The Answer is 7...

Digital technologies are fast taking over many industries. In today's sessions at the Atelier Young Festival Managers Conference, we discussed how the potential of these new ways of communicating and engaging audiences can be harnessed.

Digital Conversations

Digital commissions can challenge a person's personal boundaries, as well as holding a balance between participation and voyuerism.

We shared experiences of digital commissions, and their effects on their audiences. A very popular example was that of the adventure game, which is being explored much more now through the use of online platforms. I used the example of American rock band AFI's 337 Mystery (sometimes known as The Answer is 7). AFI took their fans on a well thought out adventure hunt before the release of their seventh studio album, Decemberunderground, in 2006. Fans went from website to website, watching videos of the band and deciphering their meaning, getting instructions to phone a particular number, and hearing a recorded message on the other end that took them to a location in Northern California. Following various instructions, deciphering various riddles, AFI fans found themselves all in the same place at the same time, with AFI's tour manager, Smith Puget, waiting for them with tickets to some very intimate shows.

What a genius was to engage your audience. Suggestions were made as to how the concept of the online adventure game could be developed. For example; if you're in a different country to that in which the festival takes place, you could involve yourself in an adventure game commission by becoming one of the instigators; one of the people giving the instructions to others all around the world. This way, a festival's audience would stretch far beyond it's normal reach.

Bernard Faivre d'Arcier gives his speech

There's so much more room for creativity where new technologies are concerned. We talked through the logistics of one on one performances via Bluetooth or in phone booths, where a controlled environment would allow for an immersive experience.

It was a conversation that could have gone on all day, and is certainly continuing in our minds.

However, there wasn't time to spend the whole day chatting about the possibilities here. Bernard Faivre d'Arcier, Chairman of Les Biennales de Lyon and former Director of the Festival d'Avignon, gave us our final leacture of the conference, and raised some interesting questions. He asked us to think about the intellectual context for our festivals, and commented on how festivals used to be curated by artists, but now it's much more common for their directors to be producers instead. Does this make a difference in what's programmed? That's something I need to have more of a look into - but it's definitely an interesting thought.

Bernard raised a few eyebrows with the following statement:

A good programmer should see at least 250 shows per year.

...But I don't think the raised eyebrows disagreed with him. I think they were thinking of the budget!

Celebrating our successes, ideas and new friendships

After our discussions for the day had ended, we were kindly invited to a drinks reception at the French Embassy in Slovenia, where the Ambassador Mr. Pierre-Francois Mourier and Mr. Ziga Turk, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport gave some lovely speeches on how the Atelier is important for the future of the arts industry. It was an honour to be invited to such a prestigious meeting, and I am looking forward to meeting the President of Slovenia tomorrow at our closing ceremony.

It being a Friday night, after dinner all participants headed out to explore the Slovenian nightlife. I haven't laughed as much as I did tonight in a long time. I can now confidently say that I have friends in 21 countries around the globe. This new network isn't going anywhere.

My attendance at the Atelier Young Festival Managers Conference is funded by the Jerwood Charitable Foundation - www.jerwoodcharitablefoundation.org