resources, tutorials, and more for workshop participants
[via Internet Famous Blog]
Andy Warhol popularized the idea “15 minutes of fame.” That idea still works in the world of mass media. But what about niche media - the long tail?
Now that we can create and distribute targeted content for a niche audience, there is a new kind of fame. Alice Marwick, PhD candidate at NYU talks about being famous for 15 people in this YouTube video.
For more interesting insights, go to the blog of Alice Marwick
I resonated most with two concerns posted in Levy’s thesis on the issue of web-presence and the arts: 1, the shifting economics of the funded dance community in relationship to web-environments, and the implications of this shift; and 2, brand identity as it relates to establishing standards and controls in managing an artist’s web-presence.
On the first issue, I am excited at the prospect of dissolving market control by major dance companies through the use of web-platforms/environments; this will provide opportunities for new and emergent artists, but will also demand that the ‘dinosaurs of dance’ wake up and make new, relevant work that connects to other, intelligent audiences.
More significantly, however, an implication of this idea is that it will allow for dance artists to create their home-base in locations that are a/less saturated in the dance arts and b/economically beneficial in the cost of living. I believe that through a strong web-presence, artists and companies can spread across the globe to provide a greater hands-on influence in communities, whilst remaining integrated into the cultural hubs (NYC, SanFran) through touring. This might provide a stronger, universal dance education in small/medium town america through community outreach and education, whilst simultaneously increasing the national/international audience for dance to a higher artistic standard than ’so you think you can dance’.
On the second issue, I am concerned, however, that artists will initially struggle to maintain their independently vibrant and potent voices. This is a concern that I have, because many of the proposed platforms - blogs, wikis, youTube - are not deeply monitored with respects to copy-write and ownership - as is my impression. In a (currently) competitive market for arts funding, issues of credibility, validity and integrity will arise and it will be a challenge to honor the creators of true-wisdom and artistic greatness, rather than shady knock-offs.
From Levy’s Thesis titled “ Creating a Digital Theater: Building New Audience Relationships in the Performing Arts Online.” JAKI LEVY + ITP-NYU + 2007″ 1: “Can a revised online presence change the economics of dance? [and] What would the implications of this new economy be for the field of dance?” 2: “If an organization wishes to maintain their brand identity, the arts community must develop technology or standards to support that. ”
This month, I am leading a workshop at The Field called Strategies for Online Outreach.
In addition to looking at online marketing, I am hoping that the working artists in this workshop will begin developing interesting online projects. I was thinking about how artists translate their work online and came across this great article on Creative Capital.org.
The article looks at interesting web projects that artists put together as an extension of their work. I remember seeing (and loving) one of the projects, Learning to Love You More by Miranda July and Harrell Fletcher. The project asks user to complete “homework assignments” - and the results are often heartfelt, hysterical or both. The artists say, “We spend hours drifting through the site…reading your life stories, watching your videos, listening and looking. It is one of our favorite things to do, and we know that thousands of other people feel the same way.”
I wonder how this kind of project can be developed within the performing arts community. . . . What will it take?
