Mentoring for cultural organisations

Many organisations recognise the importance of digital activity but struggle to find the time, expertise or confidence to develop it strategically. Teams are often balancing competing priorities, limited resources and rapidly changing technologies.

Having access to an experienced mentor creates an opportunity to explore challenges in a supportive environment. Mentors act as trusted critical friends, helping organisations identify opportunities, overcome barriers and make informed decisions.

Over the years, we have refined the programme using feedback from more than 100 organisations that have taken part. Participants tell us that the combination of tailored advice, sector expertise and practical support helps them make meaningful progress without creating additional pressure on already busy teams.

“It was an excellent opportunity to develop a strategic digital plan and work on our brand.”

“Our mentor was really responsive to our needs and was able to show us examples and insights from campaigns they had worked on.”

The programme is designed for arts, cultural and heritage organisations that want to strengthen digital thinking and practice.

It may be particularly useful if your organisation is:

• Looking to develop or refresh a digital strategy
• Seeking to better understand and engage audiences online
• Exploring new approaches to digital content creation
• Interested in generating income through digital activity
• Working to improve accessibility and inclusion
• Looking to make better use of archives, collections or existing content
• Planning digital events, festivals or hybrid experiences
• Unsure where to focus digital efforts and would benefit from external expertise

Organisations do not need to have advanced digital skills to benefit. In fact, many participants value discovering that others are facing similar challenges around capacity, confidence and prioritisation.

I wanted to thank everyone involved for such an energising programme! We’ve really got a lot of out of and I’m already blown away by how much has changed in 6 months of mentoring.

Mentoring is delivered through a series of online sessions spread across six months. This structure gives teams time to put ideas into practice between meetings while maintaining momentum and accountability.

Each participating organisation is matched with a mentor whose experience aligns with their goals. Where specialist knowledge is needed, mentors can also draw on The Space’s wider network of digital experts and guest mentors.

Topics often include:

• Audience development and engagement
• Digital content strategy
• Channel selection and distribution
• Digital income generation
• Accessibility and inclusive design
• Digital storytelling and creative innovation
• Archive and collections-based content

The programme also includes opportunities for peer learning. Participants come together to discuss shared challenges, exchange ideas and learn from one another’s experiences. Previous cohorts have highlighted these sessions as one of the most valuable aspects of the programme, providing both practical insights and a sense of connection with others navigating similar issues.

Feedback from previous participants points to several recurring outcomes:

• Greater understanding of audiences and how to communicate with them effectively
• Increased confidence in digital decision-making
• Access to new tools, technologies and approaches
• Stronger strategic thinking
• Improved ways of working across teams and organisations
• Clearer priorities and action plans
• Greater confidence to be proactive rather than reactive in digital activity

Participants have also spoken about the value of receiving advice that is tailored to their particular context, rather than generic guidance.

“Having a mentor familiar with the challenges of visual impairment made a huge difference.”

Perhaps one of the most important aspects of mentoring is the reminder that no organisation is working through these challenges alone.

Digital transformation can sometimes feel overwhelming, particularly for smaller organisations or teams with limited capacity. Mentoring provides both expert guidance and a supportive community of peers who understand the realities of cultural work.

Whether you’re at the beginning of your digital journey or looking to build on existing experience, mentoring offers a valuable opportunity to reflect, learn and develop practical next steps.

It isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating the space to ask the right questions and finding the confidence to move forward.

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100% attendees at the 2024/25 reflections workshop would recommend the mentoring programme to peers