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A recent article* from academic and musician Thomas Wolf makes a strident argument that arts organisations employ too many administrators. Ash Mann disagrees.
![an audience member records a performance](https://www-artsprofessional-co-uk.ezproxy-b.deakin.edu.au/sites/artsprofessional.co.uk/files/styles/220_by_160_sidebar/public/main/articles/substrakt_article.jpg?itok=02654fXZ)
The way arts organisations responded to the pandemic offered a glimpse of how they could evolve. But a rush to any ‘return to normal’ risks squandering these lessons, says Ash Mann.
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When it comes to maximising digital activity, the two most common challenges organisations face are budget and skills, says Katie Moffat.
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If there is a universal truth in the arts and culture sector, it is that funding is an eternal challenge. That's even more true of digital, as Katie Moffat explains.
![a crowd of people watch a performance](https://www-artsprofessional-co-uk.ezproxy-b.deakin.edu.au/sites/artsprofessional.co.uk/files/styles/220_by_160_sidebar/public/substrakt_feature.png?itok=dCnLDyan)
Buying tickets online is something people do every day, for thousands of events, on millions of websites, all around the world. But, as Kathryn Mason writes, it’s not always plain sailing.
![black and white image of a crowd](https://www-artsprofessional-co-uk.ezproxy-b.deakin.edu.au/sites/artsprofessional.co.uk/files/styles/220_by_160_sidebar/public/main/articles/photo_davide_ragusa.png?itok=Gv5w0ySZ)
Regardless of debates about what audience development means, the main aim should be for more people to experience the arts, says Ash Mann.
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The pandemic has forced cultural organisations to develop their digital infrastructure and programming. But, as Zosia Poulter argues, the role of content is still not sufficiently recognised.
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The shift to digital has been beneficial to many, but Ash Mann is particularly interested in what it could mean for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people.
![Good as New by Peter Hedges, produced by MCC Theater Two women sitting at screens facing each other in a Zoom call](https://www-artsprofessional-co-uk.ezproxy-b.deakin.edu.au/sites/artsprofessional.co.uk/files/styles/220_by_160_sidebar/public/good_as_new_screenshot.jpg?itok=XSeK9KTw)
The greater success of some arts organisations boils down to a few key ingredients. Money isn’t one of them, writes Ash Mann.