#177 - Nobody really knows
Cultural Digital
Hello
There's loads this week, with social media, digital skills, Fleabag, and something about hats.
I saw this barcode madness posted by Ei Wada on Twitter. "The bar code reader scans the signal directly to the speaker instead of the cash register, and emits sound". Brilliant.
It was created by Hideki Tanaka, Ei Wada, and Nicos Orchest-Lab. They're part of ELECTRONICOS FANTASTICOS! which is a great name for "a project aimed at giving new life to outdated electrical appliances by turning them into “electromagnetic musical instruments,” eventually creating an entire orchestra in the process". Reminds me a bit of the Modified Toy Orchestra.
Social media
Leeds Museums & Galleries on Twitter. "We’re about to tell you an incredible story. One we’ve been keeping under our hats for 7 whole years". This has a bit of everything - fancy technology, social media, a mummy. Although you've probably seen this thread already because it was this popular.
The #DollyPartonChallenge Magnified the Best and Worst of Museum Social Media Manager Life. "exasperation, frustration, the nagging feeling they should’ve done more".
Meet the Woman Who Beat Out Hundreds of Applicants to Manage the Met's Commanding Social Media Presence. "What does it take to get a gig as the social media manager for the Metropolitan Museum of Art?" Seven interviews, apparently.
Instagram: A New Casting Platform, or Another Anxiety Source for Actors? Actors and casting directors on the pros and cons of building and maintaining a social media presence.
Ephemeral Storytelling With Social Media: Snapchat and Instagram Stories at the Brooklyn Museum. "Similar to traditional photography, ephemeral content on social media is often motivated by capturing an artwork found to be aesthetically pleasing, documenting a feeling, sharing an experience, or building self-identity".
Digital skills
A whole slew of (mostly museum-sector focused) digital skills programmes and projects were announced last week. , but you're probably already subscribed to his newsletter. One of these is finally going to solve the problem for good, right?
The problem with digital skills. The V&A's Kati Price is hopeful, but clear about the problems "why are the skills that we value the most — namely tech leadership and data analysis — the same skills that are most lacking on digital teams?"
Digital Lab - CultureHive. Posts from the most recent cohort of the Arts Marketing Association's mentoring project.
Miscellaneous
FEDORA Digital Prize Shortlist 2020. FEDORA is an oddly-named scheme for pushing innovation in opera and ballet. The winner of their Digital Prize (it's a public vote) will get €50,000.
StoryLab Commissions. "StoryFutures & Discovery have teamed up to launch an innovation challenge exploring the role next generation technologies could play in enhancing our passions for collecting and collectibles in Britain today".
Event Cinema Box Office. Some stats from the Event Cinema Association. NT Live dominates the market and Fleabag did very well in 2019. Also, the market for these cinema broadcasts seems to be loads bigger in the UK and Ireland than in the rest of the world.
The future of technology in museums. Six perspectives on mobile and digital technology in museums. Ft people from ACMI, Exploratorium, Science Gallery International, Art Processors, AMNH, and the Wellcome Collection.
The Original Renegade. "A 14-year-old in Atlanta created one of the biggest dances on the internet. But nobody really knows that".
How the Met and MCA Chicago Describe Artworks Online for Blind People.
When will the art TV binge begin? Platforms like Netflix and Amazon are slow to show original cultural content. "YouTube’s pre-eminence seems likely to continue for some time. If you were hoping to soon be bingeing on original art TV, don’t hold your breath".
Jobs
There are digital-related jobs available at Art UK, the Young Vic, and the British Academy.
That was a bit of a bumper edition, wasn't it? Have a lovely weekend and I'll be back with more soon-ish.
Chris Unitt
PS: I'm repeating this plug for events I'm speaking at:
Ticketing Professionals Conference, Birmingham, 26 & 27 March
AMA's Digital Bootcamp, London, 30 March
Marketing w Kulturze, Gdansk, 7 & 8 April