Unlocking Digital Artspace

Unlocking Digital Artspace was funded by the Digital R&D fund for the Arts, distributed by Nesta, Arts Council England and The Arts and Humanities Research Council. The fund is designed to support collaboration between the arts, technology providers and researchers. It aimed to use digital technology to enhance audience research and/or to develop new business models for the arts sector.

This project explored the practicalities of making a public space into a digital arts space. Arts organisations are increasingly being challenged to make best and innovative use of available digital technology. The opportunities for enhancing arts practice, growing new audiences and developing interactivity are immense. However, progression to artistic excellence in the digital arena for non-specialists, requires a period of experimentation and a clear understanding of the potential and also limitations of digital tools.

By exploring the technical, organisational and economic challenges faced by artists and providers of mobile media in the public realm, Unlocking Digital Artspace, provides analysis of three areas of interest:

• Issues raised by the development of ubiquitous digital media and the digitisation of public performances in the public realm
• Practicalities of implementing public access to wireless connectivity or 3G/4G  for site specific performance or other digital arts practice
• The development and implementation of interactive performance using mobile devices and wireless connectivity in the public realm

See the report ‘Unlocking Digital Artspace’.