Crowdfunding in the Culture Sector: Adoption, Effects and Implications (CROWDCUL)

About the project

CROWDCUL is an international research project on crowdfunding in the cultural sector. It is led by the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. It focuses on adoption, effects and implications of this innovative funding strategy in the context of cultural practices. The research addresses three important themes currently either completely or largely absent from the existing literature on crowdfunding in the cultural sector.

These themes are focused on processes before and after crowdfunding practice:

1. the factors influencing the artists’ adoption of crowdfunding as a channel for fundraising their cultural production (pre-campaign);
2. the short- and long-term impacts of successful crowdfunding experience on artists’ long-term economy, reputation and aesthetic practices (post-campaign); and
3. the implications of crowdfunding usage by artists for traditional funding mechanisms and artists’ aesthetic practices in general.

In close collaboration with crowdfunding platforms, artists and other stakeholders, the research team will follow a mixed-method approach and conduct several qualitative and quantitative studies such as literature review, surveys and interviews. The study is the first to explain crowdfunding use and implications for stakeholders in the cultural and creative sectors in Norway and is expected to also provide useful practical inputs for artists, artists’ associations, crowdfunding platforms, public authorities, and public and private agencies providing support schemes for artists.