Small arts and cultural organisations have always been at the heart of their communities. But they are of course - small. For example, in Wales, 96% of arts and heritage organisations are small organisations employing 10 or fewer people.
While larger organisations with more staff and more resources have weathered this pandemic storm, over half of small arts and cultural venues are at risk of closure due to the pandemic.
The repercussions of the pandemic, Brexit, etc., mean smaller organisations need crucial help to cope and move forward.
Enter the Arts Marketing Association’s (AMA) Small Scale Development Programme (SSDP).
This November The AMA will launch the SSDP in Wales for the first time, thanks to funding support from Arts Council Wales and Creu Cymru, and sponsorship from Ticketsolve.
SSDP helps organisations identify robust business models and new ways to develop their audiences for long-term sustainable success. It has run successfully in England for several years and is launching in Wales in response to requests from AMA’s Welsh members.
It is specifically designed to help leaders of small arts and heritage organisations develop resilient business plans. The programme was redeveloped in 2020 from an on-location to an online format, making the programme even more accessible to small organisations. A key part of the programme is to help create a support network of small organisations from those taking part, existing beyond the scope of the initial programme.
Through this programme AMA will help leaders of small organisations in Wales plan for the future using a tried and tested methodology. The programme will include a series of 6 online workshops throughout January — March 2022. It will cover marketing strategy framework, brand, understanding audiences, setting objectives, bilingual and accessible marketing, communications and more, bringing together leading experts and mentors to help coach small organisations through the process of becoming more resilient, sustainable and relevant to their audiences.
Resources are also freely available on the AMA Culture Hive website These resources will include things like Thinking Big: A Guide to Strategic Marketing Planning as well as a few Ticketsolve whitepapers and resources.
Cath Hume, CEO of AMA said, “Small organisations are the lifeblood of the arts sector, and helping them thrive is what the Small-Scale Development Programme is all about. Small organisations matter to their communities and audiences, and the success of small organisations matters to us. So we’re delighted to be able make this programme available to organisations in Wales for the first time, thanks to support from Creu Cymru and Arts Council Wales, and sponsorship from Ticketsolve.”
If you are based in Wales, you can register here: https://www.a-m-a.co.uk/ssdp-wales-2022/
We hope you join us!
