Press Release November 4, 2024.

Announcing New Business Models for Digital Arts Organisations

How can digital arts organisations evolve and incorporate a business mindset while supporting digital artists and art production? Art and business are often seen as uneasy bedfellows but through experimentation and by conducting a report on economic insights for these types of organisations, DIS - Digital Inter/Section supported by the Creative Europe programme of the European Commission, is about to release four case studies with new business models for use across the sector.

Rencontres pro Chroniques ©GrégoireEdouard

Joining forces in 2021 and forming DIS - Digital Inter/Section, a project supported by Creative Europe programme of the European Commission, a group of digital arts and culture organisations across the European Union have carried out local pilot projects on how to diversify their income streams to secure stable funding through self-generated income. The organisations represent different types of cultural organisations, united by having digital arts at the core and by reaching a wide audience through biennials and festivals. Another important part of the pilot projects has been promoting sustainable, ethical and inclusive economic development, essential for a digital shift in line with European values.

Four Local Pilot Projects Across the European Union

The pilot projects have been carried out by Chroniques (Marseilles, France), KIKK (Namur, Belgium), Kontejner, (Zagreb, Croatia) and Signal (Prague, Czech Republic), each with a different focus. 

CHRONIQUES
→ Created a Digital Imagination Market Show with a strong focus on B2B, on top of their Digital Imagination artistic Biennale.

KIKK
→ Establishing a members’ club to raise awareness about sponsorship in digital creativity and to ensure the sustainability of its exhibition space around the year.

KONTEJNER 
→ A new venue run as a social enterprise to explore new revenue streams, form partnerships with business and engage a participatory community. 

SIGNAL
→ Developed ticketing models and expanded audience experiences, memberships solutions, B2B and collaborations with other institutions.

All pilot projects have identified key internal stakeholders to drive development forwards and to bring in specific capacities into the organisations.

These digital arts organisations are diverse but share many strengths and challenges. In particular they have a high understanding of digital society and experience-based environments and strong networking and collaborative skills, while being challenged by how to identify new revenue streams without compromising creative credibility and how to bring in a business mindset in organisations partly funded by public funds.

The local pilot projects prove that digital arts organisations and private companies can meet around several stakes and that they can guide one another towards new narratives, opportunities and knowledge, contributing to their respective economic development and proposing new ways to implement their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy.

Key opportunities that have been identified

→ EXPERIENCE-BASED ENVIRONMENTS

→ HYBRIDITY

→ UNDERSTANDING OF DIGITAL SOCIETY

→ DIGITAL LITERACY

Signal Festival 2023. Credit: ©Tomas Slavik

The report, The Business of Digital Art: Economic Models and Insights Into the Future, released 2024, states that: For many organisations in the digital art industry, the very notion of a business model stands against the mission of the institutions. Art is seen as something different, a cultural good, neither a product nor a service, meaning that it is not necessarily compatible with business. However, in many cases a proper business model could be beneficial for an institution and it’s essential to see business models as strategic tools to secure the sustainability of institutions.

The collaborative approach is part of the DNA of the digital art sector which could be an incentive for the development of public policies regionally as creative industry clusters are likely to play a more important role across the European Union over time.

Can the cultural sector contribute to economic growth? The relationships that exist between this market’s segments are symbiotic. This means that advances in one part stimulates growth in other parts of the creative economy. In other words, this ecosystem thrives - or doesn’t - in a virtuous circle.

MIN, la Cartonnerie de la Friche la Belle de Mai at Art-O-Rama, Marseilles. Credit: ©Caroline Dutrey

Events and Media Opportunities Autumn 2024 - Winter 2025

1 - Signal event in Prague - Czech Republic - October 10 - 13 2024 >> Conferences + New ticketing
2 - KIKK festival in Namur - Belgium - October 24 - 28 2024 >> Club Pavillon
3 - Chroniques in Marseille opening - France - Novembre 7 - 8 2024 >> MIN - Marché des Imaginaire Numériques (Marketplace)
4 - Chroniques in Marseille - Final event of DI/S project - Symposium - France - January 17 - 19 2025

Download available report: The Business of Digital Art: Economic Models and Insights Into the Future
Planned release of the case studies: November 15, 2024. More information to follow.
Download press release: Press release New Business Models for Digital Art Organisations
Press contact
Sofia Bertilsson, Art Insider PR
sofia@artinsiderpr.com

Notes to Editors and Press Images

About DIS - Digital Inter/Section

DIS - Digital Inter/Section is a joint project by digital arts organisations in Germany, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, France and the Czech Republic supported by Creative Europe. Started in 2021 the project moves into its final phase and prepares to release four case studies to support the Creative and Cultural Sector in Europe and beyond. The aim of the project has been to experiment and diversify the revenue streams and business models of digital art organisations while promoting sustainable, ethical and inclusive economic development, essential for a digital shift in line with European values.

Each of the four artistic partners, CHRONIQUES, Kontejner, Signal, KIKK, has conducted pilot projects in their own territory, working together with private companies that have helped the diversification of their revenue streams. These experiences are shared among the consortium in order to inspire each other and generate collective convergence. Apart from the organisations involved in the pilot projects, Digital Inter/Section benefits from two supporting partners, The CATALYSTS and Chromatic, Canada. By experimenting and developing new innovative business models for digital arts and culture organisations, Digital Inter/Section increases these organisations’ competitiveness, their economic resilience as well as their employees and the artists’ they produce and curate. By doing so, DI/S inspires the whole CCS sector to take the leap.