre.com

The Arts & Culture Podcast seeks out and shares best practice and innovation from museums, galleries, heritage sites and beyond, all across the UK.

Host Tom Dawson is COO for the Association for Cultural Enterprises.

https://culturalenterprises.org.uk/

In this episode, Tom Dawson, Director of Digital at the Association for Cultural Enterprises, interviews Stephen Preston, Deputy Head of Heritage and Culture at St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh.

Celebrating the cathedral's 900th anniversary, they discuss the cathedral's importance to the city, and how it manages challenges both ancient and modern. They explore various topics including the cathedral's architectural changes, its use as a filming location for major films like Avengers Infinity War, the impact of the Edinburgh Fringe, why people flock to see a sculpture no bigger than a phone, and its role during Queen Elizabeth's lying in state. Stephen shares his journey from tour guide to his current position and provides insights into the cathedral's efforts to engage visitors through digital initiatives and interactive exhibits. They also discuss the complexities of managing a historic site that serves multiple purposes, balancing being a place of worship, a cultural landmark, and hosting art exhibitions and blockbuster films.

Build St Giles' interactive game: stgilescathedral.org.uk/build

Find out more about the Association: culturalenterprises.org.uk

This episode is sponsored by King & McGaw, the market leader in print on demand framed and unframed prints. King & McGaw, proudly supplying the cultural sector for over forty years. 

The Arts & Culture Podcast seeks out and shares best practice and innovation from museums, galleries, heritage sites and beyond, all across the UK.

Host Tom Dawson is COO for the Association for Cultural Enterprises.

https://culturalenterprises.org.uk/

This episode features highlights from:

Maximising Visitor Experience (with Rachel Mackay at Hampton Court Palace)

Small Museum Big Impact (with Steve Gardam at the Roald Dahl Museum)

Starting From Scratch (with Amy Akino-Wittering at Young V&A)

Preserving A National Treasure (with Rebecca Hossain at Sir John Soane's Museum)

Local Government Arts Funding Crisis (with Stephanie Sirr, Zak Mensah and Cllr Liz Green)

Innovating & Disrupting (with Florence Schechter at The Vagina Museum)

Toward a Thriving Cultural Sector (with Melanie Lewis, Chair of the Association for Cultural Enterprises)

Visitor Behaviour (with Liza Leonard, Dean Graham & James Duckworth)

How To Strategise Long-Term (with Paul Gray, The National Gallery)

We will back in early September with a brand new episode.

The Arts & Culture Podcast seeks out and shares best practice and innovation from museums, galleries, heritage sites and beyond, all across the UK.

Host Tom Dawson is COO for the Association for Cultural Enterprises.

https://culturalenterprises.org.uk/

The National Gallery is one of the highest profile cultural venues in the UK, with a commanding location in London's Trafalgar Square. It's just turned 200 years old, a sign of its importance to national heritage and identity... and a chance for it to celebrate with a national on-the-road outreach programme and a series of capital works that will update and improve key parts of its offer to the public. Under the umbrella of NG200, it's an ambitious set of activities that is delivering real impact now and will also shape the gallery's future in the years ahead. 

In this wide-ranging interview with host Tom Dawson, Paul Gray (Deputy Director and Chief Operations Officer of The National Gallery) gives great insights into how to look at the bigger picture and make good decisions for the future. 

From climate change, to talent retention, immersive experiences to food and beverages... Paul has a real skill for pulling everything together and encouraging it all to go in the right direction. This is a precious ability in the cultural sector, and there are brilliant lessons and experiences for all listeners to learn from, whatever their role in the sector.

To find out more about The National Gallery and NG200, visit nationalgallery.org.uk

The Arts & Culture Podcast seeks out and shares best practice and innovation from museums, galleries, heritage sites and beyond, all across the UK.

Host Tom Dawson is COO for the Association for Cultural Enterprises.

https://culturalenterprises.org.uk/

There is both survey-based and anecdotal evidence to suggest that visitors to arts and cultural venues such as theatres, museums, galleries and heritage sites behave in a different way than they did, say, 20 years ago. The  pandemic may have played a part and some people point to the rise of smartphones and social media. What's really happening and what are the explanations and implications?

In this episode, host Tom Dawson gathers a panel of visitor experience experts to get their thoughts... and the resulting discussion reveals real and significant evolution in the expectations, attitudes and actions of visitors. There are challenges and opportunities... and bizarre tales involving everything from misbehaving ducks to the unexpected removal of garments. 

This is a must-listen conversation about a live subject in the arts and cultural sector.

Panellists:

Liza Leonard (Manchester Art Gallery)

Dean Graham (Leeds Castle)

James Duckworth (Shakespeare North Playhouse)

The Arts & Culture Podcast seeks out and shares best practice and innovation from museums, galleries, heritage sites and beyond, all across the UK.

Host Tom Dawson is COO for the Association for Cultural Enterprises.

https://culturalenterprises.org.uk/

Melanie Lewis is the new Chair of Trustees for the Association for Cultural Enterprises. She has a brilliant track record within the sector, being named as one of The Stage 100’s Most Influential People of 2024.

With Melanie as CEO, Shakespeare North Playhouse has flourished as a hub for creativity, innovation, and community engagement. Her strategic vision has not only elevated the artistic excellence of the theatre but has also fostered a vibrant and inclusive cultural space that resonates with audiences far and wide. Plus the venue's success and its community focus has brought commercial benefits to Prescot's High Street.

In this interview - recorded at ICC Wales where the Association for Cultural Enterprises hosted their 2024 annual conference - Mel and host Tom Dawson map out a future for the cultural sector. What will be the biggest challenges? How can the sector react, adapt and thrive?

Mel is a positive and purposeful voice and this episode is full of useful insights and strategic vision that can help people and organisations at all levels within the cultural sector build towards a vibrant and prosperous future.

This episode is sponsored by King & McGaw, the market leader in print on demand framed and unframed prints. King & McGaw, proudly supplying the cultural sector for over forty years. 

The Arts & Culture Podcast seeks out and shares best practice and innovation from museums, galleries, heritage sites and beyond, all across the UK.

Host Tom Dawson is COO for the Association for Cultural Enterprises.

https://culturalenterprises.org.uk/

When Florence Schechter looked for a Vagina Museum to help her answer a research question... and found there wasn't one (even though there was a Penis Museum) she decided to make one herself. She had a great idea, an engaged audience and powerful purpose, but she found apathy and a lack of meaningful support from the established existing museum sector.

Undeterred, Florence found a way. By harnessing the power of data, pop-ups (with strategic purpose, not just for the sake of it) and an innovative mix of revenue streams, the Vagina Museum has gone from strength to strength. Now located in a unique railway-arch setting in Bethnal Green, The Vagina Museum is admired for its innovative and disruptive approach. It also has a vast young following that many other museums can only dream of engaging. 

In this episode, host Tom Dawson visits the museum and asks Florence to share her insights, which are honest, powerful and passionate. There is so much fire and inspiration here for anyone who has a new idea  that they really believe in. Florence challenges the concept of what a museum is or should be and questions the need for a collection. She gives great advice on harnessing social media and looking beyond predictable sources of funding. There are also brilliant pointers for any cultural organisations looking to better harness the commercial power of retail and events.

At the heart of it all is The Vagina Museum's consistent and clear mission to communicate that the gynaecological anatomy is a part of the body that we shouldn't be ashamed of... but we should celebrate.

(Please note that this episode contains very strong language.)

To find out more about The Vagina Museum, go to vaginamuseum.co.uk

The Arts & Culture Podcast seeks out and shares best practice and innovation from museums, galleries, heritage sites and beyond, all across the UK.

Host Tom Dawson is COO for the Association for Cultural Enterprises.

https://culturalenterprises.org.uk/