What’s needed to make online arts education truly participatory?
Mind the Gap: an international research project inspired by the creativity and resourcefulness of arts education professionals during the Covid-19 crisis.
Digital technologies promise to increase participation, diversity and reach in arts education. However, educators often find themselves lacking the technical knowledge, equipment, skills or confidence necessary to engage with participants online, while the communities they work with are often affected by the “digital gap”.
Led by an international consortium of arts institutions, Mind the Gap aims to define best practices for online outreach, provide educators with tools for working digitally and ultimately, improve access to the participatory arts for all.
Online arts education: what works and what doesn’t?
Case study database
Throughout the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, arts educators continued to engage with their communities through online tools. As the cultural sector emerges from the Covid-19 crisis, it’s increasingly apparent that digital technologies will continue to play a role in institutions’ outreach strategies. Mind the Gap will analyse online education projects from across Europe to identify those that engaged with online participants in an innovative, accessible and cost-effective manner. Photo © Les Talens lyriques
Helping educators engage with online participants
Knowledge hub
Online participatory work comes with specific challenges. Participant well-being and safety is difficult to monitor, technical constraints such as latency hinder implementation and real time feedback is limited. The Mind the Gap Knowledge Hub will help facilitators become more confident in developing and delivering activities by providing interactive, user-friendly resources for working digitally with their communities, while addressing potential barriers to access. Photo © Les Clés de l’écoute
Ensuring access for disadvantaged communities
Research report
The “digital gap”, or inequality of access to digital tools and resources, continues to impact low-income communities’ ability to participate in a range of activities. The Mind the Gap research report will present 10 key issues when it comes to working digitally with disadvantaged communities, reflect upon the responsibilities of arts organisations and offer recommendations for institutions looking to implement online participatory projects, in the age of social distancing and beyond. Photo © Companhia de Mùsica Teatral