What role for DCMS in the Digital Agenda?
So, the Digital Britain report has been with us for long enough now for people to have started accusing the Government of ignoring it. The popular press is making hay out of the apparent reverse double-switch on ISP lockdown for filesharers following Peter Mandleson’s latest round of international meetings. In the meantime, the publicly-funded world holds its breath waiting for a General Election and, more importantly, *that* Spending Review.
It was interesting, in this context, to have been involved in a series of recent discussions about the role the Department for Culture can play in the evolving world of Digital. As part of these discussions, I was asked to do two things. Firstly, to produce a short ’state of the nation’ piece highlighting the current activity in museum tech. Secondly, to suggest some areas which might benefit from DCMS’ attention.
I’ll reproduce part of my short text below (edited to omit only a project that isn’t yet quite in the public domain):
A new generation of museums is harnessing the power of technology to transform their services, and in the process are changing the way people think about culture.
Museums are beginning to use new business models from the media sector such as public service broadcast, freenomics and crowdsourcing to inspire and entertain mainstream audiences and add value to their services.
Museums are responding to the mainstreaming of consumer electronics by delivering services through online gaming platforms and into online communities. They are delivering rich location-based experiences embedded into mobile platforms and handheld devices and reaching out through social networks like Facebook and Twitter. At the same time, initiatives such as the Culture Grid are aggregating value from cultural venues and serving it to audiences to be mashed up into new platforms and startups or accessed via existing mainstream services such as Google.
Initiatives such as Culturelabel are creating integrated e-commerce platforms which enable museums to collaborate with big-ticket brands to create consumer products.
This momentum is even changing the way cultural institutions think about their collections. Building on the Gen Y trend towards Citizen journalism, museums are throwing open their doors and inviting people to help them curate modern society for future generations.
I hope you’ll forgive the breathless hyperbole, but everything here is based on an active, current or soon-to-be-launched project in the sector. And I think that there is much here of which our community should rightly be proud (and do, please comment and let me know what I’ve missed)!
And so to the second part of the discussion. Imagine you were given an opportunity to articulate to DCMS the things you think they should look into most actively. What would be on your list? Here’s what was on mine:
- Recognise that public service broadcast (in the form of digital content) has become a central function of the new public offer of museums, archives and libraries;
- Engage with and celebrate the creativity and innovation of those involved in Digital service delivery in cultural organisations;
- Influence senior managers to accept the exploitation of Digital channels and opportunities as a long-term core commitment;
- Engage with the potential of museums, archives and libraries to contribute as much to the Digital skills and participation agenda as they do to the content/broadcast industry;
- Work with the industry to understand how to achieve a balanced economy between free, open public access and sustainability through managed commercial partnerships;
- Help drive the argument for a more enlightened Local Authority IT regime through SocITM to enable cultural organisations to participate freely in the Digital revolution.
Like I say, you probably have your own list, this was mine. So, what do you think? Agree? Disagree? Missed opportunity? This is only the first step in a series of discussions over the coming months leading up to some further more involved work towards the end of the year, so if you want to tell me what to say, now’s your chance! Of course, DCMS will have their own view, but it is a great opportunity to feed in the sector’s thoughts and aspirations.
Oh yes, and if you haven’t already, sign the Petition to Save the NOF-Digi Content!
August 26th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Well said, Nick.
I will have more to add about my own vision for the future, and my own thoughts about digital aspects of heritage. For now, however, I just wanted to mention the also excellent cultural content created with the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund since at least 2000.
August 27th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
I’m so pleased that Sion Simon & Barbara Follett are asking questions and seeking ideas about digital culture. I agree with your manifesto, as far as I can visualise the outcomes of some of the points. I’m keen to know what some of this would look like and how it might be co-ordinated. The only way we can see and know it is to debate, describe and share ideas openly. Maybe you could set up some enquiry threads on this blog or linked from it to elucidate your manifesto in relation to real initiatives. I’ve really appreciated debates on the MCG e-list but perhaps we need a slightly more structured approach and a more high-profile, public process?
So, for starters, here are some suggested threads:
How can the DCMS family bodies (& others such as TNA) collaborate together to promote Open Culture?
1) To be fair, you’ve just set this one up: What can be done with the NOF Digi content and other ‘lost’ digitised content?
2) How can we improve, expand and sustain NMOLP?
4) How can we support MLAs across the regions, in particular within local authorities, to transform their services using digital & participatory tools?
5) How can we learn from and collaborate with Europe & international sector bodies?
6) What would an effective professional development & digital leadership programme look like, which enables participatory and entrepreneurial planning?
7) How can cultural resources be an integral part of the ‘Digital Ecosystem’ for education (especially schools)?
Maybe this is too many strands? Maybe it misses some key points….
Bridget
August 27th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
A couple of areas of interest and possible expansion
1) How could museums be centres of production as well as repositories of found and curated culture. I am still pondering the culturelabel model and see it as a test of how ecommerce and CRM software works in institutions with creative output to share. I like the idea of fabrication labs, or fablabs, even better, especially as the cost to entry comes down. There is nothing more useful to a young person in practical terms, grappling with ideas, to be able to stand on the shoulders and be inspired by others. This technology allows this to happen to a degree- and raises some good talking points around shared collective intellectual property to boot. I like the idea of mailing in ideas and fabrications CAD/CAM’d at home or at school/college and working them up in the company of inspiring inventions in a cultural setting
2) which is where the issues of physical computing might come in. If schools are not going to allow comprehensive access to the tools and ideas that allow technology and creative culture in digital to come together better (locked down networks, stubborn IT departments) etc, then someone better do it before they think creativity starts and ends with powerpoint. Golan Levin makes this point well here: http://www.vimeo.com/5479898
Physical computing is what museums digital programming has always done really well and who better to help young people see under the bonnet. Whether it is getting to grips with potentiometers or microphones, or changing sets of variables to change basic physics, museums provide rich playgrounds as temporary labs
3) Agree with Bridget above about leadership
4) More events like BFI DarkFibre to bring digital expression to life, http://www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/bfi_southbank/events/dark_fibre
That’s it from me
over and out
August 28th, 2009 at 2:49 am
[...] OpenCulture » Blog Archive » What role for DCMS in the Digital Agenda? openculture.collectionstrustblogs.org.uk/2009/ – view page – cached So, the Digital Britain report has been with us for long enough now for people to have started accusing the Government of ignoring it. The popular press is making hay out of the apparent reverse double-switch on ISP lockdown for filesharers following Peter Mandleson’s latest round of international meetings. In the meantime, the publicly-funded world holds its breath waiting for a General Election and, more importantly, *that* Spending — From the page [...]