The Virtual Arts Centre

of the FutureLyngby, Denmark

Wouter VermeylenBuilding Manager

Arts Centre Vooruit

20.000 m2

11 storeys

365 spaces

monument of the year 2000 5 stages

1913

Restauration 20 years

Capacity: 3.500 visitors max

Ghent, Belgium

600 activities dance theatre

literaturepop/rock

jazz worldmusic

new media

performance parties 80 employees

Arts Centre Vooruit…

Changing needs:Visitors:

In-depth informationMore interactivity (communities)Personal communication (blogs)Mobility (anywhere-anytime)

Artists:Technological supportMedialabCrossmedial formats

Organisation:Efficient working methods (automation, mobility)

More participation

Support artistic process

Efficient Working methods

New technologies will enable us to

reach our audience better and

communicate more with it.

WHY?

Simply because they answer

strong customer needs:

Mobility: anyhow/anywherePersonalization: have it my wayEmpowerment: customer in the

driver’s seatExpression/interactivity: hear me

Ambition… investing in a ICT infrastructure

and applications for visitors, artists and employees to enable them

to experience information, knowledge and culture in a digital way …

Policy plan 2006-2009

Mission statement … to look towards the future in a new inspiring way

and to aim for a social and artistic surplus value

… and to be a pioneer on a national and international level

Organisation: Towards the user

Administratie& Beleidsondersteuning

M ario n D e G raeve

PersoneelsadministratieG erda Bi ll iet

PersoneelszorgM a ud Ve rlynde

BoekhoudingM yriam Bros te aux

KassaC h ar lo tte V erm and el

Zakelijke werking

BespreekbureauA nn B ru yn see ls

Sponsoring & PRPe te r V an D e n Ee de

PersKatr ien D a rras

DistributieSte ven T hang he

PromotieJeroen Ta ve rn ier

VormgevingM a tth ias T im m erm ans

WebmasterE ddy N a ert

Webredacteur/copyS ara S tanda ert

MarketingKaren Va nder PL ae tse

AdministratieB ar t Ve rha evert

Artistieke CoördinatieLuc D ew ae le

DansBarbara R a es

MuziekW im W ab bes

Eva D e G rooteK oen G isen

TheaterTo m B on te

Artistieke werking

ZaalhorecaW il l ie V erho ysen

KafeeJo nas D e Sm et

PodiumtechniekPete r M isscha ert

Planning - ZaalhuurW im C a sier

K a th lee n M elis /H end rik Le perKa tr ien C oup ez

RealisatieR ik Vande ca veye

AdministratieH ilde V an D er S traeten

ICTA la in Q uacke lbeen

OnderhoudBart V erm e ire

SchoonmaakC a rin e Th ienpo nt

InfrastructuurW outer Verm e ylen

DirecteurEr ik T em m erm an

Transversal project structure

- Information retrieval

- Organisation wide- Motivation- Manageable

Organisation

Steering Committee

Projectleader

8 Workgroups 1 Strategy & Vision 2 Infrastructure 3 Awareness & training 4 Wireless & VOIP 5 New applications 6 Automatisation 7 VACF 8 WBA

Infrastructure:Wireless network 20.000m²High Speed connectivity (NREN, BELNET)Building ManagementInformation displaysVoIPDigital video

Research:In collaboration with IBBT Interdisciplinary institute for BroadBand Technology(academic & industrial knowledge)

Two main projects: Virtual Arts Centre of the Future

Web platform 3D digital platform (Workspace Unlimited) Customer intelligence

Wireless Building AutomationWorkspace Unlimited / Hypervision / Cipal / Innoxys / Codefellas / CUO / ICRI / SMIT / MICT

Telindus / Siemens / Televic / Ubiwave / Niko / IMEC / COSIC / ICRI / PATS / INBCN / MMLab / ETRO

Web 2.0 …

“Web 2.0 means using the web the way it’s meant to be used.”

Paul Graham

Web 2.0:* Passive to active* Application-led to service-led* Client-server to peer-based topologies* One-size-fits-all to personalisation* Proprietary to open source

Norman Lewis

Six rules of Web 2.0:* Users Add Value:

Look at eBay, YouTube – the users are the application* Network Effects by Default

Let your users create the network (MySpace)* The Perpetual Beta

Applications are a never-ending story (google vs ms)* Software above a single Device

Applications everwhere, anytime* Data is the Next ‘Intel Inside’

Hard to recreate data leads to competitive advantage* A Platform beats an Application Every Time

Re-use the data services of others

Customer in the driver’s seat

He is in control of what he wants to see, how he wants to see it and how he wants to structure

it, how he enriches, how he shares, and how he participates…

Concept:USER MINDED

Explore:searching by interests, suggestionsdatamining, tags

Participate:diggs, ratingwriting reviewsadd items to collection

Share:personal pagefriendslist, inviting people to groups

Personalise:favorite concerts, personal calendar

a jazz fan could:listen to the concerts enlistedwatch a video fragmentbe infomed about the new jazz newskeep your own calendarshare information with other jazz fanscreate your own webpage

Open Collectionsupplied by everyone

activities artists products

texts multimedia streams

editorial pieces reviews ratings comments

+ external collections

http://technorati.com

http://flickr.com http://last.fm

http://del.icio.us

API

RSS

VACF

API

API

API

API

Technnology is mature: SOA, Web APIs, XML, RSS, Microformats, open URL structures,…

Public surveys by :

Qualitative research: Centre for Usability Research

Quantitative research: Media & ICT

Expert interviews: Studies on Media, Information and Telecommunication

What do customers expect ?

Imagine that if you are a jazz fan you could:

listen to the concerts enlistedwatch a video fragmentbe infomed about the new jazz newskeep your own calendarshare information with other jazz fanscreate your own webpagewalk around in an 3D environment…

What would you say?

Qualitative study

Are potential users enthusiastic?NO

BUT when they get to know and understand the possibilities

they want more

Key findings?Users participate less than they want:

Help to make choicesVideo/audio/trailersGet to know cultural profile of someone elseRecommendations of others

PersonalizePersonal pages: save comments, trailers,

reviewsMust have

Online concerts, exploring cultural offer

Quantitative studyVACF environment would encourage 2/3 of

participants to participate more

+: information and presentation0: personalization-: communication and creation

2 groups of internet users Practical tool: (info, ebanking): older

people, independents, familiesFun and entertainment: young, educated

Positive adoptation curve

Quantitative studyDifference between virtual & real

participation:

• In the group of virtual cultural participants is 70,8% also a frequent participant in ‘real life’

• So 29,2% of this group of virtual participants will never participate in ‘real life’!

→ possibility to attract a new group of participants of almost 30%

www.vooruit.be

Quick info

In depth info

Active info

FastSearchDirect

Basic info

Rich contentText

Audio Video

Tips and recommendations

Keep calender Save items ,

tips en reviewsWrite ownText & rec.

Upload video

Workspace UnlimitedCommon Grounds

www.workspace-unlimited.org

Common Grounds is an international network of

virtual worlds connected to fysical spaces, exploring the poetic possibilities of multiplayer

gaming technology and augmented space.

Workspace Unlimited

EXTENSION - SAT – Montréal (CA) DEVMAP - V2 – Rotterdam (NL) IMPLANT - Vooruit – Gent (BE)

Common Grounds is funded by the Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds, de Vlaamse Gemeenschap, Patrimoine Canada, Society for Art & Technology, V2_Institute, Arts

Centre Vooruit.

Screenshot of Extension:Kora Van den Bulcke and Thomas Soetens (founders of Workspace Unlimited) give a live lecture in the virtual space of EXTENSION. 

Workspace Unlimited

ICT Manager 2006: Ambitious IT project

rewarded!Jury: “Technology is used as an extension of core business of Vooruit”.

ConclusionImpact on cultural organisation will be major

Organisations should be prepared: to reconsider their roleto appreciate more input from the public

“The people formerly known as the audience”Involve your creative consumers!

Integration instead of division of real and virtual culture participation

Digitalisation opens new perspectives for cultural presentation, communication and interactivity

In order to take fully advantage of those new opportunities organisations should start exploring

“Innovation is neither a purely commercial nor a purely scientific process; it has to be seen as a social activity” (Charles Leadbeater)

‘The Virtual Arts Centre of the Future’: www.lulu.com, search for “e-culture” or “vacf” (http://www.lulu.com/content/801000)

www.vooruit.be

wouter@vooruit.be