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2026 research project focus

Earlier this year I published Beyond the Promise, a report exploring why digital projects fail in the cultural sector.

In 2026 (and I hope at the start of every year beyond that) I will build on this work and dig further into topics here better understanding could help the sector work more effectively with digital.

I’d love to hear what you think the next research focus should be.

You can choose up to 3 options.

Thanks, Ash ❤️

What should I research next?

What do we really mean by digital engagement? - Are we measuring the right things, or just the easiest ones, when it comes to digital engagement?

AI confidence and adoption - How are cultural organisations approaching AI tools, where are the confidence gaps, what are the questions everyond has, and what’s helping (or hindering) responsible and effective adoption?

Inside digital work – What unspoken norms and unsustainable rhythms shape how digital teams work, and how can we build healthier, more effective cultures?

What gets dropped first - What digital work disappears when time, money, or capacity run out, and what does that reveal about what we value?

The case for shared infrastructure - Is there real appetite for shared digital tools in culture, or are we too attached to going it alone?

The digital imagination gap - What’s stopping cultural leaders from planning for bold, digitally enabled futures?

The culture of not knowing - What digital gaps are people afraid to admit, and how does that limit sector learning and change?

Cultural tech debt - What outdated digital systems are arts organisations quietly relying on, and why haven’t they been replaced?

The hidden labour of digital staff - How much work are digital teams doing alone, unsupported, and unrecognised, and what’s the impact?