[nodel-discuss] "mixed media" (ACE) and "digital industries" (NESTA) debates

[Ghislaine Boddington]

Following on from the Node L meeting on December 1st and the  
discussion there regarding the place of the Node L community in  
relationship to the wider debate about "the digital" in 2008, here are  
a couple of inputs regarding the way "mixed media" and "digital  
industries" (as they are so framed below) are being discussed and  
viewed at this moment by governmental ministers and by funders such as  
NESTA and ACE

FIRSTLY
from "they work for you" - a site where you can check the state of  
play of discussion in government

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2008-11-26c.227184.h

Wednesday, 26 November 2008
WRITTEN QUESTION
Jeremy Hunt (Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport,  
Culture, Media & Sport; South West Surrey, Conservative) | Hansard  
source

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what stage  
has been reached in negotiations between the UK Film Council, the Arts  
Council and the Humanities Research Council on developing mixed media  
centres.


WRITTEN ANSWER
Barbara Follett (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Culture; Minister for  
the East of England), Department for Culture, Media & Sport;  
Stevenage, Labour) | Hansard source

The completion of a study, jointly commissioned by the Arts Council  
England (ACE); the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the UK  
Film Council (UKFC), entitled "Crossing Boundaries" in 2008 marked the  
end of the first stage of negotiations between the three bodies about  
the development of a digital network of mixed media centres. ACE and  
UKFC will now build on, and enhance, the work that some of the venues,  
like the Watershed in Bristol and the Broadway in Nottingham, are  
already doing to develop this network by, for example, exploiting the  
opportunities afforded by new digital technologies. The development of  
the network is in addition to ongoing growth in provision at  
individual centres, which has brought a wider range of film related  
activities to local audiences, including ones such as the Spanish film  
festival in Manchester, educational work for young people and adults,  
visiting directors and screenings of specialised film throughout the  
year.



SECONDLY
I went to a special event at NESTA last Thursday 4th December when  
NESTA launched a new report called
"Attacking the recession" by Charles Leadbeater and James Meadway

a panel of experts launched the report,  including Lord Drayson,  
Minister for State for Science and Technologies, who stated that this  
is the first networked globalised recession, and a globalised response  
is needed - time is money and the private sector realise this, the  
public sector need to realise this fast !!

the key word was NETWORKS  - as critical in the sharing and  
mobilisation of resources, collaborative responses, bringing together  
public and private sectors, stretching out internationally, for new  
business creation, for job opportunities etc

key areas mentioned as UK competitive advantage areas, and which  
already are globally networked are
- low carbon and environmental services
- aging society needs - healthcare products and services
- nano technologies
- bio technologies
- digital industries - such as video games, digital efffects,  
specialist simulations
- film Industry

other notes I took were
- mare networks of peer-to-peer business creation clubs are needed,  
micro entrepreneurs helping each other to start businesses
- managerial led innovation, business models innovation, consumer  
driven innovation, open innovation - all necessary fast -  
transformative innovation essential for survival
- crisis breeds culture change
- Open source was mentioned once right at the end, as a last little  
note , and was pretty much ignored (....did people really hear the  
phrase ??? to late for me to bring it up again as the event was closed)
- Universities, innovation, IP and commercialisation was still a major  
issue as yet unresolved
- can governments run networks ? was asked by the founder of  
lastminute.com ( thk you)
- long term social challenges to be attacked concurrently alongside  
recession, as multipliers of economic and social benefits
- creative use of the communication revolution in business and culture  
for learning and public services
- social capital should be as important a measure of success as  
economic growth and productivity

NESTA called for the creation of a 1 billion pound venture capital  
fund to support early stage innovative firms
and for universal ultra fast broadband access

You can read the releases, see video of the event and download the  
whole report at

http://www.nesta.org.uk/attacking-the-recession/


just feel it is very important that we keep clarity on the wider picture
and dont just stay happy and unaware in our independent innovative  
bubbles  !! :-)

best
Ghislaine

Ghislaine Boddington
Creative Director
body>data>space
http://www.bodydataspace.net

Research Associate Artist
ResCen Middlesex University
http://www.rescen.net/Ghislaine_Boddington/index.html

Post Me_New ID Forum, looking at identity, the post human body &  
digital practices taking
place in conjunction with CYNETart festival / TMA Hellerau in Dresden
between 31st October - 2nd November 2008.
www.postme-newid.net

Post Me_New ID is a co-production between body>data>space (London, UK),
CIANT (Prague, Czech Republic), CYNETart / TMA (Dresden, Germany)
and Kibla (Maribor, Slovenia) supported by the European Union within  
the Culture 2007 Programme.

Centre des Arts Enghien-les-Bains, Paris
body>data>space exhibition 'Virtual Physical Bodies'
9th October 2008 - 11th January 2009.
www.cda95.fr

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