Cultural Digital newsletter #145
Cultural Digital
Hello
This week we've got big thinking, immersion, science, and toilets.
The clever people in the Tangible Media Group at MIT Media Lab bring us inFORM. It's "a Dynamic Shape Display that can render 3D content physically, so users can interact with digital information in a tangible way". There's not really a cultural angle to this, but imagine what you could do with this. Just please don't call it phygital.
Strategy and big thoughts
French Museums in the Digital Era — my thoughts in a nutshell. Diane Drubay comparing French museums' approach to tech with what's going on in the Anglo-Saxon world. Part 2 is here.
Learning Lessons from DPLA. Thoughts on "the challenges that DPLA and a number of other similarly situated organizations appear to be confronting".
The Sharing is Caring anthology. From SMK, the National Gallery of Denmark, this is "an anthology that explores the changes and opportunities brought about by digitisation, digital media, and the internet for the cultural heritage world and – not least – our users".
3 Steps to Growing a Digital Culture in Charities "different initiatives underway at NSPCC to increase the understanding and effectiveness of digital across our large and complex organisation".
Immersive
New funding to drive improvements in immersive content creation. "Businesses can apply for a share of up to £8 million for innovation projects that support better, more immersive experiences".
Audience Experience in Immersive Theatre and VR
Slides from Katie Day at The Other Way Works. "I’m going to talk about VR, and what immersive theatre might be able to teach us about making audience-centred immersive experiences".
Art and science
Do Proteins Hold the Key to the Past? "New methods are allowing a group of scientists to reexamine the world’s libraries and archives, in search of the hidden lives of authors".
Quantifying reputation and success in art. Using exhibition and auction data to "study and model the career trajectory of individual artists relative to a network of galleries and museums".
MIscellaneous
'I and You' will be free to view on IGTV. Hampstead Theatre's latest show is sold out (it's got GoT's Maisie Williams in it) but they're showing a version on Instagram "specially performed, filmed and edited for a unique mobile viewing experience". It'll be available for 72 hours from 6pm GMT on Friday 30 November.
OV Tomorrow. To help raise money to sort out the ladies' toilets, the Old Vic have filmed some celebrities reading tweets from annoyed people.
New arts technology projects will foster a strong future for digital art-making, with $435,000 in funding from Knight Foundation. That title pretty much covers it.
Videogames Commission. "V&A Dundee invites emerging designers and collectives to submit a proposal for a digital game commission that will explore character development and the idea of self in videogames".
DEPTHY. I reckon some of you could have some fun with this.
Jobs
There are digital-related jobs available at the National Gallery, Young Vic, and English National Opera.
If there was anything good in there then please pass it on. If you don't want to reveal your sources then I can live with that.
Chris Unitt
The Library is a treasure trove of arts/digital info. It's just been updated with new websites, suppliers, and job descriptions. Find out more about The Library.