Not enough information? More time on your hands than you ever expected? Here’s yet another way you can keep tabs on what we’re up to. Find us on twitter @apcau. You’ll be so glad you did!
Comments rss
Trackback
Late 2008 a sensational homage to Creative Commons (CC) usage within Australasia was published. Edited by Rachel Cobcroft and produced in collaboration with the team at the Australian Creative Commons Clinic, Building an Australasian Commons features a vast repertoire of projects and initiatives that have employed Creative Commons licenses.
We are very proud and honoured to have been invited to have some of our projects represented here. Such a work has been a long-time coming.
Creative Commons is calling for more case studies to their wiki, also initiated by the energetic and inspired Rachel Cobcroft. Write up a story of your experiences with CC licenses or learn how others are using them.
Comments rss TrackbackThe Association for Progressive Communications (APC) is conducting an “End of Term Evaluation” covering the period 2004-2008 so they are asking all members to provide a story about the most significant change the APC has produced during that period. As members of APC, we were invited to include our perspective on the most significant achievement of that period.
Where to begin? During this time, staff & members of APC have been key drivers in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), the establishment of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and the globalisation of ICANN. To me, this was pretty big stuff as I’m a big believer in the Internet being a global enterprise with equal input required from “we the people” as well as corporate & governmental groups.
Of course, there was much more than that to consider. Over the four year period in question APC has also been achieving great results connecting people in the “Global South” to online information that helps them improve their lives. There has been great work on Gender Issues (including the Gender Evaluation Methodology and GenderIT.org) and the ItrainOnline initiative.
With so much work being done by APC and its members in so many areas, which one thing would we select as being the most significant to us? Well, we actually chose two as they were both fundamental to the work we do.
Here is our submission to APC regarding what we believe was their most significant achievement for 2004 to 2008:
From apc.au’s perspective, perhaps the most significant aspect of APC’s work from 2004 to 2008 has been the publication of resource materials, produced largely in collaboration with contracted members and associates, that members can employ in their own work.
Of specific interest to apc.au has been the development of the APC Internet Rights Charter. Since our beginning in 1997, we have worked towards the goals of equality, freedom and empowerment in the online world. The fundamental concepts expressed in the Internet Rights Charter are a framework that neatly encapsulates the foundations of our work.
Access to knowledge and sharing what we learn are key aspects of the projects we take on and the content we produce. We are frequently recognised as leading the way in the promotion and application of open and flexible content licenses (eg: Creative Commons) and free and open source software. We work within our sector to leverage ICTs to empower people online. All of this is driven by our adherence to the concepts so succinctly captured in the Internet Rights Charter.
The APC Internet Rights Charter, particularly relevant to APC’s strategic planning outcomes for 2004-2008, provides us with a tangible product that expresses our core, fundamental beliefs, our organisational DNA. This allows external groups to understand our motivations and provides us with a measure we can assess our activities against.
In addition to the Internet Rights charter, APC’s engagement with international ICT Policy processes during 2004-2008 has supported our own efforts in Australia, particularly in fostering a broader participation in the early WSIS. Additionally, materials produced through WSIS, such as the ICT Policy Handbook, have greatly assisted in the ease in which complex issues are translated.
The Handbook formed the basis of the “Your Rights Online Forum” events we ran in association with the Arts Law Consortium. These forums gathered representatives from the Australian Creative Commons Clinic, the Australian Performing Right Association, media groups and a number of artists themselves for discussions and debate about what rights artists actually have in an increasingly digital world.
These activities, and the promotion of participation in ICT policy processes was in part a trigger for the co-founding of Open Spectrum Australia with independent and community media representatives.
One recommendation apc.au would like to make, given it’s knowledge of APC’s strategic priorities during the ETA period, from both the perspective of a long-time member and our participation on its Board of Directors, is ensured capacity within APC programs to work consultatively with individual members on their own initiatives. This may not be the case with many members from developing countries, who often enjoy greater participation with APC programs, and so they should, but it ought be far more widespread without taxing the resources of management and staff.
It has been, and continues to be a rewarding expression of solidarity within the APC, both in our relationships with other members and the long-standing engagements with APC’s steady growth, reach and influence.
Grant McHerron & Andrew Garton
Directors, apc.au
Comments rss Trackback
The Karen community, for whom 2009 is ancient history, will celebrate the year 2748 this December. Australia is host to a growing number of Karen who arrived here as refugees having fled their homelands in Burma.
In 2007, or rather, 2746, we began working with the Melbourne based Cultural Development Network on an internet video production series, Homelands, for young people from the Karen and Sudanese communities. The idea is to co-produce video pieces discussing their perceptions of homeland with other young people from Karen and Sudanese communities abroad, and where possible, those still living in refugee camps on the Thai-Burma border and / or Kenya and the Southern Sudan respectively.
This afternoon I worked with a group of Karen young people who have formed a web development team to start the work of producing a site that will support, develop and promote collaborative video production amongst themselves and young Karen abroad.
They arrived with a draft plan for their website, however it had not included any scope for supporting the video production project. What it did provide though, was a clear outline of information flows that would inform, guide and promote the project. It just needed the Homelands components added.
I showed them through Vibewire, SlumTV and EngageMedia. As I talked through each of these projects Homelands Project Officer, Kirsty Baird, logged onto a chat room on karen.org and found someone involved with the Karen community in California who not only makes videos but was keen to gather up stills and videos from Karen living there. The pieces were starting to fall into place.
Curiously, Vibewire seemed less representative of an online community of young creative people than I recall. EngageMedia will no doubt become the host platform for Homeland videos and SlumTV demonstrates what is possible when a clear framework is provided up front! SlumTV make no bones about what they do. They teach kids in slums how to make videos and screen them.
The next step was to ensure we could get a website up and running quickly – a site that would be easy to use, a site that supported not only the Karen’s vision, but a collaborative environment from which videos can be produced from. I showed them through Wordpress and got their lead web person, Friday, to set up a free Wordpress blog and Karen TV was born! It is but a humble beginning…
By the end of the workshop we had everyone signed up as contributors. We covered some basic publishing techniques in Wordpress, found a design template everyone was happy with and put together a small production team to re-design a header image.
It was a terrific outcome.
We have momentum!
I left the Melbourne Multicultural Hub, wandered up to a Korean grocery store, picked up some supplies for dinner and walked home in the rain.
—
Photo: A Karen child from the village of Pilokkhi in Thailand near the Myanmar border. By Brian Adler, Public Domain, Wikipedia.
Comments rss TrackbackI am in the midst of juggling several productions again. We have a series of mirco-docs on the go and about to enter a second production and post-production phase, live performances that draw in part from the micro-docs series, further development of a touring exhibition / installation series, a couple of short films simmering on the horizon, a requiem and another album of sorts.
Managing all these projects remotely presents one with significant challenges. For one, I can’t carry a white board with me nor can I draw on a production assistant with ready access to all the resources, networks and services I require.
Additionaly, all these projects are low budget and therefore entirely reliant on good will support, where possible, and a suite of free and open software from which to manage and drive these projects with.
Project management tools are often cumbersome, come with features that one may never use and require far too much time to maintain. In some instances, you need a project manager just to keep these tools fed! It defeats the purpose. You want tools that are easy to use, ensure efficiency of one’s projects, provide scope for shared access to them and interoperable with portable devices and platforms.
Now-a-days I’m using a combination of:
All great tools, but neither designed specifically for media arts, video / film production. Hence, I am now looking at the media production software, Celtx. The desktop application, available for all platforms, is free. The online studio, in where all resources can be shared, is subscription based charged monthly or annualy.
I’ve yet to make a decision to throw myself into this… my basic concerns are around asset and production management. I’m yet to be convinced Celtx can offer this. Besides, it’s not FOSS, but it’s affordable and appears to be created by media producers for media producers.
Perhaps my old fashioned production tracker spreadsheets will suffice in tandem with what appears to be a very sophisticated application.
Comments rss Trackback
It’s been near on two years since we re-traced our steps, down-scaled and re-emerged with our skills, intuative knowledge and passion for a secure and fun future. With that in mind Grant and I have taken the bold step towards a strategic plan, drawing on our dreams and aspirations and 20 years in the IT and social media / computer communications business.
In the spirit of openness, we share with you the bare bones of our vision, mission and objectives… keeping in mind there is still much work to be done. But we are stoked with having come up with a description of what it is we do, where we came from, and amazingly, vision and mission statements in a single sitting!
Thanks to Ian for a sensational massage this afternoon, which we were both treated to, that set the mood for clarity, focus and diligence… the pizza and beers helped to!
Comments rss Trackback
Micro-docs series produced by apc.au / Toy Satellite in association with Rengah Sarawak seeks your support to assist us in its completion.
Sarawak Gone explores four remote Bidayuh communities accessible by foot within an hour’s drive from Kuching, capital city of Sarawak, Malaysia.
Sarawak Gone explores four remote Bidayuh communities accessible by foot within an hour’s drive from Kuching, capital city of Sarawak, Malaysia. They will lose their livelihood, traditional lands and culture, their rights and heritage with the development of the controversial Bengoh Dam project.
Sarawak Gone is a micro docs series produced on location with residents of the Bidayuh communities.
The series is intended to raise awareness to the denigration of the rapidly dwindling societies on the island of Borneo, the native land titles at stake and the rapidly decreasing habitats for protected and endangered flora and fauna.
Micro-docs are short, 5 – 10 minute documentaries designed for online distribution, portable media devices and laptop screening events.
apc.au is seeking support by way of financial and equipment donations, in-kind post-production support and assistance in screening and distribution opportunities. Equipment donations (e.g. cameras, tripods, computers, external hard disk drives) would be left in Sarawak to assist in the establishment of a media resource centre in Kuching.
If you can assist in the completion of this new work contact apc.au or donate via PayPal.
Sarawak Gone is an apc.au / Toy Satellite production in association with Rengah Sarawak.
Comments rss Trackback
Given our end of year schedules Grant and I decided we would write to you in the new year at a time when we ought to be reflecting on what had transpired with an optimistic view towards the future… It is regrettable that the year has begun with yet more international travesties.
Regardless, we still send you all hearty greetings and best wishes for what we hope will be the year we all make a difference to the world, personally and beyond.
We would also like to thank you sincerely for your support to the projects and initiatives we have contributed to throughout 2008. If you have a moment, we would like discuss in brief some of the changes we had undertaken and achievements of 2008.
You may have noticed that we began publishing the description of our APC acronym. Although founded in 1997, in 2005 we re-focused ourselves on our core entity, apc.au. Since then we had decommissioned c2o (Community Communications Online), begun the task of archiving Toy Satellite’s first decade and revamping our publishing company, Secession Records.
More recently we undertook the clarification of our primary apc.au function to Advisory, Production, Commons Australia which was quietly launched in 2008, our 11th year.
We are also very proud to announce that apc.au now operates as one of Australia’s first fully commons-based, and entirely virtual companies. In short, it means we govern our business in a collective manner, with special regard for equitable access, use and sustainability.
apc.au has been guided and motivated in part by a broad commons-based agenda, more recently defined through an emerging commons-based sector that seeks to literally unleash diversity, creativity and energy from the ground-up.
This can be best defined by author and scholar, David Bollier:
The commons is a new way to express a very old idea – that some forms of wealth belong to all of us, and that these community resources must be actively protected and managed for the good of all. The commons are the things that we inherit and create jointly, and that will (hopefully) last for generations to come.
The commons consists of gifts of nature such as air, water, the oceans, wildlife and wilderness, and shared assets like the Internet, the airwaves used for broadcasting, and public lands. The commons also includes our shared social creations: libraries, parks, public spaces as well as scientific research, creative works and public knowledge that have accumulated over centuries.
In our first full year as a virtual organisation we have worked on projects in Cape Town, Nairobi, Istanbul, Sarawak, Osaka and Tokyo and I am currently writing to you from the small gothic city of Graz, Austria, where we have worked on installations and radio drama / documentaries exploring commons themes such as forest communities and loss of native title, depression and anxiety and open rights management.
Projects have ranged from research for the internet video series Home Lands, production on the Sarawak Gone micro-docs, hosting Video Slam at Arts Law Week 2008, video production and presentations at the iCommons iSummit, participation in the first Growing an Australian Commons conference and the Open Spectrum Australia symposium, Quality / Control.
Our record label, Secession Records, also released my “5 year in the making” album, Son of Science.
We have been inspired to have worked on some incredible projects this year. Very special thanks to all the people at Cultural Development Network and City of Melbourne, our colleagues at Open Spectrum Australia, Arts Law Consortium, Creative Commons Clinic and members of the Association for Progressive Communications.
We have participated in an ever increasing range of “commons” related activities and advisories, providing commons-based solutions to open publishing and rights management, from video production to web 2.0 implementations within the cultural development sectors.
I could take up another few screen pages on all the in-between projects and activities, but I won’t. I will, however, encourage you to visit our wikis and blogs, let us know what you’re doing and what we may be able to assist you with in the coming year.
And finally, a very special request… in February 2009 we will be hosting a fund-raiser to assist in pulling resources together to complete the Sarawak Gone micro-docs series and to also contribute to a second shoot in the region.
We are calling for donations to assist us in this project should you have any interest or capacity to do so, we would be very grateful.
Donations may be made via PayPal on either:
All the very best from the “open”, friendly and entirely uncommon team at apc.au…
Andrew Garton & Grant McHerron
Comments rss Trackbackapc.au was recently informed that the Home Lands project will recipient of an Australian Research Council (ARC) grant. We will be involved in a component of the research being one of the partners of the application to the ARC. We are very proud to be involved in this project and to have been part of a successful ARC process.
Home Lands is an internet television project made with entry level technical resources that connects refugee young people living in separated communities. Home Lands is underpinned by the premise that refugee youth resettlement is more successful if identification, communication and engagement is maintained with home communities.
Many young refugees struggle to develop positive cultural identities. The Home Lands project will explore the role that information and communication technologies (ICTs) can play in connecting young refugees to their diasporic communities and demonstrate how this can assist them in developing positive social and cultural identities.
Separated production teams collaborate towards the creation of regular internet television programs that are then broadcast to communities at either end of this production spectrum and to other community members around the world. Preliminary stages of the project will see the use of Engage Media’s video distribution software and Creative Commons licensing, which may well form the basis of a dedicated media delivery platform in the future.
Over 2008, the Home Lands project has been in a research and development phase, through funding from the City of Melbourne’s Community Cultural Development Program and VicHealth (Victoria’s peak health promotion body). The Home Lands project has recently been funded over three years by the Australian Research Council and will continue to receive funding from the City of Melbourne throughout this time. Substantial research on the impact of ICTs on refugee/transnational identities will be undertaken by Dr Sandy Gifford at the Refugee Health Research Centre, La Trobe University, as part of the project.
So far, work has been undertaken with Karen (Burmese) and Sudanese young people in Melbourne and Karen young people on the Thai-Burma border. We are seeking additional funding to support the on-going activities and are looking for international partnerships to support the international aspects of the project’s development over the next three years – 2009-2011 – in Thailand, Southern Sudan, Egypt and other Diaspora locations which could include Europe/USA/UK. Future phases of the project will see the introduction of other communities including Iraqi and Somali.
It is the intention of the Home Lands project that it becomes a sustainable resource to provide for on-going connection between separated communities around the world.
Comments rss Trackback
We all know how painful it is to let go of the things you love, the things you have nurtured and given life to. I have had to do just that with Toy Satellite. It has been time to move on…
Last year apc.au had decommissioned c2o, it’s hosting servers and along with moving to an entire virtual operation, it has sought to either continue to support Toy Satellite initiatives, or that of its own. After much soul searching, we chose the latter.
toysatellite.org is now an archive of its contribution to Australian New Media – a decade of innovation and experimentation from its founding in 1995 to its subsequent closure in 2005. Read more about this on my website.
Comments rss Trackback
Member of APC since 1997.
