The arts have always been a powerful vehicle for communication, cultural exchange, and societal reflection. Over the past decades, the Culture Business and Communicating the Arts conferences have played pivotal roles in shaping the discussion around fundraising, branding, and communication strategies within the arts and cultural sectors worldwide.
As these conferences celebrate their 10th anniversary in Australia (and 25th international anniversary in 2025), it is a moment to reflect on the journey, the impact, and the exciting future ahead. Led by Corinne Estrada, a visionary in arts communication, these conferences have become a cornerstone for cultural professionals across the Southern Hemisphere and beyond.
Tate creates a powerful brand in the cultural industry
The conference Communicating the Museum was co-created with Tate. It took place in Paris for the first time in 2000 at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs. The objective was to share best practices about branding and position Tate Modern as the new cultural model of the 21st century versus the Centre Pompidou, which had been the model of the 20th century.
The result was an immediate success for Tate, with 5 million visitors in the first year. Tate’s branding campaign, “Look Again, Think Again”, created by Wolf Olins, was a curatorial revolution. Therefore, Tate wanted to share its curatorial model with international peers who were keen to learn from the British.
“It was the first time that cultural institutions were addressing the topic of branding,” says Estrada. “There was a lot of appetite in the cultural sphere, especially in the conservative continental mindset.”
Following the global financial crisis in 2008, the Culture Business Conference launched in Paris. The aim was to assist cultural institutions with best fundraising practices. It was co-created with the Victoria & Albert Museum’s sponsorship team.
Positioning Australia as a cultural destination
In January 2014, Estrada arrived in Australia with a mission: to create a platform for cultural professionals to share insights, strategies, and innovations in fundraising and communication.
“Within ten years, more than 200 directors of communications of international institutions have come to our conferences in Australia,” she says. This includes the Getty Museum, the Louvre, MoMA, Arts Institute of Chicago, Barbican, Royal Academy of Arts, Barnes Foundation, Institut du Monde Arabe, the National Gallery of Singapore and many others who came to Australia for the first time.
“When I first arrived in Australia ten years ago, I recognised the need for a dedicated space where arts professionals could come together to discuss fundraising and communication strategies,” says Estrada. She founded AGENDA Pacific, a global communication agency specialising in the arts. This equipped her with the vision to launch Culture Business and Communicating the Arts in Australia.
“Today, we celebrate the strong international network we have built, connecting 2000 Australian cultural leaders with their peers worldwide.”
Estrada was invited to Australia by a consortium of 12 organisations in Sydney (National Maritime Museum, Museum Australia, Sydney Opera House, Sydney Living Museum, DNSW, Art Gallery of NSW, Museum of Contemporary Art) and Melbourne (NGV, ACMI, Museum Victoria). This began a series of international encounters that would leave an indelible mark on Australia’s cultural landscape.
Over the years, these conferences have alternated between Culture Business, focusing on fundraising strategies, and Communicating the Arts, dedicated to best practices in arts branding and communication. This was the first time that the cultural sector addressed business topics. Government organisations (Creative Partnership Australia, Australia Council for the Arts, Create NSW) regularly supported the conferences.
Cultural organisations are for-profit
These conferences quickly established themselves as essential gatherings for cultural professionals, fostering a community of practice that continues to thrive. Since their inception in Australia, Culture Business and Communicating the Arts have hosted ten conferences across Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney.
“These conferences have not only cultivated incredible learning opportunities but also built lasting connections that transcend borders,” says Estrada.
With a French spirit of being difficult and disruptive, the tone of voice of the conferences has always been to question why and how. One notable aspect of these conferences is their emphasis on practical strategies and real-world applications. Delegates leave with actionable insights that they can implement within their institutions, contributing to the overall growth and sustainability of the arts sector in Australia.
The conferences have also significantly shaped the conversation around fundraising, a critical area for arts organisations facing increasing financial pressures.
Estrada adds:
“Culture Business and Communicating the Arts are about more than just fundraising and marketing. They’re about reshaping how we think about culture and its place in society. They establish that cultural institutions are for profit. We aim to inspire our delegates to not only sustain but to thrive in an increasingly complex world.”
Australian performing arts are excellent in marketing
In 2018, Communicating the Museum became Communicating the Arts. The purpose was to involve more Australian performing arts in the conferences’ dialogue with visual arts and heritage.
“Festivals, opera houses and theatres are experts in marketing and data analysis probably because they have to fill the rooms every night,” says Estrada. Bringing performing arts delegates into the conversation was a key move.
One of the critical achievements of Culture Business and Communicating the Arts has been their role in promoting Australian culture on the global stage. A large community of Australian cultural leaders have been invited to speak at these international conferences worldwide, sharing their expertise and insights with their peers.
These conferences have taken place in iconic cultural venues around the world. This includes Le Louvre Paris (2016 & 2024), The National Gallery of Singapore (2019 & 2023), Topkapi in Istanbul (2015), Getty Museum and Lacma, Los Angeles (2017), Met and MoMA New York (2018), Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal and Louisiana Copenhagen (2019).
These opportunities have elevated the profile of Australian cultural institutions. They have also facilitated cross-cultural exchanges that have enriched the arts sector both in Australia and abroad.
For example, the collaboration between the National Heritage Board of Singapore and Australian speakers in 2019 and 2023 exemplifies the global reach and influence of these conferences in Southeast Asia. Due to travel restrictions, Australian institutions’ participation in these international conferences is sometimes difficult. But it underscores the importance of these platforms in fostering international dialogue and collaboration.
“Our goal has always been to promote Australia as a cultural powerhouse on the international stage,” says Estrada. “We have seen Australian philanthropists becoming more active in France, supporting major institutions like the Louvre. This cross-cultural exchange is something we are proud to have facilitated.”
French creative industries coming to Australia in 2024
Estrada’s work on these arts conferences has also highlighted the deep cultural connections between Australia and France. Australians have long been fascinated with French culture, as evidenced by the success of blockbuster exhibitions such as Monet at the NGA, Degas at the NGV, and Matisse at the Art Gallery of NSW. This cultural affinity has led to significant collaborations between Australian and French institutions, further strengthening the ties between the two countries.
Australian philanthropists have played a crucial role in supporting French arts institutions in recent years, demonstrating the growing influence of Australian cultural stakeholders on the global stage. This cultural exchange is a testament to the arts’ soft power in fostering international relations and promoting cross-cultural understanding.
As French institutions become more aware of the opportunities in Australia, there is an increasing interest in exploring the continent’s biodiversity and Indigenous culture. These areas of interest provide a rich source of inspiration for artists and cultural institutions. They also open up new avenues for cultural and economic partnerships.
The commitment of the French Government to support the visit of a French delegation of Creative Industries in October to SXSW 2024 in Sydney is the threshold to develop strong commercial and artistic connections.
See also: Communicating the Arts 2024: inspiring positive impact in Paris
The first mentorship program for the arts
The COVID-19 pandemic presented an unprecedented opportunity to make the most of the network built over the past decades, including 12,000 international delegates who had attended past conferences.
Estrada created the 30 UNDER 30 mentorship program for young professionals seeking professional development and job opportunities during this period. The aim is to open an international network of senior professionals. Mentees learn from mentors and vice versa. The philosophy is to cross generations, nationalities, genders, and expertise.
The mentorship program is closely tied to Culture Business and Communicating the Arts. Mentees are invited to attend these conferences and take advantage of the networking opportunities worldwide. So far, the programs have proved to be particularly successful among young Australian emerging professionals.
Arts conferences show how to make a positive impact
As Culture Business and Communicating the Arts look to the future, there is much to be excited about.
The upcoming Culture Business conference in Sydney will take place in November 2024. This will celebrate the 10th anniversary of these conferences in Australia. It will be the first time the conference is hosted in an amusement park. With a stellar line-up of international speakers and a focus on the latest trends and strategies in fundraising, it promises to be a landmark conference for the arts and culture sector.
Looking further ahead, the 2025 edition of Communicating the Arts will be hosted at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam next June. 300 delegates from around the world will come together to explore the theme of ‘How to Make a Positive Impact’. The conference will continue the tradition of fostering meaningful discussions and collaborations that drive the arts sector forward. Over the last ten years, the topics of the conferences have changed from visitor experience to social engagement and wellbeing.
Corinne Estrada’s vision for the future is clear: to continue building on the success of the past decade, expanding the global influence of Culture Business and Communicating the Arts, and fostering new collaborations with the high-tech world that will shape the future of the arts and culture sectors.
As these conferences continue to grow and evolve, they will undoubtedly remain at the forefront of the arts community, inspiring and empowering cultural professionals worldwide.