Adapting cultural management training to digital transformation: A case study of the China National Arts Fund

The rapid advancement of digital technologies and AI is reshaping how culture is produced, distributed and consumed, and is consequently driving profound changes in the professional competencies required for cultural management. Focusing on government-led, short-term, in-service training programmes, this study conducts a comparative analysis of two cases from the China National Arts Fund with a gap of nearly a decade. The analysis is structured along four dimensions: job needs, content restructuring, method innovation and outcome enhancement. The findings reveal a clear transformation trajectory: job needs have shifted from basic operational adaptation to innovation-driven leadership; training content has moved from operational management towards technological integration; training methods have evolved from lecture-based instruction to diversified, interactive and collaborative learning; and training outcomes have expanded from individual skill-building to industry-wide collaborative empowerment. Specifically, The latter programme places stronger emphasis on cultivating higher-order capabilities such as technological literacy, cross-boundary integration, contextual judgement, and innovation leadership, which are essential as AI takes over standardised tasks. This study provides a case-based analysis of how a government-led short-term training programme in China adapted to changing talent demands under digital transformation. The findings may provide reference points for future comparative studies of government-led cultural management training in different contexts.