ISTRY (previously Dig!) is a new collaborative digital media promotion platform for the cultural heritage sector across Scotland, the UK, Europe and beyond. ISTRY was conceived to help cultural heritage organisations of all shapes and sizes join forces to combat the impact of the covid-19 pandemic. ISTRY leverages individual organisations’ digital power and reach; engaging, delighting and inspiring audiences. ISTRY facilitates access to digital content from currently disparate sources on a single new integrated, , accessible platform. ISTRY’s mission is not just to support the sector in surviving this crisis, but to thrive beyond it : • Building audience access and engagement • Creating new revenue streams • Encouraging collaboration for mutual benefit ISTRY is a uniquely collaborative, cross-sector platform which transforms access to cultural heritage content for everyone. ISTRY allows even the smallest organisations to participate as Content Providers : • Completely free standard subscription • Flexible pay-as-you-go packages for those with more content to share ISTRY is free of charge for the Consumer and designed to delight, no matter what their passions or purpose. ISTRY encourages exploration and discovery by highlighting content covering stories, people, places and things connected across cultures, countries and continents. ISTRY has been created by the sector, for the sector. The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland are a founding stakeholder. “ISTRY's approach, linking and amplifying the resources from a range of different organisations in a ‘one stop shop’ is exactly the type of fleet-footed innovation that heritage needs, both in the current crisis, but as a path for the future." (Dr Jeff Sanders, Dig It! Project Manager, Society of Antiquaries of Scotland) ISTRY goes live in October 2020. We already knew there was a need for something like ISTRY, but the response from cultural heritage organisations has been even more positive than we expected. The single biggest challenge we face is supporting organisations through the onboarding process. As a new platform we were already committed to providing very hands on help, particularly for smaller organisations with little or no digital know-how and run primarily by volunteers. We have found that with the ongoing impact of Covid-19 the need for that support is even greater than we anticipated, and not just limited to smaller organisations. Extension for Impact funding will allow us to accelerate the onboarding process for more organisations, building to the critical mass of content on ISTRY at which point its uniquely collaborative experience and benefits come to life.