Mobilising the Arts for an Inclusive Digital Transformation (ARTSFORMATION)

Abstract:

Thirty years ago, the internet, social media and smartphones had not been invented. Yet a generation later, almost every facet of our individual, public and -now- online life are dominated by the fast-pacing digital transformation. Last year we saw the privacy and data of millions of social media users compromised with little to no accountability for those responsible, national elections influenced by users in different states, news outlets struggling to convince readers of facts, and the European Union taking proactive measure to protect the data privacy of its citizens in its first transnational regulatory action. Yet, the digital literacies and capabilities necessary for citizens to thrive in a digital society and act as responsible and effective participants, are unequally distributed across the European cultural, economic and social strata, with the public sphere consequently rapidly dissolving. ARTSFORMATION will respond through research, innovation and applied artistic practice to these societal challenges, by equitably developing the capacity of artists and citizens alike -including those from geographically remote, socio-economically excluded minority, refugee and migrant backgrounds- to respond cohesively in making their communities and groups resilient and adaptive in the 4th Industrial Revolution.