<nettime> Canada Council - Media Arts on the Web

[Katarina Soukup <katbird@monkat.net>]

Dear nettime denizens,

I am currently doing a bit of research on behalf of the Canada Council for
the Arts. We are looking at web dissemination of media art works (film,
video, audio, and web art). I'm focusing on initiatives outside of Canada
that could serve as models, examples, or prototypes for Canadian artists.

You will find a very short questionnaire and a description of the Canada
Council's project below. I hope those of  you with interesting projects will
take a few minutes to reply -your input and experience would be invaluable
to media artists in Canada!

Please feel free to circulate  to (or let me know of) others with
initiatives using the web to present media art..

If possible, I would like responses to the questionnaire by January 23rd

all the very best,
katarina soukup
katbird@monkat.net


ELECTRONIC DISSEMINATION QUESTIONNAIRE

For: Canadian and international distributors of: film, video, audio, and
web-based work.
Re:  Web streaming activities and initiatives

Please send your replies to Katarina Soukup
katbird@monkat.net
by January 23, 2001

PART 1      IDENTIFICATION

1. Who do you represent? What is your constituency? How do you
identify/select artists? How large is your membership?
2. What is your structure? (ie artist run center, not for profit,
commercial, web-based exclusively, etc)
3. What is the reach of your distribution? Can you define your audience?

PART 2     CURRENT STREAMING ACTIVITIES

1. What type of work is being digitized now and what are the technical
considerations?
2. Are you currently streaming work?
3. Has using the web to present works enabled you to experiment with
interactivity? If so, how?
4. Are you involved with any broadband (high speed Internet) projects?

PART 3     IMMEDIATE PLANS

1. What are your immediate plans for streaming? What type of work?
2. What are your priorities?
3. What is your timeline?

PART 4      BARRIERS/CHALLENGES/GAPS

1. What are your biggest challenges to meeting both short and long term
plans for streaming work? (technical? copyright? e-commerce etc.)
2. What resources would you need?
3. Any other issues?


JANUARY 2001

CANADA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS
MEDIA ARTS SECTION: ELECTRONIC DISTRIBUTION PROJECT

Objective: To consolidate and support the efforts of Canadian media artists
to ensure they have an informed, active presence in Web dissemination.

Background: From June 1998 to February 2000, Internet usage by people under
25 years increased from 55% to 84% (=A9Ekos Research Associates Inc.). Peter
J. Nicholson, the Chief Strategy officer at Bell Canada Enterprises,
recently ventured that "it is only a matter of bandwidth before the Web
fulfils its multimedia destiny" and is able to deliver movies as easily as
it now does text and music. In the United States, the National Alliance for
Media Arts and Culture (Namac) estimates that within three years "audience
expectations regarding ... interactive media, and the infrastructure
designed to deliver it, will become resistant to alternative structures and
experiences."

The potential for creation and distribution of media artwork over the Web is
enormous, audiences appetite for receiving work over the Web is growing,
but there is a narrow window of opportunity within which to carve a
meaningful presence for artists.

The Media Arts Section of the Canada Council for the Arts is interested in
both the distribution of work that was not originally produced for the Web
(videotapes and film, audio works) and work that only exists in the Web
environment (Web movies, work with hypertext links).

The Media Arts Section plans to:

1. Study: consolidate information regarding current practices, challenges
and opportunities, enrich it with international research and test it with
government and private sector partners. (January-February 2001)
2. Discuss and develop: bring together members of the community and key
partners in a working group to develop a work plan. (May 2001)
3. Present a proposal for funding to the Board of the Canada Council (June
2001)
4. Fund prototypes: subject to Board approval, artists and organizations
will be invited to apply for funds to build and test dissemination
prototypes. (September 2001)
5. Inform:  set up a website to post the research, to invite commentary and
feedback from the community and to follow the development of the prototypes
(February 2001 ongoing).


* ____________________________________ *

www.katbird.net
www.monkat.net/osciveillance
        www.hearingtrumpet.net

KATBIRD n. 1. kacenka; 2. bird whose call sounds like the cats meow; 3.
katbird seat: position of power or prestige.

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