D1.2 Policy Brief - Preparing Europe's Cultural & Creative Sectors and Industries for Responsible and Human Centric Digital Transition:What European cultural and creative networks can do today to lower fragmentation, strengthen trust, and support practitioners' digital capacity and data literacy

This brief is for: European cultural and creative networks, associations, and umbrella 
organisations supporting theatres, festivals, museums, live music, heritage, and related CCSI 
communities. Additionally, it can be employed by policymakers and funders and sector support 
organisations focusing on digital transition in the CCSI. 

It outlines the key structural challenges hindering responsible and human‑centric digital transition across the Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries, highlighting persistent fragmentation, uneven digital literacy, ethical uncertainties, and misaligned or ill‑fitting digital tools. Drawing on EXCENTRIC’s early findings, it positions Collaborative Data Ecosystems (CDEs) and the ARCHS principles as practical pathways to reduce complexity, strengthen trust, and promote more coherent data practices within cultural networks. The brief emphasises the enabling role of umbrella organisations in convening shared standards, facilitating peer learning, and translating governance approaches into sector‑aligned practices. It concludes with concrete recommendations for supporting sustainable, values‑aligned digital transition through collaborative governance, minimum‑viable data practices, and cross‑organisational alignment.