How can one of the world's oldest art forms become urgently relevant to contemporary audiences? Join us for a powerful conversation with Sue Elliott, General Director and CEO of Calgary Opera, who is revolutionising how opera engages with communities by telling stories that matter.

Drawing from nearly two decades of groundbreaking work at Houston Grand Opera, Seattle Opera, and now Calgary Opera, Sue shares how documentary-style approaches to opera programming can transform perceptions, build deep community connections, and make opera feel essential rather than elitist.

From collecting stories from hundreds of refugees to creating immersive theatrical experiences around Japanese-American incarceration, Sue demonstrates the transformative power of "artistic humility" combined with bold creative vision.

Key topics covered:

🎭 Why documentary and journalistic approaches work for opera

🌍 Engaging 234,000 people through The Refuge project

🎵 Creating the world's first mariachi opera

🏛️ Moving beyond demographic segmentation to curiosity-based audience development

🤝 Building sustainable audiences through community programming

💡 The affinity model: seven ways people connect with opera

⚡ Why technology must be as easy as buying a book on Amazon

Featuring Sue Elliott

General Director and CEO, Calgary Opera

https://www.calgaryopera.com

Want more CultureTalk? Listen on your favourite platform:

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fZmkPCIiFac8GxvV3Lytg

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culturetalk/id1792405488

🎧 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/768e691f-b4a7-4612-9ae4-c820ad9dba3f

Subscribe for more insights from leaders in arts and culture! New episodes every month.

Learn more about CultureSuite at: https://www.culturesuite.co/

Why aren't audiences coming back after their first visit? Join us for a compelling conversation with Katy Raines, Founder and CEO of Indigo, who's been transforming how cultural organisations understand and connect with their audiences for 18 years.

Drawing from groundbreaking research including the Missing Audiences study and Tomorrow's Audience insights, Katy challenges some uncomfortable truths about the sector: Are we only listening to the loudest voices? Is classical music mystifying newcomers with unexplained rituals? And could the structures of power be holding us back more than we realise?

Key topics covered:

👥 Why 50% of first-time visitors never return (and what to do about it)

🎯 Moving beyond demographics to understand audience needs

🎭 Breaking down the invisible barriers in cultural experiences

📊 Using behavioural data effectively without overwhelming your team

⚖️ Confronting elitism in cultural sector leadership

🌱 Why AI could be both the challenge and the antidote for the future

Featuring Katy Raines

CEO, Indigo

https://indigo-ltd.com

Resources mentioned:

🔗 CultureHive: https://www.culturehive.co.uk/

🔗 Indigo Share platform for real-time audience insights: https://www.indigo-ltd.com/share

Want more CultureTalk? Listen on your favourite platform:

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fZmkPC...

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

🎧 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/768...

Subscribe for more insights from leaders in arts and culture! New episodes every month.

Learn more about CultureSuite at: https://www.culturesuite.co/

Why is digital accessibility in the cultural sector such a minefield despite decades of guidelines? Join us for an honest conversation about the real barriers facing arts organisations and practical solutions that actually work.

With roughly 1 in 6 people experiencing some form of disability, cultural venues risk excluding substantial audiences through inaccessible websites. Our guests reveal why the problem isn't just about budget or technical knowledge – it's about systemic issues and the need for better support structures.

Featured Guests:

Pim Teeuwisse - Co-Founder, Accessibility Desk

George Hill - Chief Experience Officer, CultureSuite

Key Topics Covered:

⚡ Why accessibility education is missing the mark

🎨 The hidden costs of inaccessible websites

🌟 Platform-wide vs individual venue solutions

💡 Simple tests anyone can do right now

🚀 How emerging technologies can help

📊 The business case beyond compliance

Discover why keyboard navigation testing, colour contrast basics, and treating accessibility as quality control rather than an afterthought can transform your digital presence.

Pim mentions the POUR principles in the podcast. Here's more information about them: https://www.culturesuite.co/resources/articles/digital-accessibility-for-all-understanding-wcag-2-2-in-arts-culture

Want more CultureTalk?

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fZmkPCIiFac8GxvV3Lytg

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culturetalk/id1792405488

🎧 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/768e691f-b4a7-4612-9ae4-c820ad9dba3f/culturetalk

Subscribe for monthly insights from leaders in arts and culture!

#DigitalAccessibility #ArtsAndCulture #WCAG #CulturalSector #WebAccessibility #InclusiveDesign #CultureTalk

This article by Ash talks about the Enable-Engage-Express framework that we reference in the interview as well as his two-axis model for understanding how different digital activities differ in function and focus: https://www.ashmann.co/what-do-we-actually-mean-when-we-say-digital/

Digital strategy consultant Ash Mann brings clear-eyed insights from his research on why digital projects succeed or fail in arts and culture organisations. With 20 years of experience spanning in-house roles, agency leadership, and independent consulting, Ash shares:

🟢 Why digital failures are rarely technical but organisational

🟢 His Enable-Engage-Express framework for understanding digital activity

🟢 How museums and performing arts venues approach digital differently

🟢 Practical low-risk experiments for organisations beginning their digital journey

🟢 What cultural leaders need most: clarity and "digital imagination"

🟢 Real success stories from the Royal Academy, Bridge Theatre, and National Theatre

This conversation offers both reassurance for digital practitioners and practical guidance for cultural leaders navigating an increasingly complex digital landscape.

About Ash Mann:

Ash is an advisor, strategist and facilitator who has worked on hundreds of digital projects in the cultural sector. He hosts the Digital Works podcast and conference, creating spaces for important conversations about digital development in arts and culture.

Connect with Ash at: https://ashmann.co

Want more CultureTalk episodes? Listen on your favourite streaming platform:

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fZmkPCIiFac8GxvV3Lytg

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culturetalk/id1792405488

🎧 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/768e691f-b4a7-4612-9ae4-c820ad9dba3f

Subscribe for more insights from leaders in arts and culture! New episodes every month.

Learn more about CultureSuite at: https://www.culturesuite.co/

Senior Content Strategist Georgina Brooke joins us to discuss how cultural organisations can cut through digital noise, build meaningful audience connections, and create sustainable digital strategies. From her experiences at Oxford University, National Museum of Scotland, and the Ashmolean Museum, Georgina shares practical insights on developing effective content approaches that truly resonate with audiences.

Key topics covered:

🖋️ Why content strategy matters in an overcrowded digital landscape

👩‍👩‍👦‍👦 Building digital fandoms that generate sustainable revenue

📱 Navigating the volatility of social media platforms

🖥️ Why digital should be viewed as a product in its own right

📰 Creating content that works across diverse collections

🕹️ The skills challenges facing cultural organisations

Georgina Brooke is Senior Content Strategist at One Further [https://www.onefurther.com/], a digital agency that helps cultural organisations analyse and improve their digital presence, working with institutions like the British Museum, Tate and Shakespeare's Globe.

Want more CultureTalk episodes? Listen on your favourite streaming platform:

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fZmkPCIiFac8GxvV3Lytg

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culturetalk/id1792405488

🎧 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/768e691f-b4a7-4612-9ae4-c820ad9dba3f/culturetalk 

Subscribe for more insights from leaders in arts and culture! New episodes every month.

Learn more about CultureSuite at: https://www.culturesuite.co/

As digital evolution reshapes the cultural sector, how can arts organisations develop sustainable technology strategies? Join us for a refreshing conversation with Steve Plummer from One Pebble Consulting, who challenges traditional thinking about digital transformation. With 25+ years of experience and nearly 50 digital roadmaps delivered, Steve brings practical wisdom to technological change in arts and cultural organisations.

Discover why "digital evolution" trumps "transformation" and learn about the "Three Ps" methodology that prioritises People before Process and Platforms. Steve shares insights from his work with venues of all sizes—from three-person theatre companies to major national institutions—offering an affordable, human-centred approach to digital strategy.

Key topics covered:

🔄 Why evolution beats transformation for sustainable digital change

👥 The critical importance of people in successful technology adoption

⚡ Practical approaches for implementing digital strategies with limited resources

🧠 Purpose-driven approaches to emerging technologies like AI

💡 Quick wins that build momentum and staff buy-in

Featuring Steve Plummer

Founder, One Pebble Consulting

https://onepebbleconsulting.com

Want more CultureTalk? Listen on your favourite platform:

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fZmkPCIiFac8GxvV3Lytg

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culturetalk/id1792405488

🎧 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/768e691f-b4a7-4612-9ae4-c820ad9dba3f

Subscribe for more insights from leaders in arts and culture! New episodes every month.

#ArtsAndCulture #DigitalStrategy #DigitalInnovation #CultureTalk

As artificial intelligence reshapes the cultural sector, how can arts organisations find a balanced path forward? Join us for an enlightening conversation with Jocelyn Burnham from AI for Culture, who brings a refreshingly nuanced perspective to this complex landscape.

Drawing from over a decade of experience and work with organisations like Arts Council England and Tate Modern, Jocelyn advocates for a more playful, experimental approach to AI adoption. Learn why "learning about AI is not the same as loving AI" and how venues can maintain their cultural values while navigating this technological evolution.

Key topics covered:

⚡ Balancing AI adoption with ethical considerations

🎨 AI's role in creative processes

🌱 Environmental impact of AI systems

🤝 Maintaining human connections in automated processes

💡 Practical guidance for AI implementation

Featuring Jocelyn Burnham

Founder, AI for Culture

https://aiforculture.com

Want more CultureTalk? Listen on your favourite platform:

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2fZmkPCIiFac8GxvV3Lytg

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culturetalk/id1792405488

🎧 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/768e691f-b4a7-4612-9ae4-c820ad9dba3f

Subscribe for more insights from leaders in arts and culture! New episodes every month.

#ArtsAndCulture #AI #DigitalTransformation #CulturalSector #ArtsTech #Innovation #CultureTalk

Queens Theatre's Director of Operations Jay Rogers discusses digital transformation, pandemic recovery, and making theatre accessible in NYC's most diverse borough. Learn how this historic World's Fair venue balances tradition with innovation.

https://www.culturesuite.co/

Explore how cultural organisations can balance digital engagement with environmental responsibility. GoCodeGreen's Gareth Edwards highlights the carbon impact of streaming, AI, and digital infrastructure.

Join Oliver Mantell from The Audience Agency as he explores how venues can leverage audience insights, embrace AI, and implement practical data strategies – all while keeping the human element at the heart of arts marketing.