Before social media, CRM systems and digital campaigns, Swedish cultural workers were handed a humble guidebook: The Potter in Delphi. It didn’t just teach how to market culture — it redefined what cultural communication could be. Here’s the story of two books that shaped a generation of cultural practitioners.
When The Swedish Arts Council released the handbook "The Potter in Delphi – on the Art of Marketing Culture" in the early 1990s, something unexpected happened in Sweden’s cultural landscape. For the first time, a structured and practical guide was published for all cultural actors struggling to understand and reach their audiences. Two years later, the book was followed by "The Potter in Reality – a Collection of Case Studies", turning theory into practice through real-world Swedish examples. Together, these two publications laid the foundation for what we now take for granted: that culture must also be communicated, sold, and understood in a market context.
But what were these books really about — and why do they still matter more than 30 years later?
The Potter in Ancient Delphi – and in Modern Cultural Work
The title The Potter in Delphi is symbolic. Delphi was a spiritual and artistic center in the ancient world — a place of mystery and meaning. A potter there crafted something beautiful, yet functional, for others to take home. In the same way, the book sees the cultural producer as a designer of experiences — appealing, useful, and enduring. But it’s not enough to create a fantastic pot — it must also find its audience. Marketing becomes not manipulation, but a bridge between art and the public.
The book, published in 1991 by the Swedish Arts Council, became known as Sweden’s first systematic handbook in cultural marketing. It was concrete, pedagogical, and groundbreaking in its view of how artistic expression could — and should — be communicated.
What Did the Handbook Contain?
The Potter in Delphi walks the reader through key areas:
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Market Analysis – What does the external environment look like? Who are our competitors and partners?
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Audience Understanding – Who are we doing this for? How do we reach different groups? What motivates them?
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Goal Setting and Strategy – What do we want to achieve, and how do we measure success?
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Marketing Plan – From posters to follow-up, how to create a functioning plan
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Internal Communication – How to get the whole organization to think publicly and outwardly
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Ethical Perspectives – Balancing artistic integrity and public appeal
The book redefined marketing as relationship-building, rather than sales. It invited cultural institutions to understand that marketing is not a threat to artistic value — it’s a tool for relevance and connection.
The Potter in Reality – When Theory Meets Practice
In 1995, the follow-up "The Potter in Reality – A Collection of Case Studies", edited by Lena Härnqvist, was published. Just as pioneering as its predecessor, this book skipped the theory and dove into real examples — both successful and failed.
It included:
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Authentic marketing plans from theaters, museums, libraries, and music venues
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Concrete audience analyses: who came, why, and what did they think?
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Examples of mistakes and lessons learned
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Reflections on ethics, accessibility, diversity, and audience development
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Insights into media outreach, partnerships, evaluations, and more
For educators and cultural managers, it became a goldmine of inspiration. It offered cultural professionals real-life case material — something to reflect on, learn from, and replicate.
A Shift in the Cultural Sector’s Self-Image
What these two books accomplished was more than a methodology for promotion. They started a paradigm shift. Cultural institutions began seeing themselves not just as grant receivers, but as active participants in a marketplace of attention and choices. The audience was no longer anonymous — but a dialogue partner.
Since then, Swedish cultural organizations have created brands, implemented CRM tools, and built long-term public strategies. These books were part of the ignition.
Why Did They Emerge When They Did?
In the early '90s, Sweden faced an economic crisis. Cultural sectors were under pressure: shrinking budgets, rising competition, and increasing demands to show measurable results. Understanding and communicating one’s value became essential.
At the same time, the media landscape changed. Local radio grew. Advertising diversified. Cultural actors couldn’t rely solely on quality — they had to reach out. The old idea of “if it’s good, they’ll come” no longer held. New tools were needed — and The Potter arrived just in time.
Still Relevant Today
Today we live in a digital world dominated by AI, algorithms, and attention scarcity. But that’s exactly why The Potter in Delphi and its sequel remain important. They speak to what never changes:
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The need for deep audience understanding
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The importance of relationships, not just reach
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The necessity of strategy, reflection, and listening
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The human encounter as the heart of cultural work
Tools evolve — the human connection does not.
From Handbook to Curriculum
These books are still referenced in cultural education programs. Their structures, case studies, and frameworks continue to guide new generations of cultural professionals. Even though their typography feels dated, their core message remains timeless: know who you serve and why.
Final Reflection: The Potter in Our Time
Today, many cultural professionals feel overwhelmed. Budgets shrink. Expectations rise. Digital speed exhausts. But maybe that’s why we need The Potter more than ever. Not to repeat old strategies, but to remember our purpose.
The future of culture is not just about data, outreach, or branding. It’s about understanding people, creating meaning, and building bridges.
Just like the potter in Delphi once did.
📚 Resources
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The Potter in Delphi (Swedish Arts Council, 1991) – Available via libraries and second-hand stores. Not publicly available as PDF.
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The Potter in Reality (1995, ed. Lena Härnqvist) – Includes real-life Swedish examples. Audiobook version available via Legimus (Sweden’s accessible media agency).
📌 Takeaways for Today’s Cultural Workers
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Start with your audience — not your product
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Create dialogue, not just messaging
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Think long-term — marketing is relationship work
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Be inspired by history — use modern tools
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Define your value — in both human and economic terms
By Chris...
