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Arts and culture translation services

Specialist translators for exhibition catalogues, museum guides, literary publications and cultural-event communication — NDA standard, response within 1 hour on working days.

225+
languages
from Afrikaans to Zulu
10.000+
translators
literary + art-historical training
25.000+
projects
delivered since 2006
99%
satisfaction
20+ years of experience

Cultural documents we translate daily

Services for your firm

Arts & Culture — our most-requested services

Examples from our arts and culture practice

Museum catalogue for international exhibition

For international exhibitions we deliver the museum catalogue in multiple languages simultaneously. Specialist translators with art-historical background preserve cultural context and terminological precision; coordination with the museum editor for stylistic and terminological choices.

Marketing translation

Literary publication for international release

For publishing houses we deliver literary translation of fiction, poetry and essays. Our literary translators preserve style, rhythm and tone. For UK literature into international markets we can assist with funding applications via Arts Council England or English PEN.

Marketing translation

Museum audioguide in 6 languages

For museum collections we deliver audioguide scripts and voice-over-ready translations in 6 languages. Voice-suited concise writing preserving expert vocabulary; native voice-over recording on request via our multimedia team.

Marketing translation

Why cultural institutions choose Ecrivus

A single project-manager point of contact

One Maastricht-based project manager coordinates your cultural instructions — multilingual museum catalogues, exhibition deadlines or international touring schedules.

Translators with literary or art-historical background

Literary translators and art-historical profiles for museum catalogues, exhibition guides and publications. Specialism by period or movement (modern, Old Masters, contemporary, non-Western art).

DTP + audioguide recording via our multimedia team

Audioguides with voice-suited concise scripts and native voice-over recording via our multimedia team. Catalogues and guides delivered DTP-ready in InDesign or plain text.

Funding routes for literary publishers

For literary export, Arts Council England and English PEN offer funding routes. We support applications with sample translation and project plan as required.

Since 2006

A trusted UK cultural translation partner since 2006 — 20+ years of experience with museum catalogues, audioguides and literary publications.

Authorities and registers

Authorities and cultural institutions

For cultural translation we work within the UK and international framework: Arts Council England as the principal funder, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) for policy, British Council for international cultural relations, and UNESCO conventions for international heritage.

Trusted by government, legal institutions & global enterprises

HPMinistry of JusticeDSMSiemensASMLAmazonINGCalvin KleinRocheShellEuropean Court of JusticeBoschBMWPhilipsAudi
Legal SectorBASFImmigration ServicesVolkswagenDeutsche BankSolvaySAPMedtronicMaastricht UniversityDSMRabobankJohn DeereRitualsUnilever
Do you work with literary translators for publishing houses?
Literary translation requires more than technical skill: style, rhythm, tone and cultural references must come across in the target language. Our literary translators have publication experience; for specific genres (poetry, drama, children's literature) we can deliver specialist profiles. For UK publishers exporting abroad, Arts Council England and English PEN can be valuable funding routes.
Do you know art-historical and cultural terminology?
Museum catalogues, exhibition guides and art publications require translators with art-historical knowledge. Per period or movement (modern, Old Masters, contemporary, non-Western art) we can deploy specialist profiles. For public-facing text we use accessible register without avoiding expert vocabulary.
Do you translate audioguides for multi-language museum visits?
Audioguides have specific translation requirements: short sentences, voice-suited cadence, expert vocabulary retention without long closing phrases. We work with translators experienced in scripted content for voice-over. For recording we coordinate via our multimedia team — talent selection through to final master.
How quickly can you deliver for an exhibition opening?
Response within 1 hour on working days for urgent requests. For exhibition openings we deploy multiple translators in parallel per language pair, with a lead editor for terminological consistency. We do not promise a fixed 24-hour delivery; instead, transparent communication on what is feasible.
What does an arts and culture translation cost?
Our rates follow market standard. For publishing houses we offer project-based pricing for longer literary works; for museum catalogues we use translation memory for cumulative production versions. For literary works, funding via Arts Council England or English PEN may be a supplementary route.
Client stories

What our cultural clients experience

★★★★★Legal
Certified translations for our international cases are delivered quickly and carefully. Our project manager knows our account inside out.
Ready to get started

Ready to get started?

Send your cultural document — quote response within 1 hour on working days. We confirm the feasible deadline in the quote, anchored to document type, number of languages and any DTP or voice-over components.