The Access to Culture Platform (ACP) and its working group on Audience Participation are focusing on access to culture in the digital era this year. In collaboration with all members of the working group chaired by the European Festivals Association (EFA), a workshop entitled “Access to Culture in the Digital Era: A Citizen’s Right” is organised on 15 December 2011 (16.00-19.00) in Brussels. The workshop will look at practices and policies which are at the basis of the sector triggering and hindering the audiences’ access to culture in the digital era. Issues that will be covered include, amongst other: reaching out to audiences, communication between artists and the public, the innovative meaning of the digital in the arts, unlocking archives. Participants will take a critical look and analyse whether the sector is making the most of the opportunities the digital era brings about. Furthermore, the workshop will feature best practices in the arts sector; it will bring up a critical reflection about the perspective of the Access to Culture Platform in the framework of the OMC working group on access to culture and the future ‘Creative Europe’ programme. It aims at developing a series of political recommendations addressed to policy makers at European and national level. In preparation of the workshop, the organisers invite to send in best practices, examples of applications of cultural practice (good and also bad) in the field of digital tools. The examples serve as a basis for the shaping of the workshop, as well as for formulating political recommendations. In a parallel move, a meeting of the Working Group “Communicating Festivals – Communicating Europe” takes place on 16 December, organised by the European Festivals Association, chair of the ACP’s working group on Audience Participation. In 2012, EFA celebrates its 60th anniversary. As one of EFA’s actions, EFA brings together Communication, PR and Marketing Experts of major European festivals in this new working group dedicated to communication related issues in festivals. The first meeting on 1 July 2011 in Brussels at the European House for Culture kicked-off the exchange with a focus on the use of digital and social media in festivals. The Access to Culture Platform is one of three cultural sector platforms that were created in 2008 under the EU Culture Programme. It has the mandate to bring in the voice of civil society to provide recommendations for policies. Related links and documents: • Invitation • Draft programme • Form for best practices