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BITE

Helping cultural operators engage new young audiences through innovative management, communication and socially engaged contemporary art.

Project status Completed Duration 28 months · October 2019 — January 2022

Full project name: BITE - Introduction of new business model into European contemporary art operators to generate new young audience
Project duration: 28 months · October 2019 — January 2022
Programme: Creative Europe Programme
Country(es): Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Belgium
Value of the project: €336,447
Partners: Balkan Urban Movement

Belgrade Cultural Center

TiPovej, Javni zavod Mladi Zmaji

Backslash

Consorci de Museus de la Comunitat Valenciana (CMCV)

Color Media Communications

Connect International

Project overview

BITE introduced a new business and communication model to help contemporary art organisations attract younger audiences and strengthen their sustainability. The project combined innovative programming, management and marketing tools with socially engaged art to make contemporary culture more accessible and relevant to young people.

“BITE of Art” brought a shift in the way young people experienced contemporary art and offered an entirely new perspective that helped cultural operators achieve greater sustainability in their work and attract new audiences. The model became a strong brand among contemporary art operators and young audiences.
Through its innovative approach, the BITE model enabled contemporary art operators to strengthen their capacities and improve their financial sustainability by using new management and marketing tools aimed at attracting younger audiences.
During the project’s implementation, participants learned how to use new tools in organising and promoting their work. They also learned how to integrate all the procedures necessary for this innovative approach to become part of their everyday work, as well as how to raise funds through the use of new management and marketing tools.
The elements of the BITE model were:
1. New and innovative content within the work of cultural operators, aimed at attracting new and younger audiences
2. The BITE communication strategy, including the brand communication strategy
One of the project’s objectives was to strengthen and promote socially engaged contemporary art among young people. In addition to working with other organisations, we intended to cooperate with at least one organisation active in the field of gender equality. In this way, the project aimed to support young activists in expressing themselves through socially engaged contemporary artworks and using these works to bring the topic of gender equality closer to young people.

Project Results

A free pan European business model combined modern business strategy, strategic communication planning and innovative pop up events to help cultural operators improve digitalisation, audience interaction and accessibility to contemporary art.

An iOS and Android application used NFC technology as a personal digital curator, allowing visitors to unlock multimedia content about artworks and create a personal digital collection.

A web platform hosted storytelling based 360 degree virtual guided tours of exhibitions. Eight virtual tours were produced, keeping exhibitions accessible regardless of location.

Research with 21 cultural operators and 391 young people in Spain, Serbia and Slovenia identified barriers to engagement with contemporary art and informed development of the BITE business model.

Six young artists or artistic groups were selected through an open call and supported with funding, mentorship and an international workshop to produce artworks addressing peace, freedom, equality, solidarity and tolerance.