A practical guide for theatres, orchestras, and event-led cultural organisations planning a new website.
When planning a new website, content is often treated as the thing that will “slot in later”.
In reality, content is one of the most common reasons website projects slow down, lose momentum, or compromise quality, particularly for event-based organisations such as theatres, orchestras, and classical music festivals.
Left too late, content can introduce frustration, overwhelm, and a breakdown in chemistry, even after what has otherwise been a successful and enjoyable process. With the right planning, it’s entirely avoidable.
“Content is so much more than just copy. It’s like the furniture in a new house; it shapes how people move through the space and what they notice first.” Joe Perkins – Founder at Chaptr.
This guide is designed to help marketing managers in the performing arts sector and agencies plan content that supports design, protects SEO, and keeps projects moving calmly and confidently.
Start the Content Work Early
Kick the content project off at the start of the process, not towards the end.
As this guide shows, website content involves far more than just writing copy. Layouts often change to support improved user journeys, which means content rarely transfers neatly from an old site to a new one.
It’s usually not a simple case of copying and pasting existing content. Formatting inconsistencies can make that approach surprisingly time-consuming, even when the copy itself is largely unchanged. Content often needs to be stripped back to plain text, adjusted to fit new character limits, and carefully reintroduced into the CMS so it works properly within the new design.
Planning for this early avoids last-minute pressure and keeps projects running smoothly.
Treat Website Content as a Mini Project
Content works best when it’s given structure, ownership, and realistic time.
Before the design is finalised, be clear on:
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Who is responsible for writing, reviewing, and approving content
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How much internal time is genuinely available
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Where sign-off is needed, and by whom
Even light planning here prevents bottlenecks later, especially when multiple stakeholders are involved.
Create a Clear Content File Structure Early
A simple, shared file structure saves a surprising amount of time.
Create clear folders for each content type, for example:
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Copy
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Images
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Audio
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Video
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Documents / PDFs
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Logos and brand assets
Use clear, consistent file naming so content is easy to identify and reference. This makes collaboration smoother and reduces confusion when content is being reviewed, uploaded, or migrated.
Understand Your Content Types (and Where They Live)
Event-based organisations often underestimate how many content types they manage.
Take stock of:
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Copy (pages, event descriptions, access information, calls to action)
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Images (production photography, rehearsals, archive imagery)
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Audio (music samples, interviews, podcasts)
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Video (trailers, highlights, embedded platforms)
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Documents (education packs, brochures, supporter information)
- Marketing assets (client logos, accreditations, professional bodies)
For each type, ask:
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Where is this currently hosted?
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Is it being migrated, replaced, or retired?
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Is it owned internally or by a third party?
Clarity here avoids late surprises.
Be Clear About Image Quality and Orientation
Images are one of the most common causes of friction late in website projects.
Before supplying imagery, check:
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Is it clear and of high enough resolution?
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Is the orientation right for the layout (landscape vs portrait)?
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Does it allow for cropping across different screen sizes?
Avoid tightly cropped or text-heavy images wherever possible; they limit flexibility and often don’t adapt well to new layouts, and text within images is a big NO for accessibility.
Plan Copy Around the Sitemap and Design
Writing works best when it’s anchored to structure.
Use the sitemap and page designs as a guide and choose one approach:
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create a structured Google Doc that mirrors each page and section, or
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write directly into Figma using comments or text layers
This helps everyone see:
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How much content is actually needed
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Where clarity matters most
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What can be simplified or removed
It also reduces overwriting before layouts exist.
Decide Who’s Uploading Content to the CMS
Content upload and formatting are often underestimated.
Be clear early on:
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Will your team upload content to the CMS, or
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Will the agency support content population and formatting?
Both approaches are valid, but they affect timelines, budgets, and internal workload differently.
If you want your agency to drive the content process, including organising, formatting, and uploading content, this should be scoped as a complementary service, rather than assumed to be part of a standard redesign and rebuild.
Clarity upfront avoids frustration later.
Be Intentional About Event Migration
For theatres, orchestras, and classical music festivals, events are usually the most complex content type.
Ask:
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How many past events genuinely need to be carried over?
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What purpose do they serve (search visibility, archive, education, credibility)?
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Could older events be summarised or retired?
Migrating everything is rarely necessary and often slows projects without adding meaningful value.
Think About Event Categories and Tags Early
For event-based organisations, content isn’t just pages; it’s structured information.
Before migration or build, agree on how events will be grouped and labelled. This affects:
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How audiences browse and filter events
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How content appears in search
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How manageable the site is over time
The aim isn’t to label everything; it’s to be clear, consistent, and useful.
Example: Event Categories and Tags for a Theatre Website
Here’s how a typical theatre might approach this.
Main Event Categories
(used for navigation and filters)
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Productions
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Visiting Shows
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Talks & Events
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Workshops & Classes
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Family & Schools
Event Type Tags
(to add context)
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Play
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Musical
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Comedy
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Drama
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New writing
Audience Tags
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Family-friendly
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Schools
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Adults
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Community
Accessibility Tags
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Captioned
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BSL interpreted
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Audio described
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Relaxed performance
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Wheelchair accessible
Season or Programme Labels
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Autumn Season 2026
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New Writing Festival
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Community Programme
Avoid too many overlapping labels or one-off tags. A smaller, well-considered set is easier to maintain and more helpful for audiences.
Be Honest About SEO Ambitions
A redesign is the right moment to decide what role search should play.
Consider:
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Are you aiming to protect existing visibility, or actively grow it?
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Which content really needs to be discoverable via search?
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Where is it worth investing time and effort?
If SEO matters, decisions need to be made before content is written – not after launch.
Don’t Forget Metadata and Context
When writing new pages, think beyond visible copy.
Where possible, include:
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page titles and descriptions
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clear headings and structure
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meaningful image descriptions
This supports accessibility, search, and internal clarity, and is far easier to address during writing than retrospectively.
Prepare Assets Like Logos Properly
Small details still matter.
For client, partner, or funder logos:
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Supply them in the correct format
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Ideally, with transparent backgrounds
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and at a suitable resolution
This avoids rushed fixes late in the process.
Final Thought
Website projects aren’t derailed by content because teams “get it wrong”.
They’re derailed because content isn’t given enough structure, time, or ownership early on.
Treating content as a mini project, alongside design and build, leads to calmer launches, better collaboration, and websites that genuinely support audiences over time.
Want a copy of our website content checklist?
Get in touch at [email protected], and we’ll share it with you.
Hero image generated using AI for illustrative purposes.