Digital transformations: workshop report

Digital Transformations is “a research network exploring digital transformations in the creative relationships between cultural and media organisations and their users”.

I attended their first workshop last week, alongside BCMCR colleague Paul Long. Paul was there hoping to discuss notions of expertise with other researchers and scholars, and also to engage in some ideas to inform the Culture Cloud project. I was there primarily because I’ve taken up a brief in BCMCR to develop knowledge transfer work, and “exploring digital transformations in the creative relationships between cultural and media organisations and their users” speaks quite clearly to that.

The day was structured around some presentations in plenary – some case studies, some think pieces – followed by break out discussions that followed an unconference like format (reflecting the overarching theme of the day about organising activities from the user upwards).

In the end the day for me was actually more interesting in terms of research work, rather than knowledge transfer, and I spoke more about some of the activity happening within hyperlocal media than I did about KT. Not what I expected, but not unwelcome.

Following on from the last breakout session, where I was note taking for the group, I’ve contributed a guest post on lurking as participation to the network – read the post here.

The network has a number of events over the coming months which may be of interest:

20 April 2012: Business models, rights and ownership workshop, at British Library, London
15 May 2012: Design workshop, at Tate Britain, London
21 June 2012: Learning workshop, at UCL, London

To book head to www.digitaltransformations.org.uk

The Culture Cloud Goes Live!

The call for artists to upload their work for consideration as part of the Culture Cloud project is now online at: theculturecloud.com or theculturecloud.co.uk. There is also a  dedicated to circulating information on the project. The Twitter feed can be found at: .

Potential contributors were invited to start uploading/registering art works from 5 March 2012. Registration is open until midnight Friday 4 May 2012.

After artists register and upload images of their art to this site, each will be considered for shortlisting as one of 60 works to be selected by the Culture Cloud curators. Curators are drawn from a national network of partner galleries to New Art Exchange (NAE) and the project: FACT, Liverpool; Asian Triennial, Manchester; Next Level Projects, London; Arts Admin, London; Format FestivalDerby QUAD;PRIMARY Nottingham; Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham and Cornerhouse, Manchester.

 

From 4 June – 5 July 2012, 60 works will be displayed on the Artfinder Culture Cloud website page which will be open to the public where individuals will be able to vote for their favourite work. Audiences will be able to log in register their preferences via a link to the Facebook ‘like’ function.

Online voting will result in a further shortlist of the top 30 most popular works. After a Public Launch on 27 July this shortlisted work will be on public display at NAE from 28 July – 25 August 2012.

There will be two overall Culture Cloud winners: a ‘curators choice’ and the ‘public choice’ based on votes from the final stage of the project. Each will each receive a cash prize of up to £2000, a personal iPad app and the possibility of a solo show and/or project at New Art Exchange in the future.

The Culture Cloud site features an extensive Q&A for those interested in uploading, explanations of who is involved and an outline of what happens at each stage of the project. Queries about Culture Cloud can be directed to:  and of course, we invite comment on the project at this site as part of our evaluation.