The Arts:  Sharing Center Stage on the Internet BOF (ARTS)

Reported by Scott Stoner/The Kennedy Center


Session Focus

Joyce Reynolds, User Services Area Director, and Scott Stoner, BOF
coordinator, welcomed participants and outlined the following goals for
the session:


   o to identify content (i.e., various types of arts- and
     humanities-based information and resources) that will be in demand
     from the arts and education communities, including key
     stakeholders, as the Internet continues to evolve; and

   o to identify and/or suggest potential technological applications and
     strategies that will best support dissemination of the above
     information and communications needs.


Participants' Interests

Participants were asked to introduce themselves and indicate their
particular reason for attending the ARTS BOF, the results of which
demonstrated a wide range of interests.  For example, a large segment of
participants attended the BOF to support the need for creating arts and
humanities databases on the Internet for educational purposes.  They are
interested in the challenges of cataloging information, particularly
non-textual and/or not previously captured types of information and
resources that represent the rich, multi-cultural heritage of the US and
other nations.  There is also considerable interest in using
telecommunications as a tool for creating and appreciating the arts,
including interactive, real-time capabilities for arts-based
performances and events on the Internet.  Others expressed the need to
explore how ``real people'' (i.e., other than those involved in
scientific, engineering work) can use the net for creative and
interactive purposes beyond its traditional scientific, research focus.


Discussion

Initial discussion focused on the challenges inherent in incorporating
arts and humanities within the current Internet content and structure
(with the caveat that technological capability is not an obstacle).
Intellectual property issues are key to this, as can be related to
ongoing debates regarding the creative rights of artists and arts
producers.  As has been the ongoing problem of the National Endowment
for the Arts, it is difficult to establish standards for what is
acceptable in the content and quality of works of art (regardless of
medium) that are widely accessible to the public.

A significant amount of discussion focused on the need to create a
paradigm for the input and use of arts and humanities content on-line
that would be different from passive television and film viewing.  It is
important that the telecommunications technology be pushed to foster and
support interactive arts applications that take advantage of multiple
protocols, conversion techniques, and multi-dimensional approaches to
the creative process.  LA's Electronic Cafe was cited as a successful
example of interactive arts-based activity.  Another participant
described the exciting prospects of engaging in theater-based
experiences on-line that would go beyond the center stage to include
back-stage and off-stage theatrical production design and process.

Discussion shifted to challenges to cataloging and indexing arts and
humanities content that would ensure universal access for Internet
users.  There was also consensus regarding the need to develop rights
and responsibilities for arts and humanities information providers, as
well as a set of standards that would guide arts and humanities
information and resource providers to build high quality and accessible
content on the Internet (e.g., museum-quality artwork).

Participants then discussed the needs of the potential arts and
humanities userbase and identified a priority need to provide technical
assistance to artists and artist-educators to use the technology, and
particularly to understand the potential of interactive applications.
This included the suggestion that an ``Adopt-an Artist'' approach, based
on the Compumentor model should be promoted.  Most participants agreed
that training and technical assistance to access and use the Internet
would significantly reduce the sense of isolation that pervades the arts
community nationally.

Finally, there was consensus that sufficient interest and need exists to
request that the IESG endorse an Arts and Humanities Working Group.
Participants then identified a first draft of goals for a potential
working group, as follows:


   o Serve as a clearinghouse for arts and humanities content.

   o Catalogue arts and humanities information and resources (including
     content that has heretofore not conformed to traditional scientific
     cataloging formats).

   o Identify and respond to the specific training and technical
     assistance needs of the arts and humanities communities.

   o Identify the benefits and help promote the participation of artists
     on the Internet.

   o Assist artists to use the Internet and technology as appropriate
     tools for artistic creativity and for storing arts and
     humanities-based information and resources.

   o Survey and identify technological needs and/or issues for each
     major visual and performing arts area.

   o Foster collaboration and interactivity among the arts and
     humanities communities, and with other subject areas (e.g., math,
     science, etc.).

   o Provide a vehicle for creating an international community of
     interest for the arts and humanities.


At the conclusion of the session, participants recommended that 1) an
Arts-Humanities mailing list be established immediately for BOF
participants and any other interested individuals, and 2) that a second
ARTS BOF be held at the next IETF meeting (in December, 1994), to
further explore issues, define goals and an agenda as preparation for
requesting the formation of an Arts and Humanities Working Group.

The ARTS BOF mailing list, arts@isi.edu, is now active.  To be added to
the list, send a request to arts-request@isi.edu.  The archive is on
ftp.isi.edu as arts/arts.mail.