The History, Architecture and Design Research Group (GRHAD) at the Faculty of Humanities, UIC Barcelona, has recently secured a competitive Llavor grant for the Artistic Season Planning project as part of the Knowledge Industry funding call for 2024. Led by Dr Marta Crispí, the project aims to create software that assists cultural institutions in planning, programming, and managing their artistic activities by incorporating a data-driven strategic vision. his innovative initiative, designed to improve cultural management through technology, originates from Úrsula Imbernon’s thesis, a doctoral graduate from UIC Barcelona.

Rather than replacing cultural professionals, this tool is designed to enhance their expertise and decision-making, explains the principal researcher of the project. It focuses on three key areas: artistic planning and programming, management and public knowledge. The software uses historical and real-time data to predict outcomes and facilitate strategic decision-making, thereby enhancing the quality of cultural programmes “Our goal is to create a platform that enables artistic programmers to make more efficient, data-driven decisions, ensuring excellence, effectiveness, and sustainability in their programmes” says Dr Crispí.

The project stands out for its multidisciplinary approach, blending expertise in cultural management—an area where UIC Barcelona is a leader with its Master's Degree in Cultural Management— with artistic programming, data analysis, and computational programming.  The team includes Blanca Reguant, alumna, lecturer, and doctoral candidate at UIC Barcelona, participating as an entrepreneurial scientist; Judith Urbano, dean of the Faculty of Humanities; Cristina Calvet, lecturer on the Master's Degree in Cultural Management; David Roche, lecturer at the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences; Jaume Armengou, Secretary-General of IESE Business School; and Carlos Cosials, director of the University's Master's Degree in Big Data, acting as a technology mentor.

One of the project’s most innovative aspects is the integration of sustainability and energy efficiency indicators, aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4, 5, and 12, to foster a more responsible approach to cultural management that meets future challenges.  “The software will not only help cultural institutions plan their programming more efficiently but also incorporate sustainable practices into their management strategies,” says Reguant.

In this context, the Artistic Season Planning project aligns with the urgent need to transform the cultural sector by introducing digital tools that enable smarter, more effective, and environmentally responsible management. “We aspire to turn this Llavor grant into a fully developed product that genuinely supports cultural institutions in tackling future challenges, allowing them to work with more robust data and criteria to create high-quality cultural programmes,” affirms Dr Crispí.

Through this initiative, UIC Barcelona reaffirms its commitment to research and knowledge transfer in the service of culture, aiming to contribute to the sustainability and excellence of the sector.

The project is supported by the Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) and stands out as one of the Faculty of Humanities' key initiatives in developing innovative cultural management tools.