Section A
Summary (A) 1.2 Background
For the purposes of this study, multimedia is taken to mean the combination of sound, image (still or moving), written or spoken word or viewer interaction, mediated by a computer. Multimedia must be understood as taking many forms, including installation, interactive CD's, internet projects, interactive television, or be used as part of performances. While multimedia has assumed a variety of informational functions and can be a secondary form of distribution for existing material, the focus of this research is on the production of original artistic work. London is host to burgeoning activity in further and higher education, and a lively commercial production sector comprising both new and existing media companies.
Section B
Summary (B) 1.2 Production Timescales and Budgets
Multimedia production is an interdisciplinary process that draws upon skills and resources from the existing artforms, aswell as requiring new tools and competencies. Research and development is a key stage for artists: Artists require time to develop ideas with their hands on the production and exhibition technologies they wish to use and to develop working relationships with any collaborators. The production process can be lengthy, with time-consuming processing required on every audio or visual element.
Summary (B) 1.3 Training and Access to Equipment for Artists
A "mixed economy" in training and access already exists - though it is an informal one - with artists' own equipment, and resources within education and the commericial production sector being as important as those within the arts funded sector. Artists who have the contacts to access these other sectors are privileged. The further and higher education sectors are expanding and diversifying and are providing opportunities for supporting the production of new work, as well as some basic training and access resourcing. Provision is fragmented and there is no centralised source of information. The importance for artistic work of production management and business-related skills must not be underestimated.
Summary (B) 1.4 New Groups of Producers
An emerging medium means new practitioners. While continuing to support new work by existing clients, LAB must take careful note of the characteristics and requirements of these new groups - especially those that do not identify with an existing artform - if it is to maintain its own relevance to a growing sector of cultural production. LAB must also maintain a critical awareness of the needs and aspirations of groups such as those with physical disabilites, black artists and women artists, traditionally marginalised within the arts, for whom multimedia holds particular opportunities and creative interest.
Summary (B) 1.5 Partnerships
There is an exchange of skills and practitioners between the arts sector and the commercial production sector: vocational skills and equipment resources can strengthen and enable artists work while the mixture of creativity and skill is much in demand in the industry. This is opening new opportunities for partnership in supporting artists' multimedia work. Such partnerships are an opportunity but need to be approached with caution and mutual understanding of each sectors creative, financial, and technological concerns. Artists must be valued and supported creatively and financially by the arts if they are to continue to make innovative, experimental work within the funded sector.
Summary: (B) 2.1 The Limitations and Opportunities of the New Electronic Media
The new electronic media of the internet and interactive CD currently have a limited audience. Creative work in multimedia is well placed to bridge the gaps between the electronic media and existing sites for the arts, strengthening and building new audiences for both. The tendency of commercially-driven technological developments to target a domestic audience is one that the arts may wish to question.
Summary (B) 2.2 Integrating the Live and the Virtual
Artists work with multimedia does not represent a clean break with past practices in exhibiting and distributing art work. However, the new media do offer new and revealing ways for artists and curators to re-configure and experiment with relationships between the physical and the virtual, process and product and between a regional and international constituency. An awareness of these relationships is key to innovative and effective artists' projects.
Summary (B) 2.3 Venue Development
Training and Infrastructure in the traditional venues for art need to be strengthened to enable the exhibition of multimedia by artists and to provide a comprehensive research and development resource. This as least as urgent as the need to invest in new forms of production resources. Lack of funding means that equipment is not shared between arts organisations efficiently. Site specific commissions are a good opportunity for artists to make work that broadens the definition of what multimedia can be and critically engages with its location, the audience and the medium itself.
Summary (B) 2.4 Publishing, Literature and the Book Trade
The traditional field of book publishing holds two different opportunities for multimedia. Traditional forms of writing can be distributed via electronic means, although the difficulties of payment on computer networks have led to a cautious approach. On the other hand, the publication of new work, especially on CD based media, for retail and home use has enough in common with the business of publishing and book selling for publishers to see this an avenue for diversification. Specialist arts publishers and distributors are entering into partnerships with producers and promoters of artists' interactive work, especially that which has already achieved a profile through public exhibition. An "underground" culture of publishing on the internet, floppy disk and increasingly CD is springing up.
Summary 2.5 Broadcasting and Convergence
The traditional role of broadcasting is changing with fragmentation in delivery systems and questions about its public service role. In the future, the development of broadband telecommunications infrastucture may absorb the consumer services the internet currently offers into a more marketable package, while multimedia will be able to be delivered much faster. The current priority of cable television is cheap product and developing telecommunications services to broaden its market. There will be a profusion of channels looking for inexpensive product. Artists will have to find a place within this scenario on a new basis.
Summary (B) 2.6 Existing Channels for Distribution of Artists' Media
As the (traditionally interdisciplinary) work of film and video artists becomes increasingly interested in gallery and site specific exhibition, the artists' film and video distribution agencies are fast developing a role in the commissioning, touring, publication and distribution and promotion of new electronic media work by artists, including installations and projects for the internet. Their curatorial perspective, experience in working across distribution platforms and exhibition contexts, expertise and contacts nationally and internationally are key to supporting multimedia in all its forms. This is creating another area of cross-over between the film and video funding sector and the rest of the arts funding system.
Summary (B) 2.7 Information, Marketing and Creative Work
Is is important to make the distinction between original, creative work and the provision, dissemination and re-cycling of information. However, in practice it may be of benefit to organisations to look at creative and informational uses in an integrated way. Through this artists from all disciplines may gain opportunities to develop small-scale pieces of work which provide important opportunities for experimentation. The combination of both functions ensures constant change and interest in an internet site.
Summary 2.8 Copyright
Artists' copyright is protected in electronic and digital media as in any other. Artists who wish to use copyrighted material in their work are entering a difficult realm, shrouded in mutual distrust. However, copyright issues can be resolveable and potential copyright issues - including the contracting of contributors of original work - need to be dealt with at the research and development stage of a production with the use of professional consultants if needs be. Artists need to show awareness of copyright implications of any work they might propose to make, especially if they are proposing to enter into partnerships with publishers and distributors.
Summary 2.9 Documentation and Archiving
Multimedia is of interest to artists for documentation purposes. However, a full CD-ROM production is a costly undertaking and both artists and funding bodies would need to consider the potential market and distribution for such products before taking on the task. There are limited funds for documentation which tends not to be seen as a priority. There is a gap in moving-image archive provision for installation and new electronic media platforms.
Summary (B) 2.10 Building a Critical Context
Publications and symposia are necessary for the fostering of high quality artistic work in multimedia and providing access for a broad audience to the issues of cultural change that surround the work. It is very valuable to provide forums for those with backgrounds in the traditional artforms to respond to work and hear what artists have to say about their new practices, but multimedia's ability to engage people with a wide range of interests demands some new contexts for critical writing. Symposia and publications are crucial in breaking down the barriers between multimedia artwork, more traditional forms of arts practice, and related disciplines from cultural studies to science fiction.
Summary (B) 3.2 General Funding Issues
Co-ordination between LAB departments and between the LAB and LFVDA will be required to prevent projects falling through the gaps between artform categories and institional remits. Currently, the split between LFVDA and LAB is detrimental to the work of media artists in London. Research and development is underfunded generally. Flexibility and co-ordination between regions is a necessity, and the electronic networking technologies themselves can help this. A pluralistic system of evaluation for multimedia which is as interdisciplinary as the work itself will aid the funding body in developing a collective understanding of the field across the artform boundaries. Work should emphasise artistic above technological innovation.
Summary (B) 3.3 New Opportunities for Funding and Partnership
Local authorities, through further education and training initiatives as well as arts and libraries responsibilites are building up training and access resources in multimedia, often with European Funding. There are opportunities to work in partnership with these projects to provide basic training and access for artists. Partnership with Higher Education is already playing a crucial role in the development of new artistic work and there are opportunities to formalise these links. Similarly, links with the private sector should be consolidated. Capital funding opportunities through the National Lottery are significant but require a strategic approach to partnership, given the high revenue costs involved. The needs of artists should always be taken into account, and kept distinct from training needs. European funded initiatives have already done much to develop multimedia activity in London. Several European Union funding programmes, including ERDF which encompasses a swathe of North East London has relevance to multimedia. Pro-active work by LAB would be required to access it suceessfully on behalf of its clients and would be a positive move in supporting them. An international outlook is of great importance.
Summary (B) 3.1 Current Operation of Funding Programmes in London
The interdisciplinary funds at the LAB have a special role to play in
the
development of multimedia in London. However, they will need
to shift
emphasis from collaboration to interdisciplinary work, and take a
flexible approach to their London focus and London premiere criteria
if
they are to support this area of work effectively. The use of
technological tools and distribution media within the existing artform
categories are tending to dovetail with an interdisciplinary tendency
among many practitioners. This means that all LAB artform
departments, especially the visual arts and music, will have an
increasing involvement in multimedia. Provision for research
and
development is inadequate across all funding programmes.
Recommendations
1. Development and Advocacy
A. LAB should not invest its own funds in major infrastructure, but should concentrate on funding new artistic work. Infrastructure, including basic training and access resources, should be developed in partnership with other agencies.
B. LAB and its clients should work with Further Education, Local Authorities and training initiatives in multimedia to ensure that artists are valued and their needs met within the growing number of training and access facilities being developed outside of the arts funded sector.
C. LAB should take a pro-active role in bringing partners together develop access and training opportunities with funding via the National Lottery, Foundation for Sports and the Arts, and the European Union.
D. LAB should take a strategic approach to lottery bids for digital resourcing, prioritising those that represent continuity for organisations, and those which are from partnerships with a firm revenue base.
E. LAB should act quickly on the current possibilities to work with futher and higher education institutions, multimedia resources and some private sector production companies to facilitate research and development and the making of new work by more experienced artists. Bursaries and residencies are a good model for this.
F. LAB should lobby for the broadest possible definition for the National Lottery's support of "commissioning and recording" work, and the freeing up of lottery resources for projects and commissions. "Endowments" of capital funding from the lottery should be argued for.
G. LAB should use its position to act as an advocate for the contribution artists working with new technology can make to developments in education, economic development, local networking initiatives and the private audio-visual sector. It might participate in consultation with the Association for London Government (ALG), Government Office for London (GOL), DOE London Policy Unit, the Training and Enterprise Councils, the DFEE and the DTI. Local Authorities and City Partnerships within ERDF areas should be targeted.
H. Opportunities for funding through the EU should be further researched by the LAB and information made available to clients.
I. Throughout development and advocacy activities, the LAB should ensure that the broadest possible range of artistic practitioners will be included, that cultural diversity and the activities of women artists are promoted and supported, people with disabilities are not disadvantaged, and those without a background in formal education have an opportunity to develop their artistic work. These considerations demand an informed overview and a heterogeneous provision.
J. LAB should issue general guidelines on legal issues and be prepared to refer clients to specialists in the field.
K. LAB should compile a directory of training and access facilities in London for wide distribution among artists and organisations.
L. LAB might consider brokering a consortium of arts organisations to make a bid for exhibition equipment and work to solve the revenue implications.
2. Reviewing Funding Programmes and Cross-Departmental Working
A. LAB should set up a working party to monitor and contribute to the assessment of all multi-media related applications received across all departments. To be most effective, this working party should have a budget to support good projects that fall outside the remit of the existing funding programmes, with a priority for research and development. This working party should involve LFVDA.
B. To ensure ongoing development of priorities, criteria, and definition of artistic work the working party should introduce an interdisciplinary process of evaluating projects in multimedia. An initial step should be informal review of the work of the key organisations in London and their contribution to artistic work in the field.
C. The collaboration premise and requirement for London premiere within the London Collaborations fund should be reviewed, particularly in the light of networking projects, process-based work and the increasing number of multimedia-trained practitioners.
D. The definition of London Premiere for London Calling should be reviewed.
E. Clarity is required as to whether the awards for individual artists can cover the purchase of computer equipment.
F. The annual funding round should be reviewed, especially with regard to research and development awards.
G. Research and Development needs to be funded adequately, and preferably some research and development should be supported between the annual funding rounds. Funds from the working party might help bridge the gap but perhaps LAB could consider an Autumn round for research and development only on some funding programmes.
H. LAB should prioritise funding projects at an early stage, particularly in the case of CD-ROM proposals. A sum of £10,000 to £12,000 is a reasonable to generous amount for the production of "prototypes". Where possible, these should be exhibitable and should function to attract funding partners.
I. Each artform is having to deal with the impact of new technologies, and therefore the advisory panels for each artform should be reviewed as a matter of urgency. There are many different perspectives on multimedia and understandings of it as an artistic practice: one "expert" advisor for each artform is not generally adequate.
J. LAB should issue a general instruction to artists receiving awards to address legal issues, and be prepared to make referrals to specialists.
K. LAB should ensure that projects adequately address the notion of audience and identify their constituency, even in internet projects. Applicants should be encouraged to show an awareness of the importance of working across "real" space and virtual space, between the global and the local, and that forms of marketing are required in both conventional and new media.
L. Small awards for training should prioritise technical staff at venues and production management.
M. All the above strategies should be reviewed in 2 years.
3. Training for LAB Officers and Board
A. All LAB officers must prioritise building their own awareness of the impact of new technologies and multimedia on their particular artform and across disciplines. Where possible they should attend exhibitions and conferences and subscribe to relevant journals (see bibliography). To track industry developments, Development Officers could make use of easy sources of information such as the new technologies file at the BFI library and the industry newsletters available at the British Library.
B. LAB should organise a short series of lunchtime or early evening talks by a number of artists working in the field, complemented by one talk on legal implications and another on commercial and infrastructure developments. A programme can be suggested as part of this consultancy.
4. Policy
A. LAB has adopted as a subsidiary aim to "respond to the creative use of new technologies". Action on the strategies outlined above would indicate a real commitment to statement.
5. Personnel
The recommendations outlined in this section could be summed up as a "development agency" role, with the paramount need for a pro-active approach to partnership and advocacy. At the same time, all artform departments are implicated in the need to respond to technological change, with multimedia being just one part of the shifts taking place. While artistic work with new technologies does open new possibilities, the field equally benefits from a sense of continuity and shared values with conventional artforms. At worst, the creation of a new category within the funding system would be an excuse for artforms to evade responsibility for changes taking place within their disciplines, and could lead to a narrow, monolithic definition of multimedia. When the next set of "new technologies" appear, the panic will be repeated.
LAB must balance a long-term view in which both artistic and technological trends increasingly break down artform boundaries, with a pragmatic approach which recognises the specialist knowlege and vision currently required.
Central to any decision LAB makes about how it tackles this area is the development of its relationship with LFVDA. Areas of cross-over between the two organisations can only increase, and from the multimedia and film and video installation artists point of view, there is little value in the split between the two agencies. However, while it continues, only a warmer relationship between the two organisations will effectively support new moving-image based artistic work in London. Both organisations seem willing to work together. LAB could look at the following options:
1. A cross-departmental working party takes full responsibility for the area, includes LFVDA in its procedures, and encourages LFVDA to contribute to a "safety-net" fund. Most multimedia continues to be funded through existing programmes (reviewed as recommended), although all applications are monitored and discussed by the working party. LAB could even consider insitigating target "quotas" for all interdisciplinary projects, including multimedia, funded through each department. Development work is undertaken within the Strategic Development Department by existing staff.
2. As above, but with a new specialist staff member on fixed term contract overseeing the working party, undertaking the development and advocacy role, and providing a core of information and support within LAB.
3. As 1 but with a new staff member, whose remit is to research and develop the possibilities of European funding across all the artforms, available to support the development work.
4. All multimedia applications are channeled through one artform officer
(existing or new) who takes full responsibility funding programmes
and
development. A multimedia fund is established by clawing in money from
all
other departments and the London Production Fund. Although this
option
can be seen as practical and expedient, I do not support it because
of its
short-term view that would tend to support multimedia to the detriment
of film
and video and other interdisciplinary work.
Appendix 1 Glossary
3D Computer Graphics
A computer image that has height, breadth and depth. The computer holds enough data about the image so that it can be presented from different angles. This can give the illusion of movement through or around the image, which is therefore often called a model.
Analog
Pre-digital systems for storing data. Includes audio and video magnetic tape, vinyl records and film.
Animation
The creation of the illusion of a moving image by the display of a sequence of still images (frames) so fast that the eye is tricked. The frames may be stored on and played back using a variety of media eg. film, videotape, computer hard-disk.
Application
A software package that enables the computer to be used for a particular purpose, or to perform a particular task. This includes programs like wordprocessing or constructing databases, but also the software packages for entertainment or reference, for example the software distributed on a CD-ROM.
Bandwidth
The capacity of a telecommunications channel. The greater the bandwidth, the more data can fit down it at any one time and the faster the flow of information.
BBS
Bulletin Board System. A computer storing data that can be accessed directly by telephone lines and modems. Not to be confused with The Internet.
Broadcasting
The transmission of data signals from one source to many receivers.
CAD Computer Aided Design. The (very widespread) use of powerful computers to create 3D models in engineering, industrial and architectural design.
CD - I
Compact Disc - Interactive A platform aimed at the consumer electronics market for interactive multimedia. Manufactured by Phillips who have struggled to produce attractive enough products to create a mass market for CD-I. To increase their chances, Phillips have opted to fully fund the production of CD-I titles from independent production companies.
CD
Compact Disc A digital form of data storage, introduced in 1982 for audio only, and now also being used to store other forms of data. The CD is still predominately a "read-only", ie. not recordable format although this is beginning to change with cheaper recordable CD systems.
CD-ROM
Compact Disc - Read Only Memory A standard format for the storage and distribution of multimedia, able to hold 650MB of data: the equivalent of 1500 floppy disks.
Compuserve
An information exchange system for personal computer users that provides email, on-line conferences and various home shopping-type services. Can communicate with people or computers on The Internet but is not part of it.
Convergence
A term used to describe the coming together of the broadcasting system with telecommunications as more and more television is delivered to homes by cables that can also be used for telecommunications. Convergence introduces the possibility for one box in the corner of the living room to be used to watch conventional television, call up films for "video on demand", participate in interactive entertainent services such as networked computer games or the various forms "interactive television" might take, shop from home and use communications services such as video telephony and email. Big corporate money is gearing up for this development, with increasing cross-ownership between cable television companies, telecommunications companies, and film and television production companies. The stumbling block is the quesion of who will pay for the physical cables - the "Information Superhighway" - to be laid.
Cyberspace
A spatial metaphor employed to describe the points of social interaction mediated via the computer and telecommunications system. A loose term used as often to refer to fictional developments in computing as to actual possibilities.
Digital
A system of storing data, eg. sounds and images by reducing it to binary code. In contrast to analog media which stores some likeness of the original, digital data does not degrade with copying. It also introduces the possibility of Random Access to the Data and so for hypertext and interactivity.
A system that allows messages to be sent from computer to computer over networks.
Electronic Publishing
The publishing of non-print material. Storage, reproduction and distribution can take a variety of forms, eg. CD-ROM, floppy disk, or can be made available on-line.
Full Motion Video
A system that can display on a computer screen, digital video images at a frame-rate that leads to a smoothness of movement equivalent to video or film. This had been such a challenge for the storage capacity and processing speed of computers that full motion video that fills the whole computer screen is a very recent and relatively costly development.
Hardware
The physical components of a computer system: screen, printer, silicon chips, disk drives etc.
Hypermedia
A term often used for any media that is interactive and combines multiple media ie. text, graphics, still images, sounds etc. More-or-less interchangeable with interactive multimedia.
Hypertext
The linking of information in non-linear ways, allowing the viewer to choose different paths of enquiry through a multimedia application.
Information Superhighway
Over-used and un-specific term for the high bandwidth telecommunications system required to deliver services requiring a lot of data, for instance video on demand, videoconferencing, interactive television and networked video games.
Immersive Virtual Reality
A system that creates the illusion of being inside - immersed in - a computer-generated environment.
Interactive
Any computer based system in which input from the user or environment affects the output communicated to the user.
Interface
The system by which the computer system communicates with the user, and the user interacts with the system.
Internet
A network of computer networks, interlinking academic, commercial, government, business and community networks using standard telephone lines for the exchange of text (mostly), and also sound and image. The internet is becoming increasingly commercial itself, and also increasingly accessible by commercial networks that are not part of the internet, for example: Compuserve.
ISDN
Integrated Services Digital Network Telephone lines allowing the high speed transmission of complex data like video and graphic files. Used commercially quite extensively for the very fast delivery of data, for instance in delivering sequences of animation from a studio in London to a director in Hollywood. Also used for videoconferencing and video phones. ISDN has less bandwidth than broadband cable such as that used to deliver cable TV or services on SuperJanet.
Interactive Movies
"Movies", either animated, live action or a mixture of both where the viewer can make choices and determine outcome along the way. May include games and puzzles which the viewer needs to win to progress to the next part of the narrative.
Interactive Television
Term applied to any system that allows viewer particpation in television, requiring a two-way link between the broadcast station and the television in the home. Some interactive services are available on cable TV in the UK: mostly sports coverage which allow choices of camera angles and events to view, and quiz shows which allow participation.
Interactive Multimedia
Applications that use a computer to combine any of graphics, animation, still or moving images, sound and music, and which allow the user of the application to affect the output.
Macintosh
Desktop computers made by the company Apple Macintosh which have been favourites with graphic designers and many multimedia designers. A big minority in the business and domestic market, however. In general, software for the Macintosh cannot be used on the rival PC format.
Modem
A small device that links computers to the telephone network, allowing digital signals to travel down standard telephone wires.
MIDI
Musical Instrument Digital Interface A standard system for the digitisation of sounds, allowing for easy communication between computers and music keyboards.
Navigation
A term used often to refer to finding ones way around a database, hypertext or computer network.
Network
Any system that links computers together. A Local Area Network (LAN) may link the computers in one company or one room. A Wide Area Network(WAN) interconnects computers on many sites, and may connect to The Internet.
On-line
A computer, or the information on it, that has a live and open connection to a network, accessible over that network at any time.
PC
Any computer that is compatible with the IBM standard format. Usually PC's run programs under MS-DOS and/or Windows. In general, programs for PC's will not run on Macintosh computers and vice-versa.
Photo-CD
A CD system for storing good quality photographic images in digital form. An easy way to digitise 35mm images which can then be displayed on a computer or TV screen or copied into a computer for manipulation or incorporation into a multimedia application.
Pixel
The smallest unit of a computer image.
Platform
The storage and delivery system of a piece of interactive multimedia. Common games platforms are: Sega Mega Drive, Sega Mega CD, Super Nintendo, 3DO. Adult applications may be carried on CD-I or CD-ROM, or may be available on-line via a network. Platforms are often competitive with eachother in the marketplace, and applications may or may not be available on more than one platform.
Real-time
A term for systems with no discernable delay between input by the user and output by the machine, or in communication between users over a network.
Resolution
Measure of detail of an image or sound outputted by a computer.
Server
A computer attached to a network (which could be attached to the worldwide internet) that provides a service, which may that it allows access to data to those computers on the network.
SGI
Silicon Graphics International Brand of very powerful, and expensive, computers used for animation and 3D modelling, eg. the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park.
Software
Information such as programs, databases or applications such as games that can stored and distributed on hard-discs, floppy disks, magnetic tape, CD-ROM's etc. Computer hardware is useless without the software which tells it what to do.
Teleconferencing
Meetings and discussion conducted over a computer network. Until the 1990's this term referred mainly to exchanges of the written word. With broadband telecommunications, teleconferencing is more likely to refer to video links using ISDN lines or perhaps satellite communications.
Telematics
The use of computers to mediate text, audio or visual communication over the telecommunications system.
Virtual
Simulations by computer of a process or environment: ie. its virtually real, but not quite.
Virtual Reality
The computer simulation of being in a real space, using 3D models that can give the illusion of being moved through and around.
World Wide Web
A huge network of servers connected to The Internet, able to
display and distribute images and sounds aswell as text, and
contantly available via. permanent internet links. Hypertext
links allow the user to jump from one server to another almost
instantly, wherever those servers may be. The convention of
the World Wide Web is to display data as "pages" of text and
images. A cluster of connected pages "posted" up by a
particular group of individual is called a "site". Hence "web
site".
Appendix 2
Bibliography
Developments in mass market/commercial sector Newspaper and journal cuttings
Blucoe, N, "Artful Manipulation" The Guardian July 20 1995 p.13 Introduction to and critique of art collection interactives in both museums and for retail.
Flower, Joe, "Idiots Guide to the Internet", New Scientist, 1 July 1995 p. 22 - 25 Inspite of the title, an excellent explanation of who owns and runs the internet and what its future may be.
Fox, Barry, "Music to the Eyes and Ears" The Times, 16 June 1995 Summary of commercial and technical problems with producing CD's that are both for ordinary audio use and also interactive if used with a PC.
Hewson, David, "A Dream Come True for Couch Potatoes?", The Times, 16 June 1995 Developments in the UK multi-media market with figures, and interesting critique of the multimedia PC as a mass market item.
Levis, Kieran, "Faulty Picture of Multimedia World" Financial Times 30 March 1994 p. 21 A "personal view" piece on the future of video-on-demand, interactive TV etc.
LLoyd, Christopher, "BT's Wire Act Woos Westminster", The Sunday Times, 30 April 1995, p.2: 10 Westminster Cable's interactive TV trial, and some of the politics of the governent ban on BT's provision of entertaiment services.
LLoyd, Christopher, "BT Challenges Cable Firms with Interactive TV" The Sunday Times, June 20 1995, p. 2/13 A summary of BT's interactive TV trial in Colchester and Ipswich.
Lloyd, Christopher and Jonathan Miller, "Digital Superhighway... but which lane?" The Financial Times, February 1994 p. 3: 3 Investigating the relationship between cable TV companies and telecommunications)
McClellan, Jim, Cyberspace column, The Observer "Life" Magazine, 3 July 1994, p.61 Review of pop music on CD-ROM eg. Peter Gabrial and Prince, and look at the future of music on the internet.
Spillius, Alex, "On the Super-Hypeway to nowhere?" The Independent on Sunday, 27 November 1994 A more tempered prediction of the speed and scale of change in communication technologies.
Wright, Michael "Movies That Make You The Star", Daily Telegraph, 17 June 1995, Arts Section Introduction to idea of "interactive movies" on CD and some problems.
Mass Market and commercial sector: Books
The Multimedia Yearbook, 1995 Good source of information and opinion on strictly mass market/entertainment concerns for the multimedia industry.
Cotton, Bob and Oliver, Richard, Understanding Hypermedia, Phaidon, London, 1993 Inspite of being a few years old and adopting a rather breathless style, this is a good reference book for understanding screen-based multimedia especially CD-ROM.
Cotton Bob and Oliver, The Cyberspace Lexicon, Phaidon, London, 1994 Also a fairly good reference source for the design, entertainment/commercial sphere of activity
Morrison, Mike, The Magic of Interactive Entertainment, 1994 A useful, though irritatingly enthusiastic, introduction to multi-media entertainment, with "case studies" of productions.
Arts and multimedia Newspaper cuttings, journal articles and essays.
Cubitt, Sean, "Interactive" in Video Positive '95 catalogue, Moviola, Liverpool 1995. Critique of "interactive" art.
Dery, Mark "Art Goes High-Tech", ArtNews v.92 pl 94 - 83 Feb. 1993 *
Grant, Simon, "Arcade meets Arcane" Artist's Newsletter, July 1995 Review of Video Positive '95
Houghton, Nik, "Lost in Cyberspace" Artists Newsletter June 1994 p. 36 - 38 An eloquent exploration of many aspects of the debate around electronic media in a fine arts context.
Huhatamo, Erkki, "From a Site Specific to a Web Site Specific Art Practice: is There Any Room Left For "Traditional" Media Art?" in Video Positive '95 catalogue, Moviola, Liverpool 1995 An even handed view by a curator of the strengths and weaknesses of using the internet for art.
Lubbock, Tom, "A Hard Act to Swollow" The Independent, 9 June 1995, p21 Review of "Video Positive", discussing the problems of taking a technologically-led approach to an arts event, but alas illustrating further problems by taking this approach in his own view of the festival.
Digital Dialectics: A Hybrid Theory of Computer Art, AfterImage, November 1993 A good historically referenced theoretical outline of creative issues in interactive computer art.
Piper, K, "Seperate Spaces: A Personal Perspective on Black Art and the New Technologies" in Variant, Issue 14 Summer 1993 (Video Positive '93 Catalogue), Glasgow, 1993. Interesting personal history of involvement with technology: implications and opportunities for black artists in Britain.
Pomeroy, Jim, "Black-Box S-Thetix" in Technoculture, eds. Penley and Ross, Univesity of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, 1991 Historical and critical review of artists involvement with technology, using six case-studies.
Arts and criticism: Books
Bishton, Druckrey, Cameron, Digital Dialogues, Ten:8 Vol.2, No.2, Autumn 1991, Birmingham Good introduction to implications of digital manipulation for, especially but not exclusively, photography.
Francis, Richard Very Spagetti: A Report on interactive multimedia in art galleries, The Arts Council, 1992. Arts Council commissioned report arguing for the value of using interactive media in galleries and art collections, in a way that would bring together the cataloging, interpretation, information, education and publication activities of the museum.
Fundacio Joan Miro, Moving Image = Images en moviment electronic art, Exhibition 2 July to 6 September 1992 Exhibition of important works from the history of video installation and electronic arts. Mainly from the collection of ZKM, Karlsruhe.
Lister, Martin (Ed) The Photograph in Digital Culture, Routege, London, 1995 A range of theoretical approaches to the changes digital techniques are making to discourses around photography.
Lovejoy, Margot, Post-modern currents: art and artists in the age of electronic media, 1989 A good historical account of the development of electronic arts practice within fine art, focussing on video installation and performance.
Woolley, Benjamin, Virtual Worlds: A Journey in Hype and Hyperreality, Penguin, London, 1992. Excellent social and cultural history of computing.
Education
Evaluation of George Orwell School Multimedia Project, co-ordinated by Kate Kelley, May 1995
Media Education Through Media Arts: The Islington Media Education Project, Sheila Geraghty Oct 1994
Both the above avaialbe through LAB
Serials to keep watch over
Leonardo The turgidly technical side of arts and technology since 1968.
CD-ROM and Multimedia Now OK for reviews of all the latest commercial, retail products. Worth the odd look.
Multi-Media International, World Business Publications Ltd A business newsletter giving basic but up-to-the minute information on what the big money is up to.
Creative Technology Up-to-the-minute news from the world of (mainly) graphic design, including multimedia aspects.
Wired Heroic consumption and corporations
Variant Now long defunct but worth looking out back issues.
Hybrid ditto
Mute
UK criticism from a healthy mixture of academics, artists, writers
and
philosophers..
Appendix 5
The following lists established organisations for whom creative work with multimedia is a core concern and who have taken a leading role to date. With many organisations, production studios and groups of artists becoming increasingly involved in the area and new initiatives coming on-stream, it is not an exhaustive survey.
Key Arts funded organisations in London
Artec, training, production, consultancy Autograph: The Association of Black Photographers, Multimedia publication, web site, exhibition projects. Camerawork, production resource, gallery, site-specific projects, education Digital Diaspora, international collaboration, live events and debates, commissioning and exhibition. Film and Video Umbrella, touring, distribution, education, curation Hub Club, monthly meetings for specialists, information sharing web-site InIVA, multimedia publication, curation, networked projects ICA, exhibitions, performance, symposia London Electronic Arts, access to (mainly video) equipment, training for artists exhibition projects including commissioning (eg. Pandaemonium festival) London Printmakers Workshop, open access computer resource; mainly geared to production of still images Photographers Gallery, exhibitions, education, publication. The Data Place, dance and performance related resource
Key non-arts funded organisations and initiatives in London
Bartlett School of Architecture, University of London, Artist in residence scheme Centre for Computer Arts, Middlesex Univesity, post-graduate fine art teaching and research Cyberia, profit-making public internet access resource collaborating with arts projects Hypermedia Research Labs, University of Westminster, research and production Illuminations Interactive, producer, dance residency with Dance Umbrella London New Media Foundation, European funded multimedia centre, phase 1 due for opening 1997 (ish). Guildhall University initiative. Mute, critical publication, web site for artists' work and information Nynex multimedia suite, training and access (Bromley Council, funded by Nynex and the National Heritage Arts Sponsorship Scheme) Peckham Partnership, proposed Mediatec project: training and access integrated with library facilities, SRB funded, due for opening 1999 Royal College of Art, courses in multimedia and computer-aided design Tower Hamlets College, certificate courses for fine-art graduates
Key Organisations nationwide
Artimedia, Batley, Training and production
Cambridge Darkroom/The Junction, residencies, commissions, exhibition,
education. Resources shared between gallery and live art
venue.
Hull Time Based Arts, commissions, exhibitions (including site-specific)
Jubilee Arts, Birmingham, training and production
Lighthouse, Brighton, training, access, production, internet
residencies
Moviola, Liverpool, exhibition, commissions, symposia, touring
Northern Arts Board, artists' residencies, Digital Dreams symposia
Seeing the Light, Birmingham, training, consultancy, projects
The Laboratory, research artists' residencies at Ruskin College, Oxford
Watershead, Bristol, exhibition, commissions, education
The following individuals were interviewed for this study
Adams, Matt and Ju Row Farr
Aspinall, Ian
Bell, Will
Biggs, Simon
Bode, Steven
Boothe, Mark
Boyd, Frank
Brimson, Peter
Brown, Tim
Brown, Paula
Chappell, Adrian
Collins, Susan
Cych, Leon
David, Beaconsfield
Deane, Yvonne
Delancey, Lucy
Dunn, Peter
Elliott, Tessa
Ferron, Bronac
Friedli, Adrian
Gibson, Richard
Gillman, Clive
Gooderich, Richard
Haines, Alastair
Hampson, John
Hannah, Studio Fish
Harris, Bob
Harwood, Graham
Hunt, Barbara
Ibbotson, Janet
Keidon, Lois
Kelley, Kate
King, Amanda
LeQuesne, Rob
Manning, Abina
Maziere, Michael
McKenzie, Andrew
Meade, Chris
Mitra, Jay
Morris, Susan
Murcia, Carole
North West Arts Board New Technologies Working Group
Panayi,Marylin
Parrish, Dave
Phillips, John
Piper, Keith
Placca, Jane
Pope, Nina
Reis, Viv
Richard, Derek
Ride, Peter
Rolo, Jane
Sealy, Mark
Sidderfin, Naomi
Sloan, Helen
Stewart, Gary
Tawadros, Gilane
Tebutt, Holly
Ugwu, Catherine
West, Nicky
Wilson, Joyce
Wilson, Rodney
Wombell, Paul
Wright, Terry
Wyver, John
Conferences and Seminars attended:
ISEA '95
Root '95
Media Waves
MMSIG seminar on multimedia and trading assets