Community-powered transformations: Digital transformations in the creative relationships between cultural and media organisations and their users
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Westminster
Department Name: Faculty of Media Arts and Design
Abstract
This network will explore digital transformations in the creative relationships between cultural and media organisations, and their communities of users.
Digital transformations mean that cultural and media organisations now find themselves in a new environment in which communities of participants interact to create, curate, organise and support cultural experiences. This research network draws together participants who believe that creative organisations need to explore the new relationships, new opportunities and new research questions created by digital transformations.
The network will explore and investigate the opportunities, affordances and risks of this model through a network with world-leading partners, based around four themes: Production and creativity; Business models, rights and ownership; Design; and Learning.
The proposal brings together the Communications and Media Research Institute (CAMRI) at the University of Westminster, and the UCL Centre for Digital Humanities, with some of the UK's leading institutions in digital engagement: Tate, The British Library, and MuseumNext. It will engage with a broad array of companies and organisations, large and small, who are dealing with digital transformations in different ways, including Amnesty International, the Open Rights Group, Mixcloud, Festival Productions, the Children's Media Foundation, and others.
The project will exchange knowledge about, and explore the benefits and limitations of, the various projects run by network members to engage with a community of interested users via digital services, and will consider how these digital community activities can be supported and sustained. It will also establish a set of research questions which should be explored in the next phase of the Digital Transformations programme.
Digital transformations mean that cultural and media organisations now find themselves in a new environment in which communities of participants interact to create, curate, organise and support cultural experiences. This research network draws together participants who believe that creative organisations need to explore the new relationships, new opportunities and new research questions created by digital transformations.
The network will explore and investigate the opportunities, affordances and risks of this model through a network with world-leading partners, based around four themes: Production and creativity; Business models, rights and ownership; Design; and Learning.
The proposal brings together the Communications and Media Research Institute (CAMRI) at the University of Westminster, and the UCL Centre for Digital Humanities, with some of the UK's leading institutions in digital engagement: Tate, The British Library, and MuseumNext. It will engage with a broad array of companies and organisations, large and small, who are dealing with digital transformations in different ways, including Amnesty International, the Open Rights Group, Mixcloud, Festival Productions, the Children's Media Foundation, and others.
The project will exchange knowledge about, and explore the benefits and limitations of, the various projects run by network members to engage with a community of interested users via digital services, and will consider how these digital community activities can be supported and sustained. It will also establish a set of research questions which should be explored in the next phase of the Digital Transformations programme.
Planned Impact
NON-ACADEMIC BENEFICIARIES:
The proposed network will be of direct interest to cultural and media organisations, the activities of which are affected by the digital transformations considered here. Our letters of support (attached) are indicative of the interest in this topic across a range of organisations. If the proposal were to be funded, we would quickly act to promote the network and its events, using our email lists, Twitter, and other networks.
The non-academic beneficiaries - organisations which might want to engage with the network, and which would be interested in its findings and proposals - would include:
* Museums and galleries of all kinds, which have to respond to the changed expectations of their visitors, and can use digital technologies positively to enhance the experience of their physical visitors and external users. Such institutions include the V&A, the National Gallery, the Natural History Museum, and numerous other museums and galleries across the UK.
* Media organisations of all kinds, which also have to adapt to the interactive, community-driven environment where the audience become productive participants. Such organisations include the BBC, Channel 4, the Guardian, the Times, the Telegraph, and many more.
* Digital media companies, which may be able to work with more traditional media companies and cultural institutions as they make these transitions, such as Sumo, Illumina Digital, Yomego, Total Media, and many others.
* The Department of Culture, Media and Sport, which must understand digital engagements, in particular in relation to the Digital Economy Act 2010, which concerns copyright and the ability of citizens to engage creatively with digital information.
* The cultural and creative industries more generally, who will be able to develop better applications for digital technologies when these issues are understood.
* Consultancies, think-tanks and other organisations which have an interest in the potential of participatory media, and how this can be maximised, including Demos, the RSA, and others.
METHODS FOR COMMUNICATION AND ENGAGEMENT:
These beneficiaries will be engaged via four one-day workshop events, an evening talk and discussion, and an online network and website which will include videos and case studies.
The events for these beneficiaries will be:
22 March 2012: Production and creativity workshop, at University of Westminster, London
26 April 2012: Business models, rights and ownership workshop, at British Library, London
15 May 2012: An evening discussion event with Professor Henry Jenkins, author of Convergence Culture, at University of Westminster, London
24 May 2012: Design workshop, at Tate Liverpool, Liverpool
21 June 2012: Learning workshop, at UCL, London
Each one-day workshop will be a mix of presentations and discussion, and will make use of a range of visual tools to map the issues and questions which arise. (We have considerable experience with these methods from numerous events - see 'Pathways to Impact').
The proposed network will be of direct interest to cultural and media organisations, the activities of which are affected by the digital transformations considered here. Our letters of support (attached) are indicative of the interest in this topic across a range of organisations. If the proposal were to be funded, we would quickly act to promote the network and its events, using our email lists, Twitter, and other networks.
The non-academic beneficiaries - organisations which might want to engage with the network, and which would be interested in its findings and proposals - would include:
* Museums and galleries of all kinds, which have to respond to the changed expectations of their visitors, and can use digital technologies positively to enhance the experience of their physical visitors and external users. Such institutions include the V&A, the National Gallery, the Natural History Museum, and numerous other museums and galleries across the UK.
* Media organisations of all kinds, which also have to adapt to the interactive, community-driven environment where the audience become productive participants. Such organisations include the BBC, Channel 4, the Guardian, the Times, the Telegraph, and many more.
* Digital media companies, which may be able to work with more traditional media companies and cultural institutions as they make these transitions, such as Sumo, Illumina Digital, Yomego, Total Media, and many others.
* The Department of Culture, Media and Sport, which must understand digital engagements, in particular in relation to the Digital Economy Act 2010, which concerns copyright and the ability of citizens to engage creatively with digital information.
* The cultural and creative industries more generally, who will be able to develop better applications for digital technologies when these issues are understood.
* Consultancies, think-tanks and other organisations which have an interest in the potential of participatory media, and how this can be maximised, including Demos, the RSA, and others.
METHODS FOR COMMUNICATION AND ENGAGEMENT:
These beneficiaries will be engaged via four one-day workshop events, an evening talk and discussion, and an online network and website which will include videos and case studies.
The events for these beneficiaries will be:
22 March 2012: Production and creativity workshop, at University of Westminster, London
26 April 2012: Business models, rights and ownership workshop, at British Library, London
15 May 2012: An evening discussion event with Professor Henry Jenkins, author of Convergence Culture, at University of Westminster, London
24 May 2012: Design workshop, at Tate Liverpool, Liverpool
21 June 2012: Learning workshop, at UCL, London
Each one-day workshop will be a mix of presentations and discussion, and will make use of a range of visual tools to map the issues and questions which arise. (We have considerable experience with these methods from numerous events - see 'Pathways to Impact').
Publications
Gauntlett D
(2014)
On Making, Sustainability and the Importance of Small Steps : A Conversation
in Conjunctions
| Description | This project, 'Community-powered transformations', was a research network exploring digital transformations in the creative relationships between cultural and media organisations and their users. We noted that a generation ago, cultural and media organisations - such as the BBC or the National Gallery - had a reasonably straightforward relationship with their audiences. They created material - such as TV programmes, publications and exhibitions - in a 'broadcaster' mode, and it was consumed (or not) by the public. But today, these organisations are merely one part of a creative ecosystem, within which communities of amateur enthusiasts may be the producers of the most innovative material. This project studied those changing relationships, and explored ways in which cultural organisations could work with creative communities to make great things. During the project we created a rich blog at http://www.digitaltransformations.org.uk containing a number of insights into these matters. |
| Exploitation Route | The findings are of particular use to cultural and media organisations seeking to build a new, more inclusive relationship with the public, and to those seeking to build 'platforms for creativity' which enable people to do imaginative things together. |
| Sectors | Creative Economy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| URL | http://www.digitaltransformations.org.uk |
| Description | The impact of research by or led by David Gauntlett, including this project, was submitted as a REF2014 impact case study. This case study was rated 100% 4-star. The case study can be found online at: http://results.ref.ac.uk/DownloadFile/ImpactCaseStudy/pdf?caseStudyId=24883 |
| First Year Of Impact | 2012 |
| Sector | Creative Economy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Economic |
| Description | Collaboration with Amy Twigger Holroyd |
| Organisation | University of Leeds |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Through the project (AH/J01303X/1) I met and began collaborating with Amy Twigger Holroyd, then at Birmingham Institute of Art & Design, Birmingham City University, and now at the School of Design, University of Leeds. Together we successfully applied for an AHRC-funded skills development project, 'Creative Research Methods: Supporting academic researchers using participatory creative research methods' (2012-13) [http://creativeresearchmethods.wordpress.com/]. We have also done other initiatives, such as a series of online conversations [http://davidgauntlett.com/portfolio/three-conversations/] which later became a journal article (2014). |
| Collaborator Contribution | Mutual collaboration. |
| Impact | As mentioned above: * Together we successfully applied for an AHRC-funded skills development project, 'Creative Research Methods: Supporting academic researchers using participatory creative research methods' (2012-13) [http://creativeresearchmethods.wordpress.com/]. * A series of online conversations [http://davidgauntlett.com/portfolio/three-conversations/] which later became a journal article (2014). |
| Start Year | 2012 |