Waterford arts organisations go digital with new guides on global culture app

Three Waterford cultural organisations have expanded their reach to international audiences by launching free digital guides on a global arts and culture app.

The Waterford Gallery of Art, Garter Lane Arts Centre and Waterford Cultural Quarter have now been featured on Bloomberg Connects, a free app developed by Bloomberg Philanthropies that provides digital access to museums and cultural institutions worldwide. Their addition marks the first time Waterford organisations have featured on the platform.

The guide allows users to explore exhibitions and events through photos, audio and video content, as well as behind-the-scenes features and background information on the organisations’ histories and artistic practices.

Through the app, viewers can browse Waterford Gallery of Art’s rotating collection of almost 800 works, meet resident artists working in Garter Lane studios, and take self-guided tours of Waterford Cultural Quarter using integrated geo-tagged maps.

Bloomberg Connects forms part of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ wider commitment to digital innovation in the arts, offering free access to cultural organisations around the world.

Garter Lane's Executive Director, Síle Penkert, said the partnership would help the centre reach new audiences. She said the app would “further connect us with national and international audiences and expand the message and mission of the Arts Centre to an entirely new cohort.” 

The Bloomberg Connects app is available to download from Google Play and the App Store, and links to the Waterford guides can be found on each organisation’s website.