How a global arts charity replaced a decade of spreadsheets with custom software in 3 weeks.
For decades ISTA ran their entire operation on Google Sheets and an ageing WordPress site. We built them one platform for bookings, invoicing, group planning, and certificates. End to end.
Efficiency gain
30%+
Across the organisation, climbing as new automations roll into V2.
Manual task reduced
3hr → 2min
Splitting hundreds of students into balanced workshop groups.
- Client
- ISTA Global Arts
- Industry
- Education charity
- Team size
- 6 to 8 people
- What we built
- Event management software
- Time to delivery
- 3 weeks
At a glance
ISTA Global Arts ran their international arts education events on Google Sheets and an ageing WordPress site for decades. We built them a unified event management platform in 3 weeks that handles bookings, invoicing, group allocation, and certificates end to end. The software now delivers 30%+ efficiency gains, with manual tasks like group planning reduced from hours to minutes.
Real feedback from ISTA Global Arts
Hear directly from the team about how one custom platform changed the way ISTA runs their events.
“We're in a much better, more efficient, and fit-for-purpose place than we were before.”
Tom Scott
Director of Operations · ISTA Global Arts
“The platform has given me the capacity of two new team members by lifting the administrative burden.”
Mike Bindon
Executive Director · ISTA Global Arts
A global arts community founded in 1978.
ISTA is a UK-based charity and global arts community, bringing young people, teachers, and artists together through theatre, film, dance, and storytelling.
Founded in 1978, they have spent nearly 50 years building a non-competitive, inclusive approach to arts education centred on what they call ensemble learning: collaboration, creativity, and shared discovery.
Today, ISTA produces over 60 international events every year, from in-person residencies for students aged 9 to 18, to virtual workshops for teachers.
60+
Events per year
48
Years running
240+
Member schools
Things were slipping through the cracks.
For most of ISTA's history, every event was planned on Google Sheets. Bookings came in through an old WordPress site that exported them as a PDF. Someone then had to copy that data into a spreadsheet by hand before any planning could begin.
Things were slipping through the cracks. Invoices went out with the wrong amounts. Deadlines were missed because nobody could see the full picture. The team was working hard, but the manual work was creating real stress and pulling people away from the actual events.
So they tried Monday.com, a popular off-the-shelf project management tool, and we were the team setting it up for them. It helped. It gave them their first real structure. But Monday.com was designed for managing tasks, not for managing events with hundreds of attendees, complex pricing rules, and multiple international partners. The features ISTA actually needed could not be built into a tool that was never designed for them.
That's when we completely changed course. If they were already paying us to bend Monday.com into shape, we could put that same investment into building software designed for them from scratch.
Why don't we just pivot and pay you to do it in our own bespoke system, which we can do whatever we want with.
Tom ScottDirector of Operations, ISTABuilt around how they actually work.
Our approach was simple. Build software that fits how they actually work, not how a generic platform thinks they should. Everything else followed from that.
Discovery and prototype
We started with a discovery call to map out exactly how ISTA works. Within a week we had a working prototype on screen, so the team could click through it and tell us what felt right and what didn't, well before we built the full version.
Live in 3 weeks
First delivery was live within three weeks of the project starting. From that point on, everything ISTA used to do across spreadsheets and Monday.com happened in one place.
Customer booking portal
Schools browse upcoming events, book tickets online, see their booking history, and get discounts based on their membership level.
Automatic invoicing
Every invoice is generated in Xero and sent automatically. Customers pay via Stripe or Airwallex. Finance only reconciles at month end.
Smart group allocation
Hundreds of children automatically split into balanced workshop groups, mixed by age, gender, and school. Done in seconds.
Automated certificates
At the end of each event, every participant gets a personalised certificate generated and sent automatically with one click.
Custom event logic
Different event types — student residencies, IB teacher workshops, virtual sessions — each have their own setup, pricing, and reporting built directly into the platform.
Ongoing partnership
We did not disappear after launch. The software is now in V2. ISTA tells us what they need next, and new features ship within days, not quarters. Two years in, every request has been delivered or scheduled.
Tasks that took an afternoon now take seconds.
Hours of manual work disappeared. The team got their time back, and the organisation can finally grow without buckling under its own admin.
Up to 30% efficiency gain
30%+
Across the organisation since the software went live. Climbing as new automations roll into V2.
What took 3 hours, now 2 min
3hr → 2min
Splitting hundreds of students into balanced workshop groups used to take an entire afternoon. Now two minutes.
Hours to one click
1 click
Generating personalised certificates for every participant, formerly a half-day job. Now happens at the press of a button.
Zero blockers in 2 years
Zero
Across nearly two years of building together, nothing has been impossible. Every request delivered or scheduled.
“If it's going to help an organisation like us, then no matter what size or what project you're looking for, I have no doubt this will only help your organisation flourish.”
Frequently asked questions
- How long did the ISTA software take to build?
- The first delivery was live within three weeks of the project starting. Everything ISTA used to do across spreadsheets and Monday.com moved into one platform at that point. Since then, the software has evolved into V2, with new features shipping within days based on what the team needs.
- What does the ISTA platform actually do?
- It's a unified event management system. Schools book events and pay online, invoices generate automatically in Xero, hundreds of children split into balanced workshop groups in seconds, and personalised certificates go out at the end of each event with one click. Different event types (student residencies, teacher workshops, virtual sessions) each have their own pricing and logic built directly into the platform.
- Why not use off-the-shelf software like Monday.com?
- ISTA tried Monday.com first, and we set it up for them. It gave them structure and worked for a while. But Monday.com is designed for managing tasks, not for managing events with hundreds of attendees, complex pricing rules, and multiple international partners. The features ISTA actually needed could not be built into a tool that was never designed for them.
- Who owns the software?
- ISTA owns the platform outright. It's their IP, built around their workflow. That also means the cost of growing their team doesn't come with a per-seat licence bill climbing alongside it.
- What results has the platform delivered?
- Up to 30% efficiency gain across the organisation since launch, climbing as new automations roll into V2. Tasks that took an entire afternoon now take minutes — group allocation went from 3 hours to 2 minutes, certificates from half a day to one click. The team got their time back, and the organisation can grow without buckling under admin.
See if we're a fit for a custom prototype
Let's schedule a short call to discover your needs. If we see a mutual fit, we'll build a working prototype in 5 days so you can see exactly what you're getting before committing to the complete project.
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