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The Sector Support Network is a UK-wide collective and meeting space, bringing together Sector Support Organisations (SSOs), specialists, Investment Principle Support Organisations (IPSOs), and national cultural networks. It is not a company or delivery body, but a shared forum for collective voice, learning, and advocacy. Our purpose is to strengthen the cultural ecosystem by ensuring that the organisations supporting artists and arts organisations are visible, connected, and understood.
A Sector Support Organisation is an organisation that strengthens the cultural sector by providing infrastructure, expertise, advocacy, and resources that enable artists, organisations, and communities to create, participate, and thrive.
A Sector Support Organisation (SSO) is an organisation that:
Builds capacity and capability across the cultural sector
Supports government agendas, funders, artists, freelancers, and organisations rather than primarily producing work itself
Provides one or more of the following functions:
Training and professional development
Research, data, and insight
Advocacy and policy influence
Networks and membership support
Strategic development and sector leadership
Brokerage, touring, or partnership development
Specialist expertise (e.g. audiences, health, diversity, digital, place)
SSOs operate at local, regional, national, or international levels, often working across artforms, disciplines, and sectors.
They play a critical role in:
Extending reach and access
Improving quality and sustainability
Advancing equity and inclusion
Amplifying the impact of public investment
Who The Network For?
Who The Network For?
Artists and freelancers looking for support, training, or networks
Arts and cultural organisations seeking advice, development, or partnerships
Funders and policymakers wanting to understand sector infrastructure
Researchers and students exploring how the cultural sector is supported
Sector support organisations themselves, to connect and collaborate
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