We went through the process of inviting participants to reflect while doing. That is, to build their own prototypes of possible participatory projects in their institutions (or outside them) and start a design iteration that included role playing, scenario building and discussion.
Global screen: 10 windows to the world
A project that is scheduled to exhibit for 2011.
It aims to put in evidence the power of screens in contemporary society. The screen as an interface that connects to the world. This is part of an online and offline exhibition revolving around different types of screens:
The screen as a manifesto or the political screen.
The game screen (entertainment-oriented and educational among children).
The social screen (the visual interface as an agora) and so on.
The exhibition will consist of a journey through a continuous screen. The pieces will be comissioned to video artists and artists in this field. Also, it will be open to people so that they can create materials to be integrated in the exhibition. Visitors to the site or internet users will be able to add personal interventions and build their own reflections on them. These will be linked thematically to the type of screen that corresponds to the reflection either because they are confronting the screen created by and artist or reinforcing it, the user contribution being an example of what is meant by the artist. It will also open a dynamic web platform that will receive content before the exhibition opening. At the same time, the exhibition raises the possibility that the contents can continue to evolve once the offline exhibition closes. The main screen in the physical space will portray images of the visitors/participants taken from different angles while they are still visiting, so that participants can reflect about privacy.
I have a show at Caixaforum
The goal is difussion, i.e., to generate public attraction and actual visits to an exhibition, and thus “build up brand” for the cultural center. We propose a contest that will be accompanied by traditional advertising as well as 2.0 campaigns on social networks, etc. It may invite uploading pictures or videos on YouTube, pieces of music, etc.. It will not require to use a specific artistic format. Users will be able to vote for the pieces. This voting can take place through the usual online communication channels. A jury or a similar institution will select the works presented, which will be eventually exhibited at an exhibition center. Different types of awards will be established . Also, the winners will be encouraged to participate in a workshop explaining their experience as well as the ideation and creation process of their piece.
The process would be as follows:
Classical unidirectional campaign in traditional media
Viral/Participatory Campaign inviting to participate in the contest
Some important aspects
Diversity: each work is accompanied by certain personal data which will help in distributing the prizes among different user profiles.
Aggregation of the works: a system for sending, rating, receive and evaluate the submitted information
Workshop: by which users will discuss the process of creating the pieces, and help in the redefinition of the event for the following year.
Theatre 2.0
A play that starts from scratch, based on an initial survey about what matters to people as spectators. That survey is organized from Twitter and Facebook asking for keywords that define the theme of the theatrical work. Interviews and surveys at street level are also used, specially for users who do not have Internet access or do not use it. In social networks questions are also posed and / or possible views with inputs such as news, photos, or other aesthetic props to stimulate response. It therefore seeks to cause feedback on the process while integrating new keywords. The seed keywords at the beginning are Twitter # hashtags used in networks close to the people that drive the initiative. After collecting data on the most interesting topics and contents an script outline of a play is made. The theatrical work is organized with co-writing partners, and it is presented in a real theatrical venue and broadcasted by videostreaming. It is open to decide if the performance can also be “open” in real time while acting (either in person by the viewers at the theater or via online channels). In order to publicize the work all the social capital generated during the creation of the outline and the co-creation of the script will be used. The feedback after the performance, personal assessments, etc. will be also collected and shared. The profile of users involved in the survey, as well as writers and actors, could allow people to get into the learning process or even act as “spontaneous” or amateurs. It can also be a valid project to recruit new talents.
e-learning school
It proposes as a training school based on online participation. It comprises three zones or areas: a virtual classroom with original content, an area used for dumping or recycling, and (most important) a methodology and tools for participation. Users of the project are teachers, promoters, students and companies (the latter are permitted to make case studies). The contents of the courses change every day, thanks to the contributions and participation of users. The key is finding the motivation to generate content among all, especially case studies in business. This virtual education is based on network profiles and thematic interests and portfolios and content generated by each user / participant. We propose also a section for trainers to post their content, but could also be students who do it Another key issue related to the project is to locate the information that should be categorized hierarchically and / or folksonomies. The repository should help sort reviews, teaching materials, examples, etc.. The challenge is that the contents are based on real case studies, to enable meaningful learning.
Hiker Association
An open platform that serves to promote and relaunch an mountain hiking association which currently has a low activity. Reasons? Generation gap and a lack of knowledge sharing with new people who approach the association with the intention of joining as a member. The project tries to transcend the limitations of face to face meetups for outdoor hikes. It should have a bank of resources and tools as well as tutorials on hiking for beginners. It would also show how to take advantage of content based on the knowledge of the territory. The possibility of geolocating itineraries and, thus, enhance the sharing of routes, ideas and favorite locations is also envisaged
If you want to see more photos from this event, you will find them in Flickr!
On May 6th we made the third workshop on “Project 2.0. Practices for cultural institutions”, organized by the Centre for Contemporary Culture (CCCB) and the Citilab. This time it was Citilab, in Cornellà. Again, some thirty participants shared their knowledge and their desire to finish defining six groups of two to eight people. These groups worked on the creation of prototypes with cardboard, Lego, Plasticine … to finish defining a participatory project. Throughout the day, these prototypes were the seed that sparked great debate, which raised conflict, which led to consider some steps to take or to propose a reflection on the motivations for introducing citizen participation in the practices of cultural institutions our environment.
The structure was participatory, had the cooperation of all attendees, led to the co-design and strategies used … We could say that the workshop itself was itself an act 2.0 which also wanted to go beyond the 6 hours collective work, creating a working group on-line for further discussion and analysis of the hows, whys, whys who and participation.
The projects proposed by this group were the following:
Art at Home
Bringing art home to democratize art and promote new artists.
Self-managed platform for young artists, NGOs or Cooperative collectives, where you pay a registration fee. It is also contemplated that the artist can pay a service contracted out for the alternative to the fixed, or that the whole project can work as a cooperative or bank time.
It will request for proposals for home interventions or artistic events.
Platform acts as an intermediary and facilitator / channel of supply and demand for such services.
Suitable for all types of art (music, theater, dance, performance, painting, video, etc).
Can obtain feedback on the service request posted with a structure similar to Digg, in order to encourage word of mouth spreading.
If offers the possibility of being able to involve the “public” actions / works, depending on the artist.
What are you doing?
Project to encourage socialization. Open space to offer / propose cultural activities by citizens.
It is also an inspiration Center that aims at causing the reaction or mood change for users.
Presence of music, painting, dance, facilities, computers, internet …
It allows to work individually or with more people, “encouraged” by the theater.
People come close to it, out of curiosity, making an artistic journey that leads them to a change of mind.
It seeks a transformation of people into the spirit / creative way.
It has an urban location, around a particular school or center of activities.
It is proposed that it can be managed by a public-private consortium, or sponsored by a company as part of a code of corporate social responsibility.
After interacting with the contents, citizens may propose new contents, which would led to activating new contacts.
Eligibility to register / sign in person or via the web.
The philosophy of the project is to influence the citizen to make him/her think and change his/her roles.
People’s maps
Geolocation platform to promote awareness among local people and to break distances between neighbours whether they are artists or not.
Easy interface that allows users to submit video and geolocate it in the city.
Sewlfpromotion would help cultural and artistic offers but also social or business initiatives in the neighbourhodd.
It also would have a synchronous communication layer via Skype or similar.
It would include voting systems to help assess content.
It allows the creation of routes to meet and get people togehter and relate them to upcoming initiatives.
Mashup tool: Google maps API, content rating, Skype or similar.
Would create a documentary archive of the city that would help in finding content of institutions or entities.
It could also be extended in person or by means adhesives to QR codes that link the physical locations with digital map.
“Macba” 2.0
Participatory refoundation of an existing museum to reflect the participation as of interest to contemporary society.
It also tries to generate knowledge in a participatory manner and to reafirm its public nature and therefore this knowledge should be shared.
Allows the aggregation of opinions, ideas, proposals about the institution and its activities.
Promotes evolvving from an static to an emerging institution based on creative chaos.
The user raises or “meddles” in the processes that defines the internal and external operation of the center.
Example proposals of initiatives and processes:
Bonding with companies
More user feedback> institution> artists
Possibility of accommodating snacks and drinking in the exhibit spaces
Allow the redesign of the exhibition spaces
Possibility to use copyleft licenses on works
Space for self-managed exhibitions
Guided tours with the artists themselves
Score on shows or complete works
Database with keywords on each work
Support to new artists and partnerships
Playing space for adults and children
It is open to gamers as a group with creative potential
It generates financial resources to gain independence
Open online presence to promote comment
The essence is to turn the museum into an art center
“Who is an artist and who is not?”
Virtual classroom project to generate debate on copyright.
It starts from the distinction between “prosumers” and artists to compare their type of work and interventions.
It puts into crisis the notion of authorship of artistic works.
Process:
• Generated / captured copyleft licensed works of artists
• It also on works created by the citizens themselves
• Many allowed formats: painting, sculpture, photography, video, etc.
• Works are exchanged bewteeen the “plain citizens” and the “artist” groups and each group works are given to the other group so that they can modify each other’s work in turns
• The results presented are virtual
• It also promotes reflection on the very concept of authorship.
• It raises the possibility that a third party could sell even with copyleft.
• The DJ as a metaphor for remixing and remaking content.
• The works can be changed both in person and online.
• It also promotes works that can go through different formats.
• It integrates the idea of holding regular meetings of intensive modification of the work.
The work is alive and in that sense never “completed”.
Technological Atheists
It is a project that aims to promote active participation and critical debate around the fact of people being deciding whtehter to be always connected, or not.
A has a platform that allows to locate, view and connect with the “digital disconnected” people and their motivations for staying so.
I will be done in both the most developed countries and in the less developed countries.
It involves a trip around the world to detect cases in different places in terms of their cultural, political and economic diversity.
A reporter with GPS information of Internet users keeps on locating people without Internet, cell phones or access to other Information Techologies.
It uses a blog to report on steps taken to locate and interview the “disconnected person”.
Each interviewee expresses what it means to be disconnected.
The “public” on the other side (via internet) gives its opinion on whether that person should be connected or not.
It aims to open the discussion to exchange opinions on the interest and / or need to “connect” to certain people.
The project may end in a story or audiovisual product design.
It could be sponsored by mobile phone companies or similar given that there would be extensive qualitative studies on the field.
If you want to see more photos from this event, you will find them in Flickr!
On April 22nd, Irene Lapuente, Ramon Sangüesa from the Expolab team at Citilab and Enric Senabre (coordinator of Urbalanbs at Citilab) facilitate the first of a series of four workshops on practices 2.0 in cultural institutions. This first workshop took place at CCCB, Barcelona Center for Contemporary Culture.
In six very intense hours, communication, media, and museum professionals, got a hint of what it takes to develop a full-fledged 2.0 participatory project. First, they were asked to imagine and prototype projects in a very short time. All of them had to include a greater or lesser degree of participation.
In general, the prototypes showed concern about participatory relationships with users. Most of these users were “artists”, although some participants in the workshop also opened participation to plain citizens.
Once the project prototypes were built using cardboard, plasticine, sticks and stickers, participants were divided into groups taking the roles of users or, alternatively, presenters of their projects. That gave people a taste of what it takes to be on the user’s shoes and to understand what they really want and what is their view when they are invited to participate.
The afternoon brought in more reflections about the projects: What was the best thing that could happen to a project? And what was the worst? How the worst scenario could be avoided and what other steps should be followed?
Finally a strong point was made by asking directly why people wanted to include participation in their projects? Which were their objectives as an institution and how it was going to get any benefit from a participatory approach? All these questions led to a strongdebate … that had to end for the time being at CCCB. However, it will continue online at the working group formed by all the people that took part in the four workshops of the series aobut 2.0 practices in cultural institutions.
Here are the project proposals that emerged during the first workshop:
EmoLab
An exhibition centre for emotions aimed at every type of public.
Focussing around the channeling of emotions, with entry devices such as videoanimation to record users.
Importance of the “hook” and how to get people into the centre.
Containing both a virtual part or “cloud” in order to generate content and the level of committment from the participants in the project.
It would evoke through experiences, regardless of classic artistic classifications (theatre, dance, painting, etc).
Online socializing would be strengthened thanks to “digitalization” of the examples of emotions.
Possibility to trnsfer it to other areas and spaces, peripatehtically, strengthening the experience of attendance.
Public project for consuming and co-creating art
A physical space for creators to launch their own works to the public.
Conceived as a public space, not just an installation.
However, it would be a physical reference and workspace.
Importance of the stewardship: the proposal would include a cultural administrator acting as a facilitator.
Criteria for selecting works: committees would also integrate the users, the public.
The programmer/director should act more as a mediator than as a director.
It would reposition the institution, which as an added value would seek to involve the user.
It would strengthen collective art projects, making them known to a wider public from the same single platform.
Thanks to activating a critical mass of users / decision-makers the quality and interest of the projet and works wil be made credible.
It is a type of cultural centre operating “à la carte”, which has presence on the streets and adjacent spaces.
The voice from the square
Peripathetic project of cultural heritage aimed at different audiences and ages.
Starting with a type of empty bucket into which participants can add content.
A series of “mailboxes” will collect and digitalize experiencies around the public space of the participants.
Examples are compiled around local heritage and identity (photos, voice, video, text).
It even integrates conflict showing it as a living-dialogue between the exhibition and the public.
The content is accessible via specific digital tables, from where it can be remixed.
As the exhibition travels around it accumulates material and invites a reaction to it.
It incorporates a physical outside meeting-space for participants.
The exhibition should reach local collectives before it “disembarks”.
Later on it promotes and reflects everything on-line, including an ethnographic study about the information compiled.
Community of social projects
An area for dropping in and exchange for experts and all those interested in different environments.
It can range from rural museums, to photo exhibitions, from NGO’s to journalist groups (professionals and citizens).
A metacommunity for projects, to share motivation, resources, common aims, etc.
It fosters voluntary applications around the projects under development.
It create a working social network of people and ideas, for remixing (for example journalism and catalan literature).
It would integrate initially content from experts in other networks and prestigious places, as motors for each group.
Cultural Laboratory online
An online network of users who mutually help themselves to create works.
Moderated and fllowed closely by a curator.
it is a platform for artists, and users are able to contribute or act as observers.
It is a living organism regardless of time-limitations that are typical for exhibitions.
The virtual platform would incorporate tools for decision making.
Hybrid Platform for artistic production
A physical space serving as a node for centres of artistic production.
A virtual space as an idea factory for different agents.
It aims at strengthening dynamics and interaction of different profiles.
Dilemma on whether to create a brand new online platform vs. appropiating already existing ones
Aiming to put the final user in contact with the creatives.
If you want to see more photos from this event, you will find them in Flickr!
Due to the great interest amongst cultural institutions in the two previous workshops on participatory 2.0 strategies held at the CCCB (22nd & 28th April), Citilab hosted on May 6th the first of two more sessions. The second was on Thursday, May 13th.
As a first example of the collaboration between Expolab/Citilab and CCCB-Lab yesterday we facilitated the first workshop in a series about 2.0 methods for innvoation and participation in cultural institucions.
Irene Lapuente, Ramon Sangüesa and Enric Senabre facilitated the workshop. On twitter, if you search for the hashtag #cult20 you can find the corresponding tweets. Carolina Gaona managed to keep a live blogging record of the event (In Spanish). You also have info on I+C+i blog.
And also the I+C+i team that Juan Insua leads at CCCLab, did an excellent job of preparation and documentation online. Maria Farràs and Eva Alonso were at the right place all the time and Juan did the specific interventions but very precise in providing some crucial points to debate.
You can find some photos ofit all in Flickr, all thanks to the photographer Carlos Cazurra. We al soon wiil be able to post video material coordinated by Jordi Carrasco and Alex, our camera.
In an upcoming post we will discuss the “in extenso” what happened and what was learned in the workshop. In fact, we have three more workshops , one month and two more at the CCCB to the meet, given the avalanche of requests for participation (the hashtag # cult20 yesterday was the third to twitter all over Spain). Yesterday we began to move the technological support to create a good discussion group where, in addition, can articulate joint participants, leading to collaborative practice methodologies with users who only yesterday we tasted.
Here’s the initial outline of the presentation is only a skeleton to locate the points of discussion and put into practice.
Expolab team shares with other professionals its workshop “2.0 Projects. Practices for cultural institutions”. Social networks are a wonderful communication tool. This also applies for museums and other cultural institutions. The 2.0 spirit can progressively impregnate all the institutional body, transforming internal processes and its relationship with the public. Are we ready to incorporate collective intelligence judgement? Where are the limits? The Centro de Cultura Contemporánea de Barcelona (CCCB), Citilab and the Mandarina de Newton organize conferences addressed to cultural institutions to promote the debate among them regarding 2.0 philosophy with its promises and dilemmas and as an engine that can change the cultural dynamics in general.
Irene Lapuente, Ramon Sangüesa and Enric Senabre will guide some workshops in order to explore the possibilities of rethinking and promoting the communication with the public as well as the participation in the cultural institution own strategy. The first once will be held on the 22th of april from 10 to 6 pm while the followings will be held the 28th of april at the CCCB and the 6th of may at Citilab Cornellà.
Is useful to analyze other possibilities, ramifications and solutions coming from the processes, the methodology and the formats suggested by the interaction styles, shared creation. collaboration and spreading derivated from practices associated to 2.0 technologies.
The conference will be practical following a workshop programme and covering the following subjects:
1. Organizing structures from 2.0
2. Constructive experiences
3. Balance between participation-curation process: participation techniques
4. Hybrid Format
5. Checking experiences
6. Adaptation
7. Building in situ new projects
The workshop is addressed to students and professionals working on the cultural field, both freelancers or institutions employees.
In this post you’ll find the link to the platform that lets you vote the exhibit that you like the most. Remember that you can only vote once and for a single exhibit proposal.
With these votes we are looking to find out which is the exhibit prototype that you like the most. Bear in mind that the most voted option will be finally built to the meet and it will be possible to see them if you visit Citialb Cornella. Therefore you have to take into account in your assessment how feasible you think the exhibit proposal is. We also want you to know tell you that the exhibition we are preparing will have as a title: “From contemplation to participation and beyond”. It main goal is to show how new technologies (for example, the Internet) have changed our lives. We want the exhibition to show anedcotes that illustrate the socia effect of the technologies but also, and very importantly, to make very understandable the science and technology that is behind all this changes. This exhibition is part of a project that aims to introduce public participation into the world of sicence and technology exhibitions, so do not forget the value of participative aspect that the an exhibit that you like may have. It is an important factor. You will find more information about the projects in previous posts and at the Tech Virtual Museum web page.
Thank you for your cooperation and we are looking forward for your vote!
People have been working hard on design proposals in Second Life. The participation has been a succes and we have a lot of great proposals now!
We invite everybody to come to Citilab on thursday April 8th at 17:00 to vote for the best design. We will soon publish a post about all the designs that have been created in the virtual Citilab. Are you curious? You can already have a preview in Second Life, look for ´Expolab´.
At the website of the Tech Museum you can also find the entries of the participants.
If you can´t come to Citilab this day you will be able to vote online, but then you´ll miss the ambience and the drinks and a bite!
Well, spread the word and we hope to see you the 8th!
There’s only a few days left until the first participatory meeting organized by the Expolab team. Thursday January 14th at 17:00 we will gather with about thirty people who will help us to start the process of creating the first participatory exhibition organized by Citilab.
The workshop will be a co-design session. We will provide activities and the participants give us their interpretation. With everybodies collaboration we will work towards the best design for the first exhibition produced by Citilab! During a three hour session we will work on issues related to changes that impacted our daily lives because of the development of the Internet and digital technology. With the help of images, memories and words, we trigger the participants to express how they have experienced the changes in their life over the recent years. The most creative, fun and charismatic group receives a bottle of champagne …
For now, we are finalizing the details and getting everything ready, so that the participants will enjoy the session a lot and good ideas will come up. Stay in tune, we will explain more later!
We invite you to a codesign session. We propose activities and you give your take on them. With everyone’s help we all will be able to the best design form the first exhibition produced by Citilab.
Internet. From 5 pm to 6 pm
Come and explain how Internet has changed your life!
This will be the workshop starting point. With the help of images, memories, and words you can explain to each other everthing that you have seen to change around you the last years!.
Explain it! From 6pm to 7:30 pm
This second part o the workshop will be more playful, more creative but no less enriching for all of us. The question for you is: How would you explain all these changes?
Awards: from 7:30 pm to 8 pm De 19:30 a 20 hores
You cannot miss the awards ceremony !
Each one of you that participate in the workshop wil get a present from Citilab. Winning temas will get a special prize!
In order to know what the prizes will be…. you will have to participate!
It aims to put in evidence the power of screens in contemporary society.
The screen as an interface that connects to the world.
This is part of an online and offline exhibition revolving around different types of screens:
The goal is difussion, i.e., to generate public attraction and actual visits to an exhibition, and thus “build up brand” for the cultural center.
We propose a contest that will be accompanied by traditional advertising as well as 2.0 campaigns on social networks, etc.
It may invite uploading pictures or videos on YouTube, pieces of music, etc.. It will not require to use a specific artistic format.
Users will be able to vote for the pieces. This voting can take place through the usual online communication channels.
A jury or a similar institution will select the works presented, which will be eventually exhibited at an exhibition center.
Different types of awards will be established
. Also, the winners will be encouraged to participate in a workshop explaining their experience as well as the ideation and creation process of their piece.
A play that starts from scratch, based on an initial survey about what matters to people as spectators.
That survey is organized from Twitter and Facebook asking for keywords that define the theme of the theatrical work.
Interviews and surveys at street level are also used, specially for users who do not have Internet access or do not use it.
In social networks questions are also posed and / or possible views with inputs such as news, photos, or other aesthetic props to stimulate response.
It therefore seeks to cause feedback on the process while integrating new keywords.
The seed keywords at the beginning are Twitter # hashtags used in networks close to the people that drive the initiative.
After collecting data on the most interesting topics and contents an script outline of a play is made.
The theatrical work is organized with co-writing partners, and it is presented in a real theatrical venue and broadcasted by videostreaming.
It is open to decide if the performance can also be “open” in real time while acting (either in person by the viewers at the theater or via online channels).
In order to publicize the work all the social capital generated during the creation of the outline and the co-creation of the script will be used. The feedback after the performance, personal assessments, etc. will be also collected and shared.
The profile of users involved in the survey, as well as writers and actors, could allow people to get into the learning process or even act as “spontaneous” or amateurs.
It can also be a valid project to recruit new talents.
It proposes as a training school based on online participation. It
comprises three zones or areas: a virtual classroom with original content, an area used for dumping or recycling, and (most important) a methodology and tools for participation.
Users of the project are teachers, promoters, students and companies (the latter are permitted to make case studies).
The contents of the courses change every day, thanks to the contributions and participation of users.
The key is finding the motivation to generate content among all, especially case studies in business.
This virtual education is based on network profiles and thematic interests and portfolios and content generated by each user / participant.
We propose also a section for trainers to post their content, but could also be students who do it
Another key issue related to the project is to locate the information that should be categorized hierarchically and / or folksonomies.
The repository should help sort reviews, teaching materials, examples, etc..
The challenge is that the contents are based on real case studies, to enable meaningful learning.
An open platform that serves to promote and relaunch an mountain hiking association which currently has a low activity.
Reasons? Generation gap and a lack of knowledge sharing with new people who approach the association with the intention of joining as a member.
The project tries to transcend the limitations of face to face meetups for outdoor hikes.
It should have a bank of resources and tools as well as tutorials on hiking for beginners.
It would also show how to take advantage of content based on the knowledge of the territory.
The possibility of geolocating itineraries and, thus, enhance the sharing of routes, ideas and favorite locations is also envisaged
Bringing art home to democratize art and promote new artists.
Project to encourage socialization. Open space to offer / propose cultural activities by citizens.
Geolocation platform to promote awareness among local people and to break distances between neighbours whether they are artists or not.
Participatory refoundation of an existing museum to reflect the participation as of interest to contemporary society.
Virtual classroom project to generate debate on copyright.
It is a project that aims to promote active participation and critical debate around the fact of people being deciding whtehter to be always connected, or not.
An exhibition centre for emotions aimed at every type of public.
A physical space for creators to launch their own works to the public.
Peripathetic project of cultural heritage aimed at different audiences and ages.
An area for dropping in and exchange for experts and all those interested in different environments.
An online network of users who mutually help themselves to create works.
A physical space serving as a node for centres of artistic production.
