LONDON.- The Culture Diary is the first of its kind, an invaluable tool for organisers and promoters of UK cultural events, across all art forms.The user-friendly tool will be vital for UK organisations in assisting with planning, promotion and partnerships, saving time for increasingly busy people working in the cultural sector. It will also maximise the impact and reach of events delivered by UK organisations, both in the UK and overseas.

The Culture Diary has been brought to life through a unique collaboration between Arts Council England, British Council, Department for Culture, Media & Sport, GREAT Britain campaign, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the Mayor of London, VisitBritain and UK Trade & Investment.

From 28 April 2014, UK organisations working in the cultural sector can:

•Upload information about public and private events including details of international tours

•Upload reviews

•Avoid clashes when planning events

•Find mutually beneficial partnerships

•Improve communication with other UK arts organisations, and government and arts development agencies

•Be promoted internationally by GREAT partners including across partner websites and social media channels

•Discover ways to expand projects abroad with the help of GREAT partners’ network.

Another benefit for users is that the platform will be used by the founding organisations when looking for ways to support to the UK cultural sector. Users can now upload information into one place and highlight their activity to government bodies and the largest UK development agencies. Cultural organisations can include events of all different sizes and types, and covering all art forms; from Glastonbury to Glyndebourne, Edinburgh Fringe to the National Eisteddfod, Frieze Art Fair to the London Film Festival.

The tool now has the extended capability to host details of UK touring events overseas as well as upcoming national campaigns such as First World War Centenary and Shakespeare 400 which will provide much-valued input for British cultural diplomacy, trade, education and tourism promotion around the world.

The Culture Diary has already proven itself as a valuable tool, when it was set up by the Mayor of London to support nearly 4,500 cultural events planned in the capital during the London 2012 Olympic Games. The platform has now received a complete upgrade to deliver a truly international service, include all art forms and offer better functionality for users. In addition there are advanced search and download functions and a more efficient and intuitive system for uploading content.

In order to immediately deliver the greatest shared benefits, users are encouraged to register right away and share their short and long term plans. By sharing their plans from the earliest stages, and continuing to regularly update them, events organisers will also be contributing to the development of a long-term strategic overview in these areas, which will benefit the UK economy through improved export of UK culture.

The service will be the go-to tool for a variety of arts professionals including event organisers, cultural attachés and marketing and press officers. The site launches on 28 April 2014 as a Beta version, allowing scope for evaluation and user feedback to further develop and improve the system.

“Culture is essential to our well-being and quality of life but cultural diplomacy can build trust and relationships with other countries, helping to drive trade and investment. This new cultural diary along with our Cultural Export Fund will help the UK’s cultural organisations to build on their huge success both at home and abroad, helping underpin the trade deals of tomorrow.” Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Minister for Women and Equalities