The Arts: Sharing Center Stage on the Internet BOF (ARTS) Reported by Scott Stoner/The Kennedy Center Session Focus Joyce Reynolds, User Services Area Director, and Scott Stoner, BOF coordinator, welcomed participants and outlined the following goals for the session: o to identify content (i.e., various types of arts- and humanities-based information and resources) that will be in demand from the arts and education communities, including key stakeholders, as the Internet continues to evolve; and o to identify and/or suggest potential technological applications and strategies that will best support dissemination of the above information and communications needs. Participants' Interests Participants were asked to introduce themselves and indicate their particular reason for attending the ARTS BOF, the results of which demonstrated a wide range of interests. For example, a large segment of participants attended the BOF to support the need for creating arts and humanities databases on the Internet for educational purposes. They are interested in the challenges of cataloging information, particularly non-textual and/or not previously captured types of information and resources that represent the rich, multi-cultural heritage of the US and other nations. There is also considerable interest in using telecommunications as a tool for creating and appreciating the arts, including interactive, real-time capabilities for arts-based performances and events on the Internet. Others expressed the need to explore how ``real people'' (i.e., other than those involved in scientific, engineering work) can use the net for creative and interactive purposes beyond its traditional scientific, research focus. Discussion Initial discussion focused on the challenges inherent in incorporating arts and humanities within the current Internet content and structure (with the caveat that technological capability is not an obstacle). Intellectual property issues are key to this, as can be related to ongoing debates regarding the creative rights of artists and arts producers. As has been the ongoing problem of the National Endowment for the Arts, it is difficult to establish standards for what is acceptable in the content and quality of works of art (regardless of medium) that are widely accessible to the public. A significant amount of discussion focused on the need to create a paradigm for the input and use of arts and humanities content on-line that would be different from passive television and film viewing. It is important that the telecommunications technology be pushed to foster and support interactive arts applications that take advantage of multiple protocols, conversion techniques, and multi-dimensional approaches to the creative process. LA's Electronic Cafe was cited as a successful example of interactive arts-based activity. Another participant described the exciting prospects of engaging in theater-based experiences on-line that would go beyond the center stage to include back-stage and off-stage theatrical production design and process. Discussion shifted to challenges to cataloging and indexing arts and humanities content that would ensure universal access for Internet users. There was also consensus regarding the need to develop rights and responsibilities for arts and humanities information providers, as well as a set of standards that would guide arts and humanities information and resource providers to build high quality and accessible content on the Internet (e.g., museum-quality artwork). Participants then discussed the needs of the potential arts and humanities userbase and identified a priority need to provide technical assistance to artists and artist-educators to use the technology, and particularly to understand the potential of interactive applications. This included the suggestion that an ``Adopt-an Artist'' approach, based on the Compumentor model should be promoted. Most participants agreed that training and technical assistance to access and use the Internet would significantly reduce the sense of isolation that pervades the arts community nationally. Finally, there was consensus that sufficient interest and need exists to request that the IESG endorse an Arts and Humanities Working Group. Participants then identified a first draft of goals for a potential working group, as follows: o Serve as a clearinghouse for arts and humanities content. o Catalogue arts and humanities information and resources (including content that has heretofore not conformed to traditional scientific cataloging formats). o Identify and respond to the specific training and technical assistance needs of the arts and humanities communities. o Identify the benefits and help promote the participation of artists on the Internet. o Assist artists to use the Internet and technology as appropriate tools for artistic creativity and for storing arts and humanities-based information and resources. o Survey and identify technological needs and/or issues for each major visual and performing arts area. o Foster collaboration and interactivity among the arts and humanities communities, and with other subject areas (e.g., math, science, etc.). o Provide a vehicle for creating an international community of interest for the arts and humanities. At the conclusion of the session, participants recommended that 1) an Arts-Humanities mailing list be established immediately for BOF participants and any other interested individuals, and 2) that a second ARTS BOF be held at the next IETF meeting (in December, 1994), to further explore issues, define goals and an agenda as preparation for requesting the formation of an Arts and Humanities Working Group. The ARTS BOF mailing list, arts@isi.edu, is now active. To be added to the list, send a request to arts-request@isi.edu. The archive is on ftp.isi.edu as arts/arts.mail.