Blog post
Culture 24, Thursday 24th September
Last week I joined Clare and David from the Watershed team at Culture 24, a conference in Brighton, which sets out to explore engagement of under 24’s in the arts through digital technology.
At the event I was helping to present the project, which the team Poppy, Aiden, Zoe and Becci have been working on for the past few weeks. As many of us are aware (and some aren’t!) the Watershed recently set up a unique ticket price offer of just £4.50 for anyone under 24, to see any film. Which is amazing in it self, let alone coming and seeing some great cinema!
There hasn’t as of yet been the greatest of uptakes on the offer so us, the Future Producers, set out on a mission, nay a quest! We aim to promote and attract more young people through the doors, and most importantly, getting them back, time and time again.
The project is currently on going and we hope to launch our grand idea in early November, and all I am saying right now is think Quiz on acid (!) to act as the launch pad for our project.
The conference looked at a number of issues different organisations face across Britain, the digitalisation of their collections and exhibitions. In may cases the ‘digital’ people in varying organisations all face very similar institutional blockages due to their preconceived ideologies of what ‘digital’ is and what you can do with it.
Padama Gillen, who is a partner in SCROLL LLP and used to work for HM Gov in redesigning their website gave a fascinating talk looking at how the digital leaders can help break organisational blockages with 8 points:
1. Change looks impossible before it happens
2. Own the narrative
3. Give the gift of the fearless
4. If Content is King…Evidence is Emperor
5. Know your Enemy- people in your organisation may have different motivations and perhaps inhibitions about digitalisation
6. Be massively uptight about your rules- set deadlines for feedback otherwise you will run around in circles of peoples opinions
7. Let the organisation make your success its own- a hard one, but if your boss is on board, and sort of takes the credit, sometimes its best to let that happen and know that ultimately you are the change that made it all happen
8. Woo the big cheese, and get them to commit. If you can get the big guy liking your idea then you will find it far easier to get things done
Lastly, here is the only photo I took in the event…it’s the loos…I am an Industrial Design fan, what can I say…
