Cambridge Cultural Finance Conference 2026
18 May 2026
09:30 -19:30
Times are shown in local time
Open to:
- Cambridge students and alumni
- Cultural sector professionals
- Investors, policymakers and technology leaders
Cambridge Judge Business School
Trumpington St
Cambridge
CB2 1AG
United Kingdom
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Category: Conferences On-campus events
Join us to explore the future of cultural finance and innovation
The Cambridge Cultural Finance Conference brings together people who don’t usually share a room, let alone a balance sheet.
Hosted at Cambridge Judge Business School, the conference convenes museum directors, investors, policymakers, and founders for a sharper, more honest exchange on what comes next. Together, we tackle one big question the sector has been circling and no one’s quite answered: how do we actually fund culture without flattening it into something safe, predictable, or worse, forgettable?
We’ll get into all the uncomfortable bits: new financial models, shifting power dynamics, and whether ‘sustainability’ in culture actually means survival, or something more ambitious. The goal isn’t just to keep the lights on, but to figure out who controls the switch, and what we’re illuminating in the first place.
Speakers
The conference features a cross-sector group of senior leaders and practitioners, including:
- Lucy Frazer KC — Former UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
- Paola Olivari — Director, Data Analytics & AI, Google
- David Sabel — Director of Creative Development, National Theatre
Additional confirmed speakers include senior representatives from:
- Fitzwilliam Museum
- Arts Theatre Cambridge
- Cambridge Judge Business School
- Scabal
- Cambridge University Libraries
- Centre for Music Performance
- Curating Cambridge
- Acutu Art
Agenda
The programme is structured around 5 key themes:
- policy: the role of government and public institutions
- funding: capital models, philanthropy and investment
- creation: content, storytelling and audience engagement
- innovation: AI, digital transformation and immersive technologies
- enterprise: commercialisation, retail and business strategy
Following the daytime sessions, the conference will feature an evening programme of live music and artistic performance, creating a more immersive and cross-disciplinary experience.
Register
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