Diversity On Stage; Could ‘woke’ Plays Threaten Future Ticket Sales at the Box Office? (C1989666)

“Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats, the performance is about to start” A familiar announcement most of us will know. But during the Pandemic, theatres were forced to close, and all productions halted. A great financial loss for the arts sectors globally, however, once the restrictions were lifted and normality returned, people were desperate to get back to enjoying the theatre once more.

Over the years I have been to numerous theatre plays, concerts and shows of all genres, and in December, myself and my partner took his eight year old son to the Sherman Theatre to watch an adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s beloved Peter Pan. It was billed as a ‘New version by Catherine Dyson’ and was noted as being, ‘This fresh new take on a much-loved classic’ about growing up and ‘How we can all embrace living life in our own way’.

However, we were not expecting it to stray so far from home. In keeping with modern nuances, it explored the challenges of gender amongst some of the characters and other more adult themed conversations surrounding, death, loss, separation, and divorce. The play was aged 7+ but I did not expect to see a version of Wendy acting out giving birth, and the numerous talks of their parents separating was too much for the eight-year-old with us, who was still recovering from his own parents’ divorce.  However, the highlight for the children was definitely the flying scenes which was provided by The No Fit State Circus.  

Peter Pan. Image: Mark Douet

Traditional or Woke?

We live in an era of inclusivity and diversity, when we take children to see old time classic stories on stage, I wonder if moving too far away from home will put the public off and deter them from spending their money at the box office. As the Daily Mail (2022) reported.

‘Is the west end going broke because it’s all gone woke?’ (2022)

With empty seats in many theatres and productions closing early because of poor tickets sales, one wonders if it is because people are not allowed to enjoy an evening out without having gender equality and LGBTQ issues thrust upon them.

‘When Andrew Lloyd Webber announces that his new Cinderella will be closing early on June 12, you know things are serious’. ‘Re-imagined Star Wars, Disney Stories and Marvel characters producing flop after flop’. (2022)

Peter Pan. Image: Mark Douet

The phrase ‘Go woke or Go broke’ has long been paraded about and with productions trying increasingly to stay relevant and diverse, have theatre goers had enough of having these themes rammed down their throats when all they want is a night out and to be emersed in a make-believe world that is free from preaching to the masses?  I am all for inclusivity when it comes to performers coming from a diverse background. For example, The chicken shed Theatre Tust have been in production for fifty years and produce outstanding shows, alongside workshops for children of all ages and disabilities. But children do not want to be reminded of their troubled homelife or emotional struggles. The theatre is meant to be a place of imagination, fantasy, magic and wonder and a place where they can escape the harshness of the real world for a few hours.

In this version of Peter Pan, running themes draw on ‘being yourself’, or be ‘who you want to be’ and dress how you want. In keeping with this theme, a creative approach is taken towards re-inventing the stories characters who have historically been portrayed by more traditional norms. Here we see characters acted by opposite sex’s, drawing on modern nuances of gender and identity. Such takes on traditional roles, have already been challenged within pantomimes, seeing the dames played by men and the prince’s valet by a girl, as stated in ‘The story behind the great British pantomime’ (2021)  

Changing times or hard financial times?

Photo by Donald Tong: https://www.pexels.com/photo/theater-interior-109669/

We all love a trip to the theatre, but I worry that if production companies insist on re writing these traditional children’s classics to fit in with modern day trends and ideology, then they may struggle to climb back up from the financial losses encountered during Covid-19 especially the smaller community theatres and projects that already struggle to get adequate funding. This would be a great shame to our creative industries and potentially dissuade future generations from exploring a career in a vibrant and diverse sector. However, I do accept that we are moving towards a more creative and expressive era, where boundaries can be challenged.

I strongly believe that with many of these norms creeping their way into everyday life, they need to be adequately reflected within the creative industries, that we rely upon to reflect the real world. We need to be mindful of children’s innocence and the complex and often testing subject issues such as divorce and gender-transitioning. Using classical stories to convey many of the nuances around these issues can be dangerous if they only result in trivialising them.

All images and media used in this article are for fair usage for educational purposes only.

AI Art: a threat to the industry or artists’ latest paintbrush? (C21075311) (Re-uploaded media as approved by CW)

Contemporary art just got one heck of a load more contemporary. A new tool for artistic expression is upon the creative industries. Artificial intelligence, once confined to science fiction books, is to market making high-quality pictures from text descriptions. Take me, someone with little to no artistic ability with a pencil or paintbrush, but possessing imagination and just enough literary skill; I can become the creator of high-quality art pieces—or a ‘prosumer‘ when interacting with these AI models.

Here you go, I asked DALLE-3 (an OpenAI model)

‘Create a golden, opulent art gallery set in the future, where the images on the walls are all AI-generated. The artworks merge Surrealism, Impressionism, and Cubism.’

(Source: OpenAI’s DALLE-3)

Pretty impressive. This process involves feeding a computer algorithm— coined a ‘neural network’—a vast database of images. This digital brain learns from these visuals, recognising patterns, styles, and elements that make up different forms of art. Then when given a prompt from us it acts as a predictor of what the image we described should look like and resultantly produces an image.

This means that for AI to know what ‘art’ can look like AI has to access the intellectual property of thousands and thousands of artists. Now this might just be a legal problem – is this theft or fair game? Whatever you think, to address it Stability AI collaborated with Spawning to allow artists to search and remove their work out of Stable Diffusion’s datasets – a text-to-image AI model. Some are taking it even further, planning full-blown AI takedowns. Just look at this, some tech whizz has created a process akin to poisoning. Artists can add one poisoned pixel to their digital work and if that work is then unscrupulously scraped into an AI’s dataset, the quality of the AI is completely warped. Have a look. Dogs are cats and hats are cakes.

(Source: Nightshade, University of Chicago)

Now it’s clear we are facing some social resistance to AI in art, but others see it as simply a stylistic choice – a part of the process. I’ve always found that the process and the context around an artwork are essential to the substance and meaning of a piece. If you’re just typing in a prompt how can this art be meaningful? Eileen Isagon Skyers’ TED talk “In the age of AI art, what can originality look like?” was eye-opening on this idea. She frames the debate between pessimism and optimism. Pessimists see AI as a threat to human creativity while optimists see it as means of extending it. She mentions Ivona Tau’s work “VISIONS: REFLECTED” where Ivona trained an AI model on thousands of her photographs to create a new cityscape.

(Source: Ivona Tau’s VISIONS: REFLECTED, permitted for use here by Tau)

The AI knows what it should look like in essence but perhaps not why things look the way that they do in real life. What I mean is why roads are at the bottom of an image and why sky is at the top. Why buildings and lampposts are typically separate entities. It’s our fundamental understanding of real life and physics that the AI hasn’t been trained on through its images.

Hence creating something familiar yet completely surrealistic. Circling back, I admittedly find it profoundly easy to find meaning within Tau’s AI-generated work and I implore you to look at the rest. Tau is a great example of AI art done well: AI within the artistic process.  

With all changes in life, it often faces initial resistance before its widespread normalisation. Considering this lens, a great analogy for the resistance around AI art is the original perceptions of photography. Upon its invention in the 19^th century, it was met with fear and scepticism from traditional artists who felt threatened by the idea that machines could replicate reality, making the painter obsolete. However, soon photography became recognised as its own art form.

Another great intertextual analogy is Marcel Duchamp and his work with ‘readymades’ – ordinary manufactured objects dubbed as art. ‘Duchamp’s Fountain’, a urinal signed R. Mutt, challenged the idea that art even needed an author or process to be considered art. This brings us neatly into AI art. Is the prompter of the AI the artist, or simply the commissioner? Whatever you think, the truth is that AI is a new tool for artists – and I think that’s okay.

One thing I know for sure is that, regardless of the future economic implications, future politics, or laws, art—or more poetically, the human need to express the inexpressible—will persist, no matter how it is produced. Today, we’re being optimistic, although I’ll leave you with this; If a machine chooses the brushstrokes, can it ever truly be considered, and will there ever be, an AI-generated ‘masterpiece?’

Maybe if it’s got a story.

Virtual Vogue: Exploring Digital Avatars during the Pandemic Era and the response after as a new field in the digital fashion industry.

Cover Image Source: Photo by Magic Fabric (used for educational purposes)

Four years ago, we hit the pandemic, and all of us were feeling the effects of the lockdown, we tried to stabilise businesses, keep ourselves healthy and find new ways of utilising the new way of living. digitalising became an innovative way for businesses to take control and revolutionise a new empire online. Creating online avatars and realistic models for fashion began to grow, although seen before COVID began, it became a catalyst for this specific creative industry booming as more people were finding ways to integrate fashion and digital content.

The fashion industry took this by storm, introducing these virtual models to runways, creating a digital space which in a normal times would have been an exclusive fashion show, photo shoot with a supermodel or A-listers posing on the cover of a magazine. This revolutionised a virtual creative industry, that the public could more readily access as well as contributing to a wider community of virtual and digital media. People online could access more digital designs and see fully constructed virtual models.

Creating virtual models has been seen before but, during the pandemic, the creation and digitalisation showed significant traction as beauty moguls such as Shudu with now 241K followers known to be the worlds first digital supermodel as well as Lil Miquela, a Brazilian-Spanish virtual model and singer created in 2016, now with 2.6 million followers, began to grace covers of magazines as well as huge amounts of digital content was created for designers.

The creation of Shudu, an insight into the creation of a virtual model:

Source: WWD and The Digitals

Luxury brands began to collaborate and embrace the new models on the scene. Discussing their creation but also how using them allowed new ways of showing products worldwide during such a difficult time in the industry while also producing new ways of commercialising and providing access. For many a new wave of creativity allowed new digital employment, for influencers such as lil Miquela, but also for the digital artists creating online runways, and digitalising clothing to feel authentic and real. Online employability, as the PWC report: perspective from the Global Entertainment & Media Outlook, estimated 97 million new roles that could evolve from a digital revolution. Covid provided a new wave of jobs that we didn’t think existed and allowed assurance of new innovative ways of creating content. As Shudu walked on runways and modelled swimwear we saw a new light for fashion during the covid period

But how do we really feel about generated models?

Although, this new creative world can be seen as futureisitic and visionary, it also has major down sides. Watching a swim wear virtual runway, and seeing the models walk and show off the designer clothes can in some ways be uncomfortable for viewers. Reading through comments and concerns it comes to light that diversity, simulation quality and human interaction are questioned. Ethics. Authentication. We know they aren’t real, so why would we watch and buy the product?

Source: LAVIE by CK SWIM – THE DIIGITALS – PARAISO Miami Beach 2020 – Fashion Channel

In lockdown, online content was our only way of seeing products, so we became attached to the idea of a new digital world. But for my self I found it hard to fully integrate into the content over time as I became more aware and more concerned about my hours spent on the internet. For millions finding new skills was essential, and this new creative industry allowed new skills. Students also created content such as a virtual runways to show case their work, and with help from brand such as Prada, we saw how these runways became huge in the time of prospering digital content, due to the creativity, but also the high quality and accessibility.

But even with Shudu ethical concerns are put into question. An African American model being created by a white man, and utilised by brands caused concerns as why not use a real woman as it takes away opportunities from real black models, for example ELLE x BAZAAR, did a shoot that modelled Louis Vuitton featuring Shudu collaborating together to promote the brand and clothes. The New Yorker touches on the issues surrounding how Fenty for example used Shudu’s portrait selling their darkest foundation described as a “deep” colour for skin with a “cool” undertone. But Shudu doesn’t have a skin tone, she has a virtually generated skin that instead looks almost like wax, if you stare at it long enough.

Source: The Digitals

During Covid, the creation of these avatars became successful, but from the pandemic to now, we have not seen the same collaborations and content being published by brands. But that does not mean content has stopped being created, Vogue in 2022 publish and article about ‘Turning real models into digital avatars‘ launching a new photogenics branch within a LA modelling agency. Creating alter egos for the real models they are ready have. It is clear this industry is thriving of off the new meta way if thinking, and overall during covid the usage and creativity online is undeniable. Virtual content is helping industrial and economical growth, not just in the workplace, but in creative spaces, schools and for flourishing business. 

All Images are used for educational purposes

Equality and Diversity within the Sports Industry: A Backwards Step for Women in Broadcasting? (21060834)

A critical analysis of women in the creative and cultural industries in relation to digitalisation and representation of female sports broadcasters in the digital age.

Equality and Diversity is a term that is frequently thrown around in the creative and cultural industries. Historically, when it comes to the sporting world, it has been a sector dominated by straight, white men. With UK Sport putting the concept at the forefront of their manifestos, it is evident that they are taking a proactive approach to tackle this with an innovative mindset and with zero tolerance towards any type of discrimination. 

With this in mind, as a young, budding female sports broadcaster, I often find myself questioning: Will my voice be listened to in a world where people like Joey Barton still exist? I am more than certain that other female sports enthusiasts are under the same impression, whether it is posting your own opinion online, sharing opinions with friends or plainly being a supporter. Although female voices have become more proficient in the sports broadcasting digital age, there is still a void that needs to be filled in the industry.

Specifically in football, female broadcasters used to be rarer than hen’s teeth. Whereas now, we are privileged to have faces like Laura Woods and Kate Abdo paving the way and inspiring girls to get into sports broadcasting. Role models like these ladies are fundamental to keep the fight going for equality and diversity in the sporting industry. This is because there is still much work to be done for female pundits to be on a level playing field in such a male governed region.

[Image Credit: ITV]

However, ex footballing international Joey Barton blatantly and very openly disagrees with the leaps and bounds with female representation within both sporting activity and journalism. On the social media platform ‘X’, more familiarly known as ‘Twitter’, he vindictively labelled former female international Alex Scott ‘The Ted Bundy of Presenting’. Disappointingly, in an environment predominately piloted by men, it is not the first time Barton has referred to female commentators as serial killers. In January, he compared Itv’s Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko to Rose and Fred West. For Barton to compare two highly-experienced female broadcasters to an infamously recognised couple who are said to have murdered at least 12 people over a 20-year time frame discourages and sets women back years in the fight for equality both within and outside the workplace. 

With sport being one of the least inclusive of the creative and cultural industries, it cannot really afford to have such a large controversy threatening its progression for equality and diversity. With previous research by the European Parliament discovering that 85% of media coverage is of male athletes and 90% of articles on sport are written by men.Making it evident that there is still substantial measures that must be taken in order for the sporting industry to reach real diversity on and off the field. 

Which raises the questions:

• Who is responsible for giving Joey Barton a platform to disregard the opinions of females in sports broadcasting? 
• Are women welcomed in the broadcasting environment?
• What does it mean for the next generations Clare Balding and Laura Woods? 

In this case, it could be argued that the digitalisation of journalism has created platforms for people like Barton to spread such misogynistic and hateful opinions. This type of online forum has led to more hate and harassment to presenters such as Eni Aluko. Just months ago, Aluko felt the need to flee the country as a result of the brutal online hate she was facing after becoming a regular presenter for sky sports covering the premier league. Whilst online trolling attempts time and time again to silence these knowledgeable women, they constantly prove why their voices are so unique and special to have in the mass media. Shedding light on years of playing experience and tactical expertise, we as viewers are lucky to have such well-informed ex-professionals on our screens, no matter what their race, gender or sexuality is. 

[Image Credit: BBC Sport]

Other pundits such as former treble winning Manchester United captain Gary Neville and Alex Scott [as shown above] spoke out in the media to emphasise their support for Eni Aluko. Scott once again proving why she is such an invaluable member of the BBC broadcasting team and solidifying her status as an inspiration for budding female journalists everywhere. In a closing statemen live on air, Scott shows that once again women in sport will continue to fight for their voices to be heard: 

“To all the women in football, in front of the camera or behind it, the players on the pitch, to everyone that attends games – keep being the role models that you continue to be. To all those young girls that are told ‘no you can’t’, football is a better place with us all in it. Goodbye”

Ultimately, with Barton having free rein on social media to project such blatant misogynistic comments, the big question that we should be asking ourselves is; Has Digitalisation helped or hindered Equality and Diversity within the sporting industry?

[All Images and Media are used under fair usage for educational purposes]

‘Frameless’; borderless art and boundless opportunity: How collaborative efforts between art and digitalization are transforming cultural institutions. (C2044812)

Immersive experiences have transformed the museum landscape by seamlessly merging traditional artistry with cutting-edge technology. London’s critically acclaimed Frameless exemplifies this evolving cultural relationship with digitalization, fundamentally reshaping how we engage with art and culture within the walls of its borderless gallery.

Embracing the digital renaissance

Frameless provides an immersive journey through four expansive galleries, showcasing digital renditions of masterpieces from 28 world-renowned artists. Each artwork is thoughtfully paired with curated soundtracks, enriching the immersive storytelling and captivating audiences across generations. My visit to Frameless completely transformed my perception of the museum experience. Encouraging visitors to step beyond the frame and immerse themselves in the astonishing worlds created by these artists, the gallery fosters participation and collaboration with the artwork like never before.

Source: (Frameless 2023)- content belongs to author.

Frameless is the UK’s largest permanent multi-sensory experience, earning prestigious accolades like the 2023 AV news award for its innovative use of creative technology. Its success highlights the growing public appetite for technology-driven cultural experiences. But as the museum continues to be modernized, what impact will digitalization have on artists and curators?

Navigating uncertainty: Art in the age of Artificial intelligence

Artists have frequently drawn inspiration from technology in their artwork. For instance, Sun Yuan & Peng Yu’s robotic ‘Can’t Help Myself’ installation, which gained widespread attention online in 2016 for its poignant commentary on ‘the rapidly evolving relationship between people and machines.’ Since then artificial intelligence, virtual reality and audio-visual technology has rapidly evolved, providing new kinds of creative opportunities that not only feature technology but actively collaborate with it.

While artists are embracing technology in increasingly innovative ways, there remains a sense of uncertainty among many about the future and the stability of their profession as AI expands its capabilities. Freelance artist Eva Toorenent expresses; ‘without our work this technology could not exist. It feels like we are being replaced with our own labour”.

The UK government’s 2021 research report on the impact of AI on various job sectors acknowledges these inevitable changes in employment structures but it also emphasizes the myriad of opportunities that will occur as a result of digitalization. Some scholars even suggest that by moving from ‘cooperative or competitive models to models based on simultaneous co-operation and competition’, there would be a significantly increase in value of creative work. By embracing digital tools artists can work with AI as a collaborator rather than a competitor, but could AI truly enhance the artistic process?

Art Reimagined: The Power of Collaboration in the Digital Era

Source: MoMA- ‘AI art: How artists are using and confronting machine learning’- Artist/digital collaboration with Refik Anadol.

Digital artist Refik Anadol harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to create original pieces of art. For his exhibition at MoMA titled ‘unsupervised’, Refik used AI to create artwork that ‘is trying to dream and speculate an imagination of a machine’. In the above video, he prompts us to question what happens when digital technology isn’t used for its intended purpose. The answer? An untapped potential for creativity.

The UK government’s ‘culture is digital’ project reiterates:

‘Culture and technology can work together to drive audience engagement, boost the capability of cultural organisations and unleash the creative potential of technology.’

– ‘culture is digital’ by The UK Government.

Source: Refik Anadol’s library of digital sculptures made in collaboration with AI

Refik Anadol’s art not only demonstrates the creative potential of AI but also highlights the transformative impact of collaboration between technology and artistic vision. Frameless recognise their position as innovators in the digital technology and art space, and therefore provide platforms for emerging digital artists through their ‘blank canvas’ gallery. This space is dedicated to showcasing the talents of up-and-coming creatives, providing temporary residences for artists to showcase their innovative designs to large audiences.

Balancing Act: Enhancing Museum Accessibility while Upholding Artistic Integrity

source: Interview with ‘Frameless’ CEO Richard Relton by Intelligent Enterprise Institute

Frameless is a prime example of how digitalization can enhance the museum experience while also preserving the integrity of artistic expression. While there are concerns that ‘digitalization could detract from the traditional museum experience, prioritizing entertainment over learning’, in the above interview Frameless CEO Richard Relton insists that the ‘intension is not to compete with the galleries, but to inspire a broader audience and introduce them to art’. In collaboration with ArtscapesUK Frameless offer specialist lectures about the fascinating historical context and significance of the artwork. Additionally, digital QR codes throughout the galleries, BSL and AD tours ensure that art appreciation and education is accessible to all.

Academic Sherry Arnstein highlights the importance of audience participation. She explains that public involvement in culture helps to redistribute decision-making power to include marginalized groups. In the ‘colour in motion’ gallery at Frameless, interactive technology allows visitors to ‘become the artists and paint on a digital canvas’, while aesthetically ‘instagrammable’ displays encourage public input and feedback on social media platforms.

source: frameless  

Is The Future Truly Frameless?

Frameless certainly offers a compelling template for cultural institutions amidst this era of digitalization. Harnessing new technologies to create participatory, collaborative, and culturally enriching experiences. Unlike the static confines of traditional museums or the detached virtual spaces of digital art archives, Frameless embodies a dynamic fusion of human creativity and technological innovation.

As AI algorithms assume a more prominent role in the creation and curation of art, we must remain mindful and question: are we encouraging a new era of creativity or risking the loss of authenticity that defines the essence of artistic expression?

The risk is worth the reward according to art critic Brian Droitcour, who believes:

‘The best immersive work, like any good art, draws on historical traditions and contemporary vernaculars, melding different ways of looking and making. The new art is unlike last century’s art. That’s what makes it exciting.’

-Brian Droitcour in ‘Art in America’

In the ‘frameless’ gallery, the fusion of art and technology paints a vivid picture of a future where boundaries cease to exist, and creativity knows no bounds.

Any images and media are used under fair usage for educational purposes.

More Than Just a Game: Exploring Sports as a Creative and Cultural Industry (C1939276)

Green and White Soccer Field at Night Time. Source: Riccardo (via Pexel)

As a sports fan, I find myself inspired by the artistic elements and culture embedded in athletic activities. I am certain many of us relate to this feeling in some way. Whether it is celebrating your own sporting success, connecting with others, or simply being a fan, it has become more than just a game.

“Sport and health are so important to our nation that they deserve to be right at the front of people’s minds.”

— Taken from The Guardian interview transcript, by Tom Bryant

Is sport a cultural pursuit? Is it more than entertainment? Should it be considered a creative and cultural industry?

With their growing recognition in recent years, it is important we discuss exactly what the creative and cultural industries are. These sectors typically promote individual creativity, skill and talent, in turn growing the economy and job sector. The most obvious ones immediately spring to our minds: art, advertising, film and performing arts. However, I believe the value sport adds to these industries is often overlooked. Certainly, it may be the case that creativity and culture are more prominent in certain sports. After all, can we really compare the brutality faced in a boxing ring to the elegant skills in gymnastics?

The feelings and experiences felt in sporting moments are always personal to the individual. I gained insight into these thoughts through an interview with rugby player, Mawgan Osborne, who is not shy of sporting success.

Let’s jump in and explore two of the many areas we can explore this relationship: media and art.

The Role of the Media in Sport

Modern sporting events are not only covering our television screens, but providing an excellent opportunity for brands to attract attention towards their products. Next time you sit down to watch or stream a sporting event, consider the number of adverts placed strategically throughout the show. Advertising is an important creative and cultural industry that must be direct, innovative and creative to capture our attention. We see these strategies executed seamlessly throughout many sporting events, many of which you would have watched at some point.

The Super Bowl, a major American football event, generated an incredible 578.4 million U.S dollars in 2022, with companies fighting for advertisement slots. One advert that caught my attention was posted on Youtube by the popular streaming site Tubi. Viewers were left panicked after being made to believe they were changing channels during the show, turning their full attention to the television!

Tubi Interface Interruption | Super Bowl. Source: Tubi (via YouTube)

Advertising in sport is not limited to the promotion of products. We all love celebrity and entertainment news, especially finding out the latest gossip about their personal lives! Athletes are becoming brands themselves, constructing their image as relatable and authentic. This makes them popular throughout many creative and cultural industries, including television, fashion and film!

Take David Beckham as an example, someone millions of people have known or loved over the years for different reasons. His career has stretched above and beyond the sporting industry. With an estimated net worth of $450 million, his own whisky brand and endless collaborations with H&M, Adidas and Armani, he hasn’t shied away from the spotlight. He has even entered the creative television industry, with his new documentary ‘Save Our Squad’ most definitely worth a watch!

Save Our Squad with David Beckham | Official Trailer. Source: Disney+ (via YouTube)

The Connection Between Art and Sport

The link between culture, creativity and sport is perhaps so obvious we often overlook it. I believe this has been the case with art and its value to the sporting industry. To begin, you may consider the relationship between art and sport a distant one compared to the previous exploration of media. However, even aside from the most artistic areas of performing arts, we can see sporting stars as the subject of endless paintings, photographs and exhibitions.

After the death of beloved NBA player and celebrity, Kobe Bryant, artists took to the streets to express their love and memory of Kobe. There are now 630 murals devoted to remembering his life and athletic career. He became more than an athlete to many people and a figure of inspiration throughout the nation.

Kobe Tribute Mural- DTLA In Explore 5/12/2020. Source: Joey Zanotti (via Flickr)

It doesn’t stop there, there have surprisingly been many interesting connections between football and art over the years. Popular artist, Eddie Peake, created a performative piece titled ‘Touch’ which portrayed a group of naked football players. Whilst exploring his own sexuality, his exhibition allowed viewers to consider masculinity in sports and the history of nude art. It was shocking and out of the ordinary, but allowed difficult conversations about the sport to take place. Look out for more work and exhibitions from Eddie, an artist dedicated to expressing his love for football and art.

I have only just begun to touch on some of the creative and cultural industries important to sport. In your own time, consider the relationship between sport and music, fashion and even gaming. I am sure you won’t be far from discovering the true creative and cultural power of sport!

All images and media are used under fair usage for educational purposes.

AI as a Tool for Creativity: A Closer Look – 1923013

The world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming many aspects of our modern society, and the creative industry is no exception. The use of AI is revolutionising the way artists, designers, and other creatives work, leading to both excitement and concerns about the future of the industry itself, and creativity as a whole.

Source: pexels

THE RISE OF AI IN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

AI is no longer merely a tool for the healthcare and finance industries, as recent developments of the technology have given it the skills to become an invaluable tool in creative work. Through its remarkable ability to make predictions based on data and learn patterns with ease, AI-generated content has become the new talking point when it comes to the creative world. For instance, AI can analyse data on user preferences to guide design decisions, generate convincing artwork, music, and even recently, video content. In fact, AI-generated music is already being used for some film scores, with services such as Ecrett Music having the ability to compose unique AI-generated songs for a film based on the parameters provided by its users. Alongside this, within the art world, AI-generated art is also already being sold for substantial amounts of money, with the most expensive piece to date being sold for $432,000 at Christie’s Auction House in New York, suggesting that AI-generated creative content is more than just a fad.

Source: Christie’s Auction House website

AI-GENERATED CONTENT: A NEW FRONTIER OF CREATIVE WORK

Other areas where AI is making a significant impact within the creative industries are the graphic design and entertainment sectors. Graphic designers can now use AI software such as ‘artssy’ to generate multiple versions of a design in a short amount of time, create mock-ups, and repeat until they find their preferred style. This not only saves time for designers, but also reduces costs as they no longer have to spend hours creating and testing variations of designs by hand, and can instead use AI to speed up the process. Alongside this, within the entertainment industry, AI is changing the game. AI algorithms can now predict the success of a film or TV show based on audience preferences and viewing habits. This aspect of AI within the creative industries will have major effects, as it reduces the need for studios to undergo potentially costly audience analysis, and instead will be able to use AI to make their decision process much quicker and more accurate.

FINDING A BALANCE

While AI does clearly provide valuable tools and resources for those within the creative industries, helping them generate new ideas, automate various tasks, and enhance their creative processes in many ways, there is still no clear consensus on whether AI has a negative impact on the industry and creativity overall. While AI positively impacts many processes and roles, some people argue that AI may limit the creative process, by limiting the range of ideas and concepts explored by individuals, leading to a loss of creativity. This can be related to the biases that AI can hold. As highlighted by Bernard Marr, we must be careful when there becomes a possibility that AI is making “decisions that are systematically unfair to particular groups of people”, something that can happen when the AI itself is being programmed with inbuilt systematic biases. These biases can create a system which is unequal and could have harmful results, in turn creating a limiting landscape of creativity.

THE LIMITATIONS OF AI IN CREATIVITY: A HUMAN ENDEAVOUR?

Alongside this, some worry about the impact AI is having on creativity itself, with Sven Brodmerkel posing the question:

“But isn’t art the highest expression of what it means to be human? How could machines possibly emulate truly creative practices, which are often regarded as the pinnacle of human achievement?”

This argument is key to the conversation surrounding AI and the creative industries, as it allows us to question whether AI-generated creative content is inherently creative, or whether creativity is an innate human concept. Jordan Richard Schoenherr seems to think otherwise, by stating that “creativity is not exclusive to humans”, and it is instead something which has developed across a multitude of species as “a products of convergent evolution”. As Schoenherr points out, creativity does not merely exist in individuals, instead it is a product also influenced by society and values. Therefore, with AI’s ability to assimilate and combine divergent patterns, it should in theory be capable of creativity with the help of humans.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A HUMAN-CENTRIC APPROACH

The impact of AI on the creative industries will depend on how it is used and integrated into the creative process. While there may be some negative effects, there are also opportunities for AI to enhance and enrich creative work in new and exciting ways. AI can aid creatives in producing better, more refined work, and it is up to us to harness its potential to the fullest extent possible. In order for AI to continue to become a vital part of the creative industries, its focus should be human-centric, where it is designed to help people with their creative needs, instead of replacing them.

Take a further look into how AI is transforming the creative industries here:

Source: The Economist ‘How AI is transforming the creative industries’ on YouTube 

You Are In The Paintings – The Digital Immersive Experience at Qibai Shi’s Exhibition (C2058849)

About the Exhibition

As we know, art is often dull and hard to understand for the public, especially for young people who grow up in the era of modern art. How do we get more people interested in traditional Chinese art? Here is the solution given by Hunan Museum in China.

Source: Pjtime.

On January 10^th, 2023, an exhibition named “The Moon shines on hometown” took place in Hunan Museum, China. The exhibition aims to commemorate artist Qibai Shi’s water-ink paintings. Qibai Shi (1864-1957) is one of the most famous artists in China. Most of his artworks are inspired by his nostalgia for his hometown Xiangtan in Hunan province that he is forced to leave since 1971. Unlike previous exhibitions of Qibai Shi’s artworks, it is the first time that his paintings are exhibited in a digitalised way, including technologies of digital projection, technology interaction, AR, and smart screens. According to a news report, 150,000 people have visited the museum since its opening, which is the largest number of visitors the museum has ever had since it opened.

Source: Mana

Source: Mana

With the support of large smart screens and digital projections, scenes from Qibai Shi’s paintings are restored into reality. Visitors can feel like travelling with Qibai Shi in his hometown Xiangtan. For some parts of the exhibition, visitors can even scan the QR codes supported by AR technology and see a virtual world based on the real settings in front of them through phone screens. This exhibition allows visitors to both see the paintings and “experience” the paintings. After reading this far, have you also been struck with the urge to visit this exhibition? I know I certainly am.

Source: Pjtime

Source: Pjtime

What Can Digitalisation Bring to the Exhibition

Support and Fundings

Behind the huge success of Qibai Shi’s digitalised exhibition, support from government’s policy and fundings are vital. As mentioned in China’s fourteenth Five-Year plan announced on December 28^th, 2021, China should “implement a digitization strategy for cultural industries”. This policy aims to promote the use of digital technologies in China’s cultural industries. Qibai Shi’s digitalised exhibition has actively responded to this policy and obtained a full economic support from Propaganda Department of China and China Arts and Entertainment Group. With the fundings, Hunan Museum is able to open this exhibition to the public for free. Such publicly funded exhibition fully demonstrates the access to art as a human right in accordance with Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Public education

Moreover, while granting public’s free access to this exhibition, it is also a place built for public education. In the past, art is something that is complicated and dull for most people, especially for traditional art. The digital immersive experience has made traditional art understandable and attracting for visitors of all ages and backgrounds. This kind of exhibition breaks the barrier between traditional art and the public and educate them about traditional art. As the digitalised exhibition becomes popular, more and more people are willing to learn about Chinese traditional art.

To further explore visitors’ experience at the digitalised exhibition, I have made a telephone interview with a visitor of the exhibition. The visitor is randomly selected from a tag named “Qibai Shi’s exhibition in Hunan” on a Chinese social media application called Xiaohongshu, which has most of its users aged from 18 to 34.

The 22-year-old interviewee claims that he visited the exhibition during his visit to Hunan in February. He is amazed by the beauty of traditional Chinese water-ink paintings in realistic settings even though he is never interested in art before. And the interactive displays did not make him bored like other exhibitions.

It is clear that the interviewee has enjoyed the exhibition even though he was not interested in traditional art. Qibai Shi’s digitalized exhibition has successfully increased the visibility of traditional art among young people. The use of technology has successfully brought the public closer to traditional art.

Creativity Issues

Source: Secret London.

Source from Singapore City Walks on YouTube.

Beyond the context of China, digitalised exhibitions for traditional paintings are popular worldwide. For example, Van Goh: The Immersive Experience is a popular series of exhibitions that have taken place worldwide. Van Goh’s paintings are made into animations and played on grand screens surround the visitors.  It is true that such exhibitions are proved to be successful and popular, however, they also come with hidden issues. Digitalisation is a great way to illustrate and promote art, but it lacks the ability to create art. Because these digitalised exhibitions are based on the existing artistic creation, a lack of artistic innovation can possibly occur. Here is a question for you, in the future, should art exhibitions prioritize presenting existing artworks in new ways or promoting new artistic creations?

Overall, digitalised exhibitions of traditional art have lots of benefits that traditional exhibitions cannot achieve. It provides visitors with an immersive experience, makes art understandable to the public, and increases the popularity of art exhibitions. Let’s hope that in the future, the trend of digital exhibitions and artistic creativity will both be steadily growing.

All the pictures are under fair use for educational purpose.

BRICKS Magazine: Smashing the ‘Class’ Ceiling, One Brick at a Time. (C1825275)

Featured image source: Author’s own.

If you have a voice, use it 🏳️‍🌈

Bricks magazine

It isn’t a myth that it is painfully difficult to penetrate the fortress of the creative and cultural industries. You need 20 years of experience for an entry-level job and unluckily for most, we’re not all middle class, white men so we don’t get Wonka’s golden ticket. As Sam Friedman explains, these highly prized arenas are often seen as inaccessible or rigged in favour of the privileged.

The ‘Class’ Ceiling

This difficulty has been ascribed to the limitations of the ‘class’ ceiling. The problem is that if everyone in the creative and cultural industries is posh, it not only highlights a systemic issue in a society where 80% of British media publications are owned by the same 5 people limiting diversity and variability, it also exposes an issue within the education system. I could continue, but James McAvoy describes it quite nicely and has pretty eyes…

If the arts aren’t encouraged in schools, and interest in them is considered higher value, then less of the working class will consider participating in those cultural spaces, they will be kept in generalised working-class jobs and their creativity muted. This lack of accessibility is harmful because it maintains strict barriers that keep the working class, working class. It also restricts and limits the type of art we could see in the culture if these barriers and this ‘class’ ceiling was broken. In other words, it really fucking sucks.

Art deserves to be felt and experienced by everyone. Our society would be so much more colourful and varied with more input and participation from a plethora of groups with different experiences and worldviews, breaking this ‘class’ ceiling would allow us to experience this world more deeply.

This lack of access and encouragement of art in state schools that he discusses doesn’t exist by itself, it trickles into the representation we see within the creative industries. Less than half of the people in all of these industries have working-class origins. Obscene! It also calls into question the issue of contacts, people in working-class spheres will have a less likely chance of having contacts within the creative industries due to the nature of the class division, making it harder to enter into it.

Source: Panic! Social Class, Taste and Inequalities in the Creative Industries, Dr Orian Brook, Dr David O’Brien, and Dr Mark Taylor

Consequently, the creative industries are not representative of the British population and reinforce attitudes of class hierarchy and exclusion from cultural spaces, decreasing social mobility, and let’s be honest – acting as a force for social control. Brianha Chambers also does a great job at elaborating on this.

BRICKS. Smashing the ‘class’ ceiling and creating accessibility.

So what kind of space does BRICKS take up in the creative industry as a publication? and how have they made an inaccessible space more accessible? How do they smash through this ‘class’ ceiling? Well, they throw bricks at it. Obviously.

BRICKS is a London-based independent print publication and online platform exploring social-political issues within fashion, music, arts and culture. We’ve connected the best emerging creatives in fashion and art with world-class talent, as well as amplifying the voices of the new generation of climate activists, BLM organisers and trans rights activists.

Source: Bricks magazine

Tori West, editor and creator of BRICKS magazine is a Welsh creative who grew up in a council estate working as a cleaner. In 2017, she also created Publish Cardiff, a one-day publishing event of talks and workshops with an aim to combat the lack of alternative education methods available in Wales for creatives.

She acknowledges how TikTok has “changed her life.” TikTok as a tool gains vast visibility for growing creatives and diminishes the need for contacts within a system that doesn’t seem to care about meritocracy. It’s aiding the breaking of the ‘class’ ceiling by making creatives visible to the entire population that may not get their say in the industry. TikTok blurs the class boundary of who can participate, who can appreciate the arts, and who can gain visibility for their creative businesses. The landscape of the creative industries is being altered based on the universality of social media.

@tori..west

If you’re new here, this is why I started @bricksmagazine 📚💚 #queertiktok #smallbusinessowner #workingclass

♬ Do It To It – ACRAZE

Source: @tori..west on TikTok

Tori actively encourages the integration of low-income creatives and offers advice encouraging participation and inclusion, defying an industry that is built upon exclusion.

It seems like there is a conceptual psychogeography of the creative industry space, which is reinforced by prejudice in the workplace and lack of access to begin with, leading low-income creatives to feel out of place or with imposter syndrome if they do find their way in. She actively addresses her experiences with this on social media, encouraging other low-income creatives to believe that they deserve to take up space. They deserve funds. They deserve to be creatively successful.

Tori has invented her own space through BRICKS where minority narratives can exist away from limitations, where voices can be used without editing or restraint, away from the exclusive heteropatriarchal history that permeates through the space of the creative industries – spaces away from this type of psychogeography must be invented, it isn’t enough just to be invited into a structure that is hierarchical and values white posh voices over any others.

@tori..west

The last one is so important and something ALL creatives struggle with! #learnontiktok #freelance #london #careertips #lowincome

♬ abcdefu – GAYLE

Source: @tori..west on TikTok

Making the creative industry more accessible is a social right and a social need.

Smashing this ‘class’ ceiling, burning all the golden tickets and making the creative industries more accessible has a knock-on domino effect – helping to aid a more egalitarian society and utilising the creative industry and the projects it can create to be socially useful.

We've launched a special 2022 calendar with @biminibabes !! 🤩🗓️

50% of the sales will be donated to @Mermaids_Gender

There's only 150 copies so act fast! https://t.co/9XZJSgazeF pic.twitter.com/mFxLzPpqG1

— BRICKS (@Bricks_Magazine) December 13, 2021

Source: @Bricks_magazine on Twitter

For example, BRICKS magazine created a calendar project with Bimini Bon Boulash, raising 7k for Mermaids Gender, a charity supporting trans youth. This is so incredibly important and powerful – creating positive social change through creative publication projects.

There is a correlation between accessibility in the creative industries and the opportunity for supportive social change, specifically for minority groups. This is the change that we want to see in the industry and in the world – and it makes me feel so proud as a young creative to see art being used in a positive political way to be socially useful.

Source: Author’s own

So pick up a brick and aim for the ‘class’ ceiling!

What do you think? Is it enough to infiltrate the creative industries from the inside, or do we need to invent new spaces free from class hierarchy?

Multi-media are used in accordance with fair usage for educational purposes.

#Saatchitakeover: Making the Most of Digital Disruption (C1834164)

As galleries all over the UK closed their doors because of Coronavirus, the art sector was forced to think outside the box when it came to keeping their work visible. The Saatchi Gallery in London was no exception and used this time to let their followers participate in their exhibitions. 

As part of their 35^th anniversary, the Saatchi Gallery launched #Saatchitakeover that meant that social media users across the world could submit their work to be exhibited online. 

It was announced on March 21^st 2020, that competitors had to: 

• Follow the weekly theme given by the gallery
• Stay at home to make their work 
• Post their work on social media, using the hashtag #Saatchitakeover 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Saatchi Gallery (@saatchi_gallery)

There were many interesting themes to keep us entertained during lockdown such as paper creations, shadows, and cartography (art using maps). 

The chosen works were published on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook on Saturdays. Also, the tagline for the #Saatchitakeover was ‘open to everyone, everywhere’, which suggests that Saatchi wanted a range of active participants.  

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Saatchi Gallery (@saatchi_gallery)

It is interesting to consider the fact that work by the public and work by established artists were posted side by side and this could be seen as blurring the lines between amateur and professional work. As someone who loves an underdog, I would hope that amateur work will earn more respect because of projects like #Saatchitakeover. 

Digital Disruption and the ‘Prosumer’ 

Typically, mission and vision statements in the arts sector mention an aim similar to ‘nurture a sense of belonging, cohesion, identity and pride’. It’s clear that the #Saatchitakeover goes together with this aim and creates a sense of community, something that is all the more needed in a time of digital disruption. 

The ‘prosumer’ is a term that combines the ‘producer’ and the ‘costumer’. The customer in this case isn’t what we would traditionally think of as a customer because viewing the online content on social media is free. Still, the traffic generated towards Saatchi Gallery’s social media pages as a result of the #Saatchitakeover, means that the gallery is more likely to receive donations and that the public are more likely to buy tickets to future exhibitions.  

By creating content for the #Saatchitakeover, the consumer also becomes a creator and so they can be considered ‘prosumers’ to a degree. 

Charlie Leadbeater points out that art can be traditionally thought of as a very solitude subject but he expects that in the century to come art will experiment more with the idea that art should ‘combine and connect’: 

‘The web will encourage a culture in which art creates relationships and promotes interaction, encourages people to be a part of the work, if only in a small way’ 

Obviously more people have access to the work through social media and discussions about the art are able to be had in the comment section by people from across the world, as demonstrated by the #Saatchitakeover. 

Photo by Omkar Patyane on Pexels.com

The value of this kind of participation in the art sector has been recognised long before the technology of social media was available to us. In the 1930s, Walter Benjamin wrote about how art was better the more it encouraged people to leave behind their passive role as spectator. 

As the #Saatchitakeeover tagline ‘open to everyone, everywhere’ suggests, we could see a lot more digital creativity, consumer participation and user-creativity in the art sector in the future. This could also lead to even better art than we have today.