Seventeenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

Our Young Digital Associates (YDA) were the backbone of the Digital Revoluton. As Young Associates before the pandemic, they’d always helped with live events, but taking the arts online required extra training and far less managerial oversight. Our YDAs were effectively running the show(s) from their bedrooms. Their individual interests and aspirations dictated the specific training they received, but all of them were digital live event admins. This meant they learnt Zoom inside and out, so they could support artists and performers by hosting events, cueing up slides and videos, and keeping our online programme running smoothly and safely. we could produce reactive work with quick turnarounds and commission artists to respond to global shifts. We commissioned two black artists – Sophie Gresswell and ENNÈ – to reflect on their experiences and feelings about the Black Lives Matter movement under the theme ‘Stop. Think. Examine.’ The digital experience has shown us that the most resilient organisations adapt to unforeseen changes by harnessing the power of tomorrow’s creatives. It’s a win-win.