Experimental Culture

A horizon scan commissioned by Arts Council England

Harry Armstrong, Hasan Bakhshi, John Davies, Georgia Ward Dyer, Paul Gerhardt, Celia Hannon, Svetlana Karadimova, Sam Mitchell, and Francesca Sanderson

This report, commissioned by the Arts Council and developed by Nesta, provides insights and recommendations on how arts and cultural organizations in the United Kingdom should evolve over the next 10 years in order to adapt the ever changing ways we consume arts and culture.

How we consume arts and culture now will drastically change by 2030. While there is no single blueprint for responding to the next decade of changes and trends, this paper does strive to suggest behaviors and practices that will help organizations respond proactively to these inevitable changes. It emphasizes the impact of technology as well as the many, future opportunities for experimentation and innovation.

This report draws on the best intelligence, data and evidence, as well as insights and provocations to stimulate and support debate.It is broken up into four main sections: audiences and participation, workforce and skills, the changing funding environment and business models, and new technologies.