Case study
Arts Council Wales / Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru

Arts Council Wales (ACW) is the national public body supporting and developing the arts in Wales. Established by Royal Charter in 1994, it operates as an independent charity and distributes funding from the Welsh Government and the National Lottery. ACW works to make the arts central to the life and well-being of the nation, enabling artists, organisations, and communities to create and engage with inspiring, accessible, and culturally rich experiences across the country.

Arts Council Wales

01 The problem

For decades, Arts Council Wales’ (ACW) Night Out programme has been crucial in bringing live performances to local communities across Wales. The scheme supports promoters in staging events by underwriting performer fees, ensuring financial security for artists, and enabling small venues - from village halls to community centres - to host high-quality cultural experiences.However, behind the success of Night Out was an ageing and inefficient system. Manual processes, outdated technology, and a lack of integration with ACW’s wider digital infrastructure were creating significant administrative burdens. To sustain the programme’s growth and improve accessibility, ACW needed a solution that was more intuitive, automated, and aligned with its broader digital strategy.

02 The ACW solution by Warp Technologies

What we did

Working closely with Arts Council Wales, Warp Technologies developed a modern, scalable solution built on Microsoft Dynamics 365, tailored to meet the specific needs of the Night Out programme.Bilingual and responsive by design – The new system allows access on any device and supports seamless Welsh and English functionality, ensuring accessibility for all users.Enhanced reporting and insights – Custom dashboards provide visibility into programme performance, enabling data-driven decision-making.With its new digital infrastructure in place, Night Out is well-positioned for the future. The system’s scalability and flexibility allow for further enhancements, including deeper integrations with ticketing systems and expanded analytics capabilities. As a result, Arts Council Wales can focus on what matters most -supporting the arts and enriching communities across Wales.
Warp In Office Environment

03 The impact

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Reduction in manual processes
freeing up staff time for strategic programme development.
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Faster application lifecycle
enabling promoters to secure funding and book performances more efficiently.
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Applications processed annually
now handled through a streamlined, automated system.
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users benefiting from this system
including promoters, performers, and ACW staff.

What our clients say

The new system transforms how we manage the Night Out programme, providing a far more efficient and intuitive platform for both our team, communities around Wales and other stakeholders.  The support and collaboration from Warp has been exceptional throughout the process.

Peter Gregory

What makes us Warp

Initially shortlisted by ACW on G-Cloud, we knew from the first call that Mark and his team would be an ideal team to work with. They understood the issues they faced, they were open to change, and they were willing to listen to our recommendations. Together, we configured a great system that has received outstanding feedback from both performers and promoters alike. Since going live, Warp has also helped support ACW’s existing grants management system, and we’re keen to help the team with any future challenges to help further promote the Arts throughout Wales.

Alex Cook

Warp partnered closely with ACW for just over a year to transform their Night Out scheme using the Microsoft Power Platform. The solution centred around a sophisticated model-driven app to manage bookings, alongside a dynamic, bilingual, and responsive portal built with Power Pages to enhance public engagement. From discovery through delivery, Warp took a collaborative, consultative approach—maximising ACW’s in-house Power Platform expertise and navigating complex integration with their existing Grants system. Launched smoothly in November 2024, the platform is already delivering value, with bookings flowing effortlessly and teams benefiting from a unified view of data across Night Out and Grants.

Tom Betts, Senior Developer