2010-12-17

Dialogue on the impact of digital technology on the cultural sector

The Cultural Human Resources Council (CHRC) in Canada, along with the Nordicity Group, are evaluating the impact of digital technology on the cultural sector.

The council want to encourage you to participate in the discussion of the impacts of digital technology that are rapidly changing the way cultural content is created, produced, distributed, marketed and consumed.

It want to hear from Canadians across all cultural sub-sectors (broadcasting; digital media; film and television; heritage; live performing arts; music and sound recording; visual arts and crafts; and writing and publishing). Are you an employer in a cultural business? Or in a not-for-profit organization? Do you work for a company, government or in education? Are you self-employed? Employed? Your input is vital. The council want to hear your perspectives on the impact of digital technology on you and on your work.

An online forum will be launched in early January and the dialogue will continue until May 2011. This forum will allow all interested Canadians to discuss issues arising from the revolution of digital technology on our work, and their potential solutions. It will encourage sharing of the challenges we are facing and the opportunities we are seeing as technology transforms the cultural workplace. The CHRC have also enlisted leading Canadian cultural innovators to share their stories and answer question on how they have overcome or benefited from the impacts of digital technology.

The council hopes all cultural professionals will take the opportunity to add their voices to this critical discussion. With broad participation the sharing will be rich and varied and we will all learn valuable lessons for navigating the new digital world.

The CHRC encourage you to spread the forum details to your members, colleagues, and to whom ever would be interested in the development of this study through Twitter, Facebook, e-blasts and on your blog (or good old fashioned face-to-face!). With your help it can engage Canada's cultural community from coast to coast to coast. Until then, sign-up for a notification of our launch here www.culturalhrc.ca/digitalimpact.

This project is funded by the Government of Canada's Sector Council Program.