A digital stage for a renowned
contemporary arts organisation
Lancaster Arts
The project
Lancaster Arts is internationally recognised for pioneering contemporary performance, visual art, and public engagement.
Hotfoot has been a long-standing creative partner, supporting the organisation over the years with print design for seasonal brochures and event materials.
When the limitations of their outdated WordPress website began to affect user experience and content management, Lancaster Arts needed a digital refresh. The site lacked essential SEO tools, accessibility features, and event booking integration.
We delivered a complete redesign—aligned with brand guidelines, built to meet accessibility standards, and seamlessly integrated with their new booking platform. The result is a website that not only looks beautiful but performs brilliantly for users and the internal team alike.
Strategy and planning
Hotfoot partnered with Lancaster Arts to design and launch a bold new website that celebrates creativity, sparks ideas, and strengthens connections with audiences. The goal was to create a digital space where people can easily explore upcoming performances, exhibitions, and opportunities to get involved.
Built with full PatronBase integration, the site offers a seamless experience for event listings, bookings, gift vouchers, and enquiries. Designed with accessibility and clarity in mind, it makes it easy for visitors to find what’s on, plan their visit, and support Lancaster Arts.
The result is a site with an intuitive user journey, engaging content, and prominent calls-to-action—like a clear mailing list sign-up—keeping the community connected to everything happening across the programme.
The technical bit
As part of the project, we developed a custom integration with PatronBase, enabling real-time syncing of events and booking information directly into the site. To ensure reliability, we built a logging system to flag any issues with the import process—giving the Lancaster Arts team full visibility and control.
The site also carried over ten years of valuable content, including event archives, blogs, and project pages. To preserve this content—and its SEO value—we conducted a full audit of the legacy WordPress site, developed custom import/export tools, and mapped redirects to maintain link equity and search visibility.
The deliverables
Consultation
We began with in-depth discussions with the Lancaster Arts team to understand their goals, audiences, and technical requirements—ensuring a shared vision from the outset.
Strategy & Planning
Through careful planning and user insight, we shaped a content and technology roadmap that aligned with the organisation’s mission and long-term ambitions.
Website & UX Design
We designed a clean, accessible, and visually rich digital experience that reflects the creativity and contemporary edge of Lancaster Arts—while keeping user journeys clear and intuitive.
Website Build
The new website was built with robust, scalable technology, integrated with PatronBase, and included a custom content migration tool to carry over ten years of rich archived content without loss.
Hosting
We provided fast, secure, and reliable hosting to ensure the site performs flawlessly and is supported long-term.
What our lovely client said...
"We have been working closely with the Hotfoot team for a number of years, and we are always really happy with the work that is delivered - from our new website, to event brochures. Our new website needed to integrate seamlessly with our existing events booking system, PatronBase, and needed a simple yet engaging user experience that tells our story and makes it easy for people to find what they are looking for. Hotfoot ran with this and we are really happy with the outcome. We would definitely recommend Hotfoot to other Arts organisations."
Jack Bond, Marketing and Communications
