Launch press release
New cultural listings website launched for Reading
A NEW one-stop listings site for arts, cultural and heritage events in Reading is now available with over 750 live events already.
Developed by Reading UK and Reading Council’s Reading Arts, whatsonreading.com is available free to all arts organisations in Reading to promote their events, classes and workshops and will provide residents, workers and visitors with a comprehensive view of Reading’s vibrant cultural scene, all in one place.
The website has been developed to support arts organisations across Greater Reading, who have long felt a single online platform to showcase their work was needed. Being able to provide a shop window onto the diverse arts, cultural and heritage events taking place every day across Reading will also have a positive impact on attracting visitors, retaining and attracting staff to Reading and keeping residents up to date with things to do locally.
Nigel Horton-Baker, Executive Director, Reading UK, said: “Reading has been crying out for a website that showcases the amazing cultural events and organisations that make Reading such an exciting place to live, work and visit. whatsonreading.com will be a game changer for Reading, helping further engage business and their employees in Reading, provide a single point of reference for visitors looking for things to do and ensure residents can no longer say they don’t know what’s on in Reading!”
Cllr Karen Rowland, Reading’s Lead Member for Culture, Heritage and Recreation, said: “The brand new What’s On site is a testament to the success of the arts community working in partnership. We feel a great sense of pride both in what we have achieved as part of this partnership, and in the quality and diversity of the arts scene in Reading which is now visible all in one place. The Council has high aspirations for how the cultural scene in Reading can develop in the future. The website will now be central to promoting programmes at The Hexagon, South Street and the Concert Hall, activities and events at Reading Museum and across Reading Library Branches, alongside the vast range of venues and organisations that make up Reading’s vibrant cultural scene.”
whatsonreading.com is joint funded and developed by Reading UK and Reading Arts, Reading Borough Council’s cultural venues consortium, with support from Reading Central Business Improvement District (BID). It has been developed as a free tool for all cultural organisations in Reading.
At the time of launch, over 65 organisations have signed up to use the site and have been trained on uploading their events to the digital platform. whatsonreading.com replaces readingarts.com. The Council’s own cultural venues can now to be found on whatsonreading.com. The site is launching with over 750 live events.
