Circular Arts Network (CAN) is an online platform designed to facilitate the sharing and redistribution of art resources, materials, and equipment within the creative community, embracing the principles of the circular economy. By promoting the reuse and repurposing of items, CAN helps reduce waste and extends the life cycle of resources, fostering sustainability.
Through our freely downloadable WordPress plugin, CAN is now available to be seamlessly integrated into any website, allowing people to easily post, find, and exchange items within their community of users.
This open-source tool supports the creation of sharing networks in different geographical locations, enabling local arts communities to develop smaller, connected ecosystems of sharing, without the expense of building such a platform from scratch. This PlugIn can be adapted to the specific needs and preferences of each community, giving ownership to the host organisation to create their own identity and ethos, using the CAN site’s functionality and with the support of its’ founders.
By using CAN, artists, organisations, and institutions can connect within their local areas while also being part of a broader network. This interconnectedness enhances the overall health and sustainability of the arts community, fostering innovation, resilience and cross-artform collaboration.
1. Download the Plugin
Obtain the ZIP file for the Circular Arts Network plugin from the link.
2. Log in to Your WordPress Dashboard
Access your WordPress site’s admin panel by navigating to `yourdomain.com/wp-admin`.
3. Navigate to Plugins
In your WordPress dashboard, go to the “Plugins” section on the left-hand menu and click on “Add New”.
4. Upload the Plugin
At the top of the page, click on the “Upload Plugin” button. Then, choose the ZIP file of the Circular Arts Network plugin that you downloaded earlier.
5. Install and Activate
After uploading the ZIP file, click on the “Install Now” button. Once installed, you will need to activate the plugin by clicking on the “Activate Plugin” link.
The Typeface, Logo and Primary Colour on the CAN WordPress PlugIn can be changed to match the identity of the host organisation. Alternatively host organisations can retain the established CAN branding and icons that come with the template. This branding is unlicensed and is available for use, with the embedded credits to the original designers.
Digital Communications Guidance
As part of the Circular Arts Network (CAN) open-sourcing project, the digital communications strategy is essential in promoting the platform’s offerings, engaging the creative community, and fostering a culture of sharing and sustainability. The strategy is designed to support CAN’s mission by effectively disseminating information about available resources, activities, and events across various digital channels. This section outlines the key elements of CAN’s digital communications approach.
1. Listings and Content Creation
Objective: To promote the resources and skills available on CAN, ensuring they reach the intended audience and encourage active participation.
Listings Posts:
- Regularly create and distribute content highlighting new listings on the CAN platform.
- Ensure posts are visually appealing, with images and engaging text that clearly communicates the value of the listed items or skills.
- Leverage direct links to the CAN platform, making it easy for users to claim or exchange resources.
Stories Posts:
- The Stories feature on CAN allows users to showcase what they’ve created using the resources and materials claimed from the site. These posts are visually distinct from standard listings, emphasising the multiple lives and creative uses of materials. The primary purpose is to inspire others with innovative processes and ideas for reuse, centering on creativity and artistry—key distinguishing factors of the CAN platform. Additionally, these Stories can be repurposed as content for social media posts and mailers, further promoting the ethos of sustainable creativity.
Platforms:
- Instagram: Utilise Instagram’s visual format to showcase listings, pairing images with concise, impactful captions. This platform is ideal for reaching a broad audience interested in creative and sustainable practices.
- Mailchimp (Mailers): Mailers should feature the latest listings as the primary content, supported by images and direct links. This ensures that the listings are easily accessible and encourages quick action from recipients.
- TikTok: Use TikTok to share short, engaging videos related to CAN’s activities. This platform is particularly effective for reaching a younger audience. Content can include behind-the-scenes footage, DIY tutorials, and creative reuse ideas that align with CAN’s mission.
- Alternative to X (formerly Twitter): Given the shift in Twitter’s direction, considering an alternative platform like Mastodon might be beneficial. Mastodon is a decentralised social network that could work well for CAN, as it aligns with principles of community and sustainability. It offers a platform for sharing updates, engaging with a dedicated audience, and promoting the ethos of CAN without the commercial pressures present on more mainstream platforms.
2. Mailers Content Structure
Objective: To provide consistent, engaging, and informative content to CAN’s subscribers through strategically structured email communications.
Lead Content Block:
- The first section of each mailer should feature lead content that captures the reader’s attention and sets the tone for the rest of the communication.
- Lead content may include: Recaps of recent sharing events or activities. Highlights from the “CAN Do” video series.
Announcements of competitions or initiatives from CAN or partner organisations. This approach ensures that each mailer begins with content that is both relevant and engaging, encouraging further exploration.
Listings Section:
- The listings should be prominently featured in the mailer, following the lead content.
- Include visuals and brief descriptions, along with direct links to the CAN website, to facilitate easy access and encourage user interaction.
3. CAN Do Content
Objective: To inspire and educate the community through DIY content that showcases the practical applications of CAN’s resources.
- Video Content (CAN Do Series):
Develop a series of instructional and inspirational videos that demonstrate creative ways to use materials and resources available through CAN.
Examples include guides on CAN Do x Govan Project Space or CAN Do x Glasgow Wood, which not only provide valuable knowledge but also inspire creative reuse. - Content Distribution:
Website: Feature CAN Do videos on the website, complemented by detailed blog posts that provide additional context, instructions, and resource links. - Social Media: Distribute short clips from the CAN Do series on Instagram and TikTok, driving traffic back to the full content on the website.
- Mailers: Periodically include CAN Do content in mailers, either as the lead or within a dedicated section that focuses on creative reuse ideas.
4. Event and Activity Coverage
Objective: To document and promote CAN’s events and activities, highlighting the impact of sharing and collaboration within the community.
- Blog Posts and Content:
Create comprehensive blog posts and website content that cover all CAN-related events and activities. These posts should include visuals such as photos and videos to enhance engagement.
Topics may include event recaps, behind-the-scenes looks at the delivery process, and success stories from the community. - Delivery Announcements and Videos:
Announce free delivery services, providing details on how users can take advantage of these offerings.
Produce short videos showcasing the delivery process, emphasising the collaborative effort and the individuals involved. Share these videos across digital platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, and the CAN website.
5. Competitions and Community Engagement
Objective: To foster creativity and participation within the CAN community through engaging activities and competitions.
Competitions:
- Organise competitions that encourage artists and makers to showcase their creations using reused materials. This not only promotes the ethos of CAN but also highlights the innovative potential of resource sharing.
- Share competition entries and winners through blog posts, social media, and mailers to inspire others and recognise participant contributions.
- Examples of this can be found from Cop26 Fashion Competition.
6. General Best Practices
Consistency:
Maintain a consistent tone and messaging across all digital platforms to reinforce CAN’s brand identity and mission.
- Engagement: Encourage interaction by prompting user-generated content, responding to comments, and actively engaging with the community.
- Analytics and Feedback: Regularly review engagement metrics to refine and improve digital communication strategies, ensuring that CAN’s content remains relevant and effective.
- Collaboration: Identify other organisations with aligned ethos and create collaborative content, enabling both parties to reach new audiences.
Engagement and Events play a crucial role in fostering a sense of community around the Circular Arts Network (CAN) platform. By organising sharing events, creating educational content, and partnering with organisations, CAN not only promotes its mission of sustainability and the circular economy but also encourages active participation and collaboration within the creative community.
1. Sharing Events
Objective: To foster community engagement and build networks around the CAN platform by organising in-person events in collaboration with partner organisations.
Community Building: Sharing events are central to creating and strengthening community bonds around the CAN platform. These events are organised in response to requests from partner organisations and are tailored to the needs of specific localities. By bringing together artists, makers, and organisations, these events help to build robust networks in different regions, and to enact the benefits of resource sharing.
Event Concept: These events are typically set up at the partner organisation’s location, where materials and resources are grouped by type (e.g., paper, craft, electrical) on stalls. Attendees are encouraged to bring items to donate, adding to the resources available. We host the event, providing support and guidance to attendees, creating a pop-up market experience. The success of these events is bolstered by the existing networks of partner organisations, an example of a partner we’ve worked with is the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow.
Impact on Website Analytics: Hosting sharing events significantly impacts CAN’s online presence. Analytics show a marked increase in website traffic from regions where events are held, with attendees actively engaging with the platform before, during, and after events. This spike in activity not only increases visibility but also drives long-term engagement.
Purpose and Planning: The primary purpose of these events is to facilitate sharing and promote the principles of the circular economy, aligning with CAN’s core mission. Organising these events requires careful planning and marketing efforts to ensure their success. The partner needs to take a lead on audiences for the event, engaging their community and utilising their mailing list, with support in content and visual identity provided by CAN’s team. Strong event planning skills, coupled with a clear promotional strategy, are essential to maximise the impact of each event.
2. CAN Van
Objective: To extend the reach of CAN’s sharing events to more remote and rural areas, making resources accessible to communities that might otherwise be underserved or where there is no central location.
Event Concept: The CAN Van initiative is a mobile sharing event designed to bring materials and resources directly to less centralised or rural communities. The van is stocked with materials sourced from CAN’s storage unit, provided by OpenSpaces—a partner organisation that activates unused spaces for the creative community in Scotland. These materials are organised like a car boot sale, allowing attendees to browse and select what they need. We also offer collection and uplift services for donations at the stop-offs, with many items being claimed during the events.
Locations and Impact: CAN Van events have successfully taken place in regions such as Dumfries & Galloway and Fife, with 3 to 4 partner organisations serving as the venues for CAN Van stops. These events have increased access to resources in these areas and led to a noticeable rise in local engagement with the CAN platform, as reflected in website analytics.
Success Factors: The success of the CAN Van events is attributed to the targeted approach of bringing resources directly to communities, thereby overcoming geographical barriers. This flexible model allows CAN to reach a broader audience and strengthen its presence in diverse locations.
3. CAN Do
Objective: To create educational and inspirational content that demonstrates how to repurpose materials available on the CAN platform, thereby encouraging sustainable practices among users.
Video Collaborations: The CAN Do series features DIY videos produced in partnership with organisations such as Glasgow Wood and Glasgow Tool Library. These videos showcase practical ways to repurpose materials, such as stripping a wooden pallet into planks or creating small wooden boxes or frames, equipping users with transferable skills and inspiration needed to engage in sustainable practices.
Strengthening Networks: By collaborating with these organisations, CAN not only produces valuable content but also strengthens its network of users. These partnerships highlight shared values of sustainability and resourcefulness, reinforcing CAN’s mission while providing practical guidance to its community.
Content Utilisation: The CAN Do videos are shared across various digital platforms, including the CAN website, social media, and mailers, ensuring they reach a wide audience. This content serves as both an educational resource and a means of activating the CAN network, encouraging users to apply the skills and knowledge gained to their own creative practices.
4. Other Methods of Engagement
Objective: To provide additional resources and guides that support sustainable practices and enhance user engagement with the CAN platform.
Sustainable Material Guides: CAN offers light-touch resources, such as the “Sustainable Glue Guide,” which provide users with practical tips for using more eco-friendly materials. While these guides are not as comprehensive as tools like the Gallery Climate Coalition Artist Toolkit, they offer accessible and actionable advice for artists looking to adopt more sustainable practices.
User-Generated Content (Blog Function): The CAN platform also allows users to create their own blog posts, sharing their experiences of using CAN and showcasing the artworks they’ve created from reused materials. This feature not only fosters a sense of community but also encourages knowledge sharing and inspiration among users.
Continual Engagement: Through these various methods of engagement, CAN maintains a dynamic and interactive platform. The combination of in-person events, educational content, and online resources ensures that users remain engaged and connected to the CAN community, reinforcing the platform’s mission of promoting sustainability and the circular economy.
Storage/Collection Points
One of the main barriers to reuse is storage. Partnerships with studio buildings or other organisations in a central location with aligned principles can be useful to provide temporary storage or a collection/drop off place for ease of collection for items claimed via CAN.
Mini Depot’s are how we described being places where resources are stored before they are claimed – we have specific insurance which covers any liability associated with this, and it does take staff resources to maintain. CAN partnered with Outer Spaces to utilise vacant retail and office space as free, temporary storage for CAN materials. We used this materials stock to support sharing events and other engagement activities.
Collection/Drop-off points: Many organisations already provide a parcel collection facility, such as reception desks. This means the ‘giver’ and the ‘getter’ can drop off and collect items without having to meet at a specific time/place. This can and should be supported by the platform’s host organisation – identifying someone to contact should users need to be reminded of uncollected items and to address any issues arising. CAN partnered with Wasps and other studio providers to offer 4 such points across Glasgow.
Delivery
Transport is another major barrier to reuse, and ideally CAN users would be supported in obtaining their claimed items. In our case, we received funding from Glasgow Life to run a pilot free delivery service in Glasgow. We partnered with Mungo’s Messengers (cargo bike couriers) and Co-Wheels (employing a freelance driver to hire eVans when required for larger items). We found that the communication campaign around the offer of free delivery prompted a spike in engagement with CAN, despite the uptake on actual deliveries being fairly limited.
Alternatively, host organisations could also invite courier services to post a listing in the Transport category or otherwise direct people to eco-friendly transport providers, if funding is not available for a free service.
The Circular Arts Network (CAN) is designed as a community-driven platform with the primary goal of facilitating the sharing of resources within the arts sector. The platform aims to support sustainable practices by enabling the reuse and redistribution of materials, knowledge, and equipment. Given this mission, the potential for income generation through the platform is an important consideration, especially for ensuring its long-term sustainability.
Potential Revenue Streams
Several potential revenue streams could be considered for CAN:
- Subscription Fees: Platforms like CAN often generate revenue by charging users a regular subscription fee to access certain features or tiers of service. This could include enhanced visibility on the platform, priority listings, or access to premium resources. While this model could provide a steady income, it also risks creating barriers to entry, particularly for smaller organisations or individuals who may not have the budget for ongoing fees.
- Membership Fees: Another approach could involve charging a one-time or annual membership fee for joining the network. This could grant users certain privileges or access to exclusive areas of the platform. However, similar to subscription fees, this model could limit participation, particularly from those who stand to benefit most from resource sharing but may lack financial resources.
- Transaction Fees: A common model for platforms facilitating exchanges is to take a small percentage of each transaction made through the site. CAN currently charges a 5% transaction fee on the exchange of goods or services that have a listed cost. While this approach directly ties revenue to platform activity, it’s possible that this discourages users from participating in transactions, undermining the platform’s core mission of enabling resource sharing. Given that the majority of items listed on CAN are free, the potential of income generation via transaction fees is limited.
Decision to Avoid Traditional Monetisation Models
After careful consideration, we decided against implementing subscription fees, membership fees, and settled on a 5% transaction fees for any items exchanged on CAN that had a price attached. Our primary concern is that these models could create financial barriers that would limit access to the platform, particularly for smaller, grassroots organisations and independent practitioners who may not have the budget to pay such fees. By keeping CAN free and open, we can ensure that it remains accessible to all, fostering a more inclusive and collaborative environment.
Instead, we have opted for a voluntary contribution model that invites users and supporters to make one-off donations – users are prompted when claiming an item to “donate now”, or, to become “Friends of CAN.” This approach aligns more closely with the platform’s ethos of community support and shared responsibility. By contributing a one-off donation of £200, “Friends of CAN.” support the platform’s development and sustainability while being recognised on the CAN links page in perpetuity. This model ensures that those who are able to contribute can do so, without imposing financial obligations on all users.
Barriers to Sharing
Charging for access or participation on the CAN platform could create several barriers:
- Financial Exclusion: Small organisations and independent artists may be unable to afford fees, which would prevent them from benefiting from the resources shared on CAN.
- Reduced Participation: The introduction of fees might discourage users from listing surplus materials or engaging in exchanges, leading to a decline in the availability of resources on the platform.
- Undermining Core Values: CAN is built on principles of sustainability and mutual support. Imposing financial barriers could conflict with these values, potentially alienating the community it aims to serve.
By choosing a voluntary contribution model, we maintain the integrity of CAN’s mission while still allowing for financial support that ensures the platform’s longevity.