AMM NextGen Spotlight: Arts and Culture Network (ACN)

Vincent Messelier: Mark, as a percussionist and marketing expert, what inspired you to create the Arts and Culture Network (ACN), and what were your main goals?

Mark Walmsley: I was an early adopter of LinkedIn and was one of the first 100,000 users. When they launched groups, I created The Arts and Culture Network group as I was keen to work more in the sector at some stage in my future. I then promptly forgot all about it and it started to grow on its own.

VM: What do you think has contributed to the rapid success of ACN? Did you anticipate such growth?

MW: My group was one of the first arts and culture focused groups launched on LinkedIn. Back then, the groups of which someone was a member was shown more prominently on their profile page than it is today. That drove our early growth. More recently, increasing number of arts and culture professionals have embraced LinkedIn which now has over one billion members.

VM: You personally connect with all your members. How do you balance this with your music, family, and marketing agency?

MW: Sadly, it isn’t possible to meet all the 153,000 members across our 8 LinkedIn groups. However, when someone joins us as a full member, I meet and interview them for publication and promotion. And, of course, I get to meet those who attend our free networking events on Zoom, in London and New York.

VM: Operating without sponsors or subsidies, how did you come up with the idea to support members in need through donations?

MW: Yes, we are entirely member funded. After a cancer scare in 2022, I decided that I wanted the legacy of The Arts and Culture Network to become a global support foundation by the end of this decade. I’ve coined the phrase democratic collective philanthropy, and we have already started donating a proportion of our membership revenue, nominated, and voted upon by our members. The more membership revenue we can generate, the more we can donate.

We are already doing this on a small scale, from contributing to an uninsured member’s cancer fundraiser to finding accommodation for the orphaned 7-year-olds in a Ugandan dance group.

VM: Starting during the pandemic, your weekly online meetings have been unique. What motivated you to create this format for connecting members?

MW: Before we approached Lock down, I attended a random speed networking event on Zoom and thought it would serve as a great format for our global community. By then, we had 18,000 members, but none of them had met or explored opportunities for collaboration.

VM: Looking ahead, where do you see ACN in the next few years? Will you continue with the current meeting format?

MW: Our free networking events on Zoom are the pulse of our community and will continue, as they are an opportunity both for member interaction and to let our LinkedIn group members know about the benefits of full membership. Guests have been hired at our events.

If we continue to grow at the current rate, we will have 2,000 full members by 2030, providing revenue of £20,000 per month which frankly, I don’t need, so we will be donating a large proportion of it.

VM: Are you still enjoying your work with ACN? How do you leverage marketing strategies, including AI, to promote it?

MW: My superpower seems to be connecting people for mutual good and my passions are music, arts, and culture so I’m doing the best work of my life, and it doesn’t feel like a job.

My background is in music, brand, and marketing and I bring that experience and expertise to the ACN. In the absence of a marketing team or budget, I use AI for research and automation for outreach to our LinkedIn group members.

VM: How can artists leverage technology for better collaboration?

MW: In our digital world, it has never been easier, less costly, or quicker to find and reach prospective customers, collaborators, and partners. So, the first step is to become familiar with the opportunities that digital presents. And then use that expertise to optimise your LinkedIn profile and use that as the basis for growing your network. Your network is your net worth.

VM: What role do you think social media will play in the future of arts networking?

MW: It’s here to stay, but the platforms and major players will change.

VM: Are there any upcoming projects or initiatives within ACN that you’re particularly excited about?

MW: Yes. We have created a talent division and currently manage a symphony orchestra conductor and a visual artist. I’m keen to support those more talent than opportunity.