Page 64 - AC/E Digital Culture Annual Report 2014

AC/E digital culture ANNUAL REPORT 2014audience of a maximum of 15 people that is integrated in the work, in a room no more than 15 square metres. According to its creators, “Microteatro por Dinero is much more. It is a multifunctional space in the centre of Madrid where there is also children’s microtheatre, micromagic, art exhibitions and so on”.Such has been the success that it has attracted the attention of producers of shows and musicals (The Lion King, Mamma Mia!) and preparations are already underway for “Microtheatre for a micromusical”. Meanwhile, international expansion has spread to countries such as Mexico.At this point it would be irrelevant to fall into a facile debate about whether the offline world is better than the online one if one of them provides certain experiences which the other one is incapable of even approaching. It is much more important to realise that both worlds must work and be understood together, because it is possible.(MICRO) INVESTS IN THE CULTURALUntil some years ago the cultural content that was consumed was, more or less, established. It might be said that it was one‐way intellectual communication whereby creators of works showed the results of their labours and left it to consumers to enjoy them. The spectators or the readers had not participated at any time in either the conception nor the creation. They were simply there, contemplating the work with all possible admiration.We have constructed our cultural references, in any of their artistic expressions, and independently of the preferred places for them, through experiences in which we have found a kindred spirit, or not. The sense of curiosity, desire for beauty, our concerns, the need to know, the urge to live through a different story are some of the motives that connect consumers to works of art.The arrival of crowdfunding, also known as crowd‐ sourced fundraising, has given the consumers of culture the opportunity to decide about which content they want to leave their personal mark on, feeling part of it, making it their own. This movement has become an inspiration for establishing a source of alternative funding within the cultural sector.In Spain most of the projects funded through crowdfunding today are cultural ones related to the audiovisual world, music, cinema, the performing arts and literature. Many of the 60 platforms that can now be found in our country are focussed onWhen talking about online/offline integration strategies the social networks offer low‐cost solutions, but with great impactThe idea MiguelAlcantud hadfor Microteatropor Dinero isthe bestexample of howthe use ofdigital channels(practically without cost) together with a strategy based on building one’s own audience/public through the proposal of a different model, is one of the solutions that the cultural sector needs and, above all, it provides confirmation that the union of the traditional (offline) and the digital (online) has a great future in store for it.When talking about online/offline integration strategies it is not necessary to think about large and costly actions. In many cases creativity and imagination by far make up for any excess of financial resources. If the question is taking the initiative with simple and very low cost actions the #Thyssen140 initiative by the Museo Thyssen is an interesting example. It is carried out by the artistic director of the gallery himself, Guillermo Solana, and it consists of him presenting and explaining the works held by the gallery to the followers of his profile on Twitter, by means of tweets. Brief explanations are given during the course of the day about one specific work in order that followers might discover more details about it. It is certainly an original and curious way of bringing art closer to the public.AC/E WHERE WE ARE HEADING: DIGITAL TRENDS IN THE WORLD OF CULTURETHEME 5: CULTURAL SECTOR MARKETING AND CONSUMPTION THROUGH DIGITAL TECHNOLOGYCURRENT PAGE...64