InScience as living lab

The research project focuses on shared challenges, such as the lack of standards for searching and archiving digital content. The central question is how these facilities can contribute to linking digital programs from cultural institutions to existing public distribution channels, for example for sharing cultural agendas and playing and archiving audiovisual recordings.

Huge strides have been made during the corona pandemic in the field of these registrations, for example of dance performances, debates or performances. Where these performances normally took place at a specific place and time, cultural institutions had to respond creatively to the varying restrictions due to the different lockdowns. This has led, for example, to online film festivals and conferences, live streamed theatre and music performances and digital debates – in other words a wealth of audiovisual registrations that can be optimally made available to the public. Availability and findability of this material are of great importance. This research project is aimed at investigating a tool or platform to realize this, preferably using existing platforms and open source technology.

Within this project four use cases are drawn up, each with its own focus. Within these use cases, the desired results of the development and implementation of an open standard for metadata in the cultural field are described. They also provide insight into the opportunities in this area, for cultural institutions as well as individual makers and market parties. InScience will act as one of the test cases and thus contribute to the further innovation of the cultural sector. The project started in March, a first presentation will take place at the Dutch Design Week at the end of October.

This collaboration follows an open call from the Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie and CLICKNL in September 2021. They called on institutions and makers to develop applicable knowledge and working methods that benefit the agility and resilience of the cultural and creative sector. This resulted in no fewer than 174 project proposals. After a strict selection, 16 proposals remained that will be realised, of which this project is one.

The project proposals cover a wide range of topics, ranging from blockchain for the housing market to exploring hybrid forms for dramatic expression. In a large part of the projects the focus is on experimenting with new formats and forms of collaboration, from which new artistic expressions can arise.