IT4Arts

The death of free online content?

Posted on 4 March 2010 | No responses

In one of its newsletters, The Wharton School examines the New York Times decision to starting charging for its content. “Two recent events have rocked the publishing world. First, The New York Times, which many regard as the newspaper of record in the U.S., said it would abandon the practice of providing free online content and start charging regular readers beginning in 2011. And second, Apple’s much-hyped tablet — the iPad — made its appearance. What implications will the Times’ decision have for newspaper publishers and other providers of free online content? How will the iPad re-define what a book means, as well as how it is produced, marketed and delivered?”

While none of our members are newspaper publishers, the article provides valuable insights into monetisation models and the relationship between content developers and their audiences.

Read Paid vs. Free Content, Publishing Pains, Apple Tablets and All That … here.

Somewhat ironically, the Wharton School itself provides huge amounts of high-quality content free of charge every week. These same discussions are probably taking place in the university’s editorial offices.

Latest IT4Arts Member: London Print Studio

Posted on 1 March 2010 | No responses

On 25 February, London Print Studio became the latest member of IT4Arts. Here is how London Print Studio describes itself: “London Print Studio is a small not-for-profit organisation that provides educational resources in the graphic arts for artists, community organizations, education institutions and the public.”

LPS is one of a growing number of IT4Arts members whose focus is on “flat” assets which can include photographic prints, digital graphics (and associated hard copies), digitised archives, and so on. This small community compliments our traditional membership which has been largely focussed on the performing arts and exhibitions—museums and galleries.

As you well know, the theme that unifies our rich, diverse membership is the increasing use of digital technologies to grow audiences, distribute content, and operate effectively and sustainably.

London Print Studio has expressed an interest in helping other small IT4Arts members develop skills in the graphic arts. If this interests you, please let us know.

You can learn more about our 84th member here.

New research: how to monetise digital content

Posted on 12 February 2010 | No responses

New research from Arts & Business addresses the challenge of monetising digital content. Here’s how Arts & Business describe the initiative, “… we have compiled a selection of the leading—and most interesting—innovations happening today in the digital-cultural world. Ranging from new art forms by the iPhone through to new technological partnerships, from explorations of what digital means for venue-based organisations through to new entrepreneurial business models.”

Arts & Business’s Research Manager Joanne South’s investigations into how arts organisations are facing the monetisation challenge resulted in a series of case studies including:

• Brooklyn Museum (we blogged this here)
• Digital Theatre (who presented at the January IT4Arts workshop)
• Watershed, Bristol
• Tyneside Cinema
• Royal Opera House
• V&A Museum

Download the case studies here.

Photo: ifindkarma - Creative Commons Licence

The digital museum experience: “Decode” at the V&A

Posted on 7 February 2010 | No responses

The tag line for the V&A’s Decode exhibition is digital design sensations. Decode is an ambitious showcase of the latest developments in digital and interactive design from small, screen-based graphics to large-scale interactive installations.

Collaborating with onedotzero, a contemporary arts organisation with the aim of promoting innovation across all forms of moving image and interactive arts, the V&A ’s exhibition explores three themes:

• Code uses computer code to create new works that can be programmed to create ever-changing works.
• Interactivity invites visitors to interact with and contribute to the development of exhibits.
• Network comments on and utilises the digital traces left behind by everyday communications and looks at new types of social interaction and mediums of self-expression.

Decode runs at the V&A’s Porter Gallery (and with exhibits throughout the museum) until 11 April.

Learn more here and from the Decode micro site.

In an innovative initiative called Recode Decode, you can access the open source code for Karsten Schmidt’s specially commissioned digital identity (below)—and recode Karsten’s work to create your own original artwork. You do not need to be an expert coder; Karsten has also designed a graphical user interface. The best recoded works will appear on London Underground digital screens to promote the exhibition.

Video capture from Recode by Karsten Schmidt for Decode exhibition identity, 2009. Recode is best viewed in full screen mode.

Photograph copyright onedotzero [c] 2009

The Poetry Book Society joins IT4Arts

Posted on 24 January 2010 | 2 responses

The Poetry Book Society recently became the 83rd arts organisation to join IT4Arts.

This is how the Society describes itself:
“Founded by T S Eliot and friends in 1953, the Poetry Book Society is a unique poetry society, providing information, guidance and discounts on the best contemporary poetry for a wide-ranging community of readers. The PBS is the biggest dedicated poetry bookseller in the UK, and we also run education projects and poetry promotions.

“PBS members are people who love poetry. They are readers, writers, students and teachers of poetry; they are publishers and librarians, artists and academics. All they have in common is their interest in the best new poetry. They also enjoy classic poetry and literary fiction, live literature and contemporary art, music, theatre and cinema. The PBS is a community of like-minded poetry lovers.”

To learn more about IT4Arts’s newest member, visit the Society’s Web site here.

January IT4Arts Workshop—presentations now available

Posted on 24 January 2010 | No responses

The presentations from last week’s The Digital Front Line workshop are now available to IT4Arts members. To download them, go to the IT4Arts Members’ Area and follow the link. Remember, pages in the Members’ Area are password protected.

Here are the presentations which are now available:

- Moving to the video domain: Gavin Bayliss, LSO Live
- User-generated digital content: Joanne South, Arts & Business
- Developing digital content: Tobey Coffey, National Theatre
- From Beowulf to the Beatles: Richard Davies, British Library
- Protecting theatres digitally: Fran Birch, The Theatres Trust

Because of the highly visual nature of these presentations, some of the file sizes are unusually large.

Photo by grendal hanks – Creative Commons Licence

January IT4Arts Workshop—updates

Posted on 12 January 2010 | No responses

Two more speakers are confirmed for The Digital Front Line workshop on 21 January:

Robert Delamere is a co-founder and Creative Director of Digital Theatre which is partnering with performing arts organisations to capture live performances and make them available for download on a pay-per-view basis. Digital Theatre is currently working with some of Britain’s leading theatres including the Almeida, the English Touring Theatre, the Royal Court, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and the Young Vic. Robert will share his experience of video production, working with trade unions, and the pay-per-view business model.

The British Library’s main Web site has more than 10,000 pages and provides access to 14 million books, 920,000 journal and newspaper titles, 58 million patents, 3 million sound recordings—and much more. Does any organisation in the UK have more experience working with digital assets? Richard Davies is the Library’s Digital Approvals Manager. He will share the BL’s unique experience with digital projects since 1993—from the digitisation of unique individual manuscripts such as Beowulf, to making millions of newspaper pages available online. Richard will discuss key focus areas for organisations involved in digitisation–including developing a digital strategy, funding, project management, best practice, costing, and lessons learned.

Learn about our four other Workshop speakers here.

There are still a few Workshop places left—so contact Martin Black now to reserve yours.

More workshop news

At the end of the day, there will be a Networking session in The Actors Centre café for anyone who wants an opportunity to share ideas and a complimentary glass of wine with other IT4Arts members. If you’re interested, keep a little time clear in your diary.

The award-winning Play on Words is currently running at the Tristan Bates Theatre next door to The Actors Centre. For any IT4Arts member who would like to attend the 19:30 performance after our Workshop, half-price tickets (£6) are available by phoning (020 7240 6283) or emailing the theatre box and quoting ‘deal’. The discount is not available through online bookings. Thank you to The Actors Centre for arranging this.

Workshop details

Date
Thursday 21 January

Venue
The Actors Centre, 1A Tower Street (just off Cambridge Circus), London WC2H 9NP (map)

Sidebar

Writer-director Stephen Poliakoff’s compelling television film Shooting the Past tells the story of a unique picture library threatened with closure through withdrawal of funding by its new US owners. The library staff find unexpected ways to fight back and save the valuable collection. Was there ever a more relevant case for digitising assets? Enjoy some of the drama and Lindsay Duncan’s mesmerising performance here.

Photo by Whatknot – Creative Commons Licence

January IT4Arts Workshop: The Digital Front Line

Posted on 11 January 2010 | No responses

A day of stories from arts pioneers who have embraced digital content. Some bear scars. Some have earned kudos. All have learned lessons.

In the January IT4Arts workshop, you have the opportunity to hear how arts and other organisations have developed their digital strategies, developed and managed new digital content, digitised existing analogue content, marketed, sold and given away digital content.

Instead of re-inventing the wheel, marketing departments, artistic departments, education departments, Web teams can all learn from the experience of their peers and colleagues.

Confirmed speakers

Gavin Bayliss is the Product Manager for LSO Live, the London Symphony Orchestra’s own record label. Embracing the digital marketplace, LSO Live distributes its content via iTunes, eMusic, and Amazon–as well as on CD and SACD (Super Audio CD). Gavin will explain why he believes video plays such a critical role in the digital age—and how the LSO is using its substantial experience in developing audio content to move into the increasingly relevant video domain. He will share his experience of the challenges and opportunities video brings—and how the LSO is managing both. He will also share the story of the LSO’s Channel on YouTube and show some examples of the content available there. (You can download LSO Live’s current catalogue here.)

Toby Coffey is the National Theatre’s Lead Digital Creative. His work is focussed on the development of digital content and methods of communication, distribution and engagement. Toby will share the NT’s approach to the creation of digital assets. He will provide insights into the NT’s Digital Archive and Web site content. Increasingly, Toby is working with short- and long-form documentaries. He will talk about the his experience with Making War Horse, a behind-the-scenes documentary about how the award-winning stage production of Michael Morpurgo’s childrens story transferred to the West End. Finally, Toby will talk briefly about the exciting NT Live initiative which broadcasts live NT performances to cinema screens around the world.

From 2005 to 2007, Fran Birch, The Theatres Trust’s Records Officer, took a lead role in “Information Access”, a project in which around 10,000 images and working files were digitised so they could be integrated with its Theatres Database. The aim was to make the unique resources easily available to professionals, researchers, and the general public. You can see some of the evocative images here. Fran will share some of the issues her team faced in launching the project, lessons learned, successes, and a wish list of things they would, with hindsight, do differently.

And because it’s not just arts organisations who create digital content but their audiences and clients, too, you will learn about Arts & Business’s exploratory paper Arts, brands and user-generated content from Joanne South, Arts & Business’s Research Manager. Joanne will also tell you about a major new programme of research and activity designed to help arts organisations engage with digital technology—with a focus on income generation opportunities and corporate collaboration. But more than learn, you will have the opportunity to guide the direction Arts & Business’s research will take to ensure the issues you face are the ones they address.

Stay tuned—more speakers will be announced soon.

Reserve your place at this critical workshop by contacting Martin Black right now.

Date
Thursday 21 January

Venue
The Actors Centre, 1A Tower Street (just off Cambridge Circus), London WC2H 9NP (map)

Photo by Whatknot – Creative Commons Licence

Are you tapping into ‘crowdsourcing’?

Posted on 4 January 2010 | Comments Off

The “wisdom of crowds” is hardly a new concept—but it is a powerful one that is being increasingly embraced by marketing departments and writers/publishers.

How well are arts organisations tapping their audiences and extended audiences for ideas or help? Do you have a crowdsourcing strategy? Have you run a crowdsourcing pilot?

Read Tim Bradshaw’s FT article “Original ideas prove customer knows best” here, then ask yourself these questions again.

Caveat: The FT might ask you to register before you can read the article. Registration is free, takes only a few seconds, and you only have to do it once—so persevere.

Photo: TwOsE – Creative Commons Licence

New media and research technologies presentations

Posted on 26 November 2009 | Comments Off

Last week the Market Research Society examined digital consumer behaviour in its New media and research technologies conference 2009.

Presentations from the conference are available for download until 4 December.

In a presentation called Assessing the viability of different digital distribution models in the music, film and gaming markets, IPSOS Media CT presented its research into three digital distribution models (subscription, free to download with ads, and download to own) comparing potential uptake in the film, music and games sectors.

The research revealed there is interest in paying for content that is exclusive or event-based: 43% of Internet users are interested in paying to stream content of a live event. In contrast, perceived value for downloaded music is low though value can be increased with additional ‘event’ value (limited editions, etc,) and unique artwork. The research also found a ‘value gap’ between the price consumers are willing to pay for downloading current films (£3), and current industry charges (£9-£12).

IPSOS believe this value gap is a result of IPTV not being standard—and predict that perceived value of downloaded media content may go up when more people can watch it on their television, creating a more pleasurable experience than watching on a PC or laptop.

Other conference presentations included:

• James Myring, Director Media and Advertising, Continental Research: Video on demand (VOD) may be the next big thing and micropayments are the least rejected payment option by consumers for online content
• Francesco Dorazio, Head of Social Media Insights and Planning, Face: Information about how social media acts as an opinion driver
• Konrad Collao, Associate Partner, Sparkler: Sparkler set up an online community for BBC’s 1Xtra radio station using it to generate insights, test playlists, and generally improve the station’s understanding of its audience’s behaviour and motivations.

These downloads are only available until 4 December, so act quickly.

You can find them here. Look under Related Files in a column running down the middle of the page.

Our thanks to Lucy Hutton, Senior Strategy Officer, Research at the Arts Council for bringing this valuable content to our attention ; )

Photo by new_media_days Creative Commons

Giant screens and web feeds are transforming our experience of live performance

Posted on 26 November 2009 | Comments Off

This week in The Guardian, Nicholas Kenyon explores the effect of technology on live performance. While media’s role in live performance was once constrained to that of recording device, today it can be dynamic distribution device and/or play a key role in the performance itself.

These developments are not displacing traditional forms of drama or concert—but no longer is technology considered an unwanted guest at live performances.

Read Kenyon’s whole story here.

Understand the physical reality of being inside an orchestra

Posted on 15 November 2009 | Comments Off

Esa-Pekka Salonen, principal conductor of the Philharmonia, and Richard Slaney, the Philharmonia’s head of digital projects, have developed Re-Rite: Be the Orchestra, an installation-cum-exhibition that offers the chance to understand the physical reality of being inside an orchestra.

Re-Rite allows audience participation. You can join in by “sitting” among the horn players (a camera slots you into the appropriate seat on one of the screens) or by mixing the sound in the capacity of “conductor”

Regulars at IT4Arts workshops will be familiar with Richard Slaney who attends regularly and has presented sessions on a number of occasions.

Find out more about Re-Rite in the Financial Times and in Musbook.com.

Two new IT4Arts members

Posted on 15 September 2009 | Comments Off

The Barbian Centre and London Sinfonietta have joined IT4Arts bringing the number of participating arts organisations to 80.

The Barbican describes itself as “the largest multi-arts centre in Europe, featuring art, film, music, theatre, dance and education all under one roof and under one creative direction.”

Artistic Director, Graham Sheffield, has an interesting take on the centre’s vision, “If you started again from scratch, you wouldn’t build the Barbican Centre quite like it is, notwithstanding numerous unique and successful features. What you would undoubtedly retain is the vision of ‘all the arts under one roof’, which remains the Barbican’s special attraction. The aesthetic is so strong that it demands to be taken into account in the way the art is presented within it.”

The London Sinfonietta is one of the world’s elite contemporary music ensembles with a reputation built on the virtuosity of its performances and ambitious programming. It is committed to placing new music at the heart of contemporary culture and pushing boundaries; the ensemble regularly undertakes projects with choreographers, video artists, film-makers and collaborations with electronica artists, jazz and folk musicians.

The creation of new music has been at the core of the London Sinfonietta’s work since its foundation in 1968. It has commissioned or premiered over 200 works.

Are You Organisationally Challenged by Digital Projects?

Posted on 13 September 2009 | 1 response

At the LSO / Paul Hamlyn symposium on Friday about the impact of digital technology on the arts, my breakout group said they were organisationally challenged by digital projects:

• challenged horizontally getting the business departments such as Marketing, Development, Press & PR and Learning to work together, because they don’t normally do shared projects to the extent needed - a good digital project will create something with a holistic balance between enjoying, informing, learning,  involving… 
• challenged vertically because ‘digital’ is now on the agenda of the chief executive and artistic director so they need to be involved
• challenged in a third dimension, getting IT-orientated people and people from the business departments to understand what is important to each other

Bolder and Wiser – Older People and Culture

Posted on 13 September 2009 | Comments Off

Our IT4Arts member organisation Audiences London is holding a symposium on 1st October entitled Bolder and Wiser – Older People and Culture. An ageing society will – and should – change everything. One in three of us is now over 50. There are more people over 65 than under 16. The fastest growing age group is people over 60. What does this mean for the arts and heritage sector?

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