Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children’s Books has been chosen as one of 46 UK arts organisations selected to take part in the $30 million Digital Accelerator Programme, which aims to help arts organisations improve their technology infrastructure to speed COVID-19 recovery.
Wendy Elliott, CEO at Seven Stories, said: “We are thrilled to be part of Bloomberg’s Digital Accelerator cohort – it’s really going to be a catalyst for our plans for the next decade, and beyond. As the National Centre for Children’s Books, it’s critical that our archive, programme and resources can reach children and young people across the whole country and this can only be delivered via a robust digital infrastructure. Building on the success of our latest digital exhibition, we intend to work with the Bloomberg Philanthropies team to future-proof our systems to ensure we can deliver more innovative and creative ways to engage with our audiences.”
In a press release about the program launch, Patricia E. Harris, CEO of Bloomberg Philanthropies, said: “When the pandemic hit, cultural organisations everywhere got creative and adapted quickly to keep their virtual doors open. Now we’re excited to help further innovations and investments that are key to their long-term success through the Accelerator Programme.”
Bloomberg Philanthropies invited organisations to apply for the programme based on creative excellence, service to diverse communities, and their efforts to improve digital capacity during the pandemic. The organisations selected to participate in the programme reach and represent a broad spectrum of creative endeavours, and a deep commitment to serving audiences.
A Bloomberg Tech Fellow from the existing Seven Stories team will drive the development and implementation of the digital project. Bloomberg Philanthropies will work with technology experts who will provide strategic assessment and implementation guidance to the Bloomberg Tech Fellows.
Wendy added: “A huge thank you to Bloomberg Philanthropies for their support. This is the next step in our journey to becoming a more open, diverse and innovative organisation and with their help we will be able to tell our story – and those of many others – in a bigger, broader and bolder way.”
