IO1 ADAPTING A DIGITAL PLATFORM
IO 1 is a digital platform bundling descriptive data of different formats and projects of engaging audiences on diverse urban waterfronts based in Europe. These local level cultural actions initiated by the ChangeMakers’ partner organisations apply participatory practices to an urban waterfront environment. River//Cities Poland is the product owner of IO1.
IO1 River//Cities Platform Foundation Report
River//Cities Platform Foundation has been responsible for delivering Intellectual Outputs1, namely designing, supervising the technological development of the digital platform, training, coordinating and supporting partners in contributing/uploading the content to the platform.
The I_Improve website serves as a complementary educational platform, gathering descriptive data of different formats and projects within, aiming to engage audiences (incl stakeholders and activists) on diverse urban waterfronts based in Europe.
It has also served as a digital diary, visually and textually documenting each partner’s progress in a step by step development of their projects, showing organisations developing relationships with their own Changemakers and engagement with their local audiences as well as revealing the complexity of their creation processes by describing methods and tools.
The use of a variety of digital transmedia sources to share content is a part of staff members learning activities and an example of lifelong learning practices. We used multiple online platforms (and provided possibilities to link them with project’s website) to exchange learning insights, spread perspectives on the ‘how’ and ‘why’ behind cultural interventions on European waterfronts as well as promote new approaches to organisational learning within the cultural sector. Hence, reflections and experiences of staff members in a digital environment as a tool for learning take an important place on the educational platform.
As for the texts on the website, all partners were encouraged by us to write in a clear, non specialist language to make sure that the content is accessible to various target groups, and is not only understood by a narrow circle of professionals. We wanted to close the gap between academics and activists from the cultural sector, to be easily understood and relatable.
Visual aspects were also very important while establishing this website, therefore our stories, events are not only documented by written articles but also accompanied by films and images (whenever it was possible during the pandemic in the background). The most valuable one have been those showing how people interact, engage. We wanted to show their emotions and ultimately build credibility with our audiences.
I_Improve web page is embedded into the River//Cities Platform's Foundation’s web page (as its sub section) putting the project in the wider networking context, showing this way the links between principles and values of the Foundation and its projects. Thanks to this it is possible to present the partners activities beyond the project, thus enriching the content of the digital platform.
The connection also meant to help out to build up the traffic at the initial stages of the project, and then to increase it. Some of the I_Improve's News posts (and galleries) simultaneously appear on the River//Cities web page.
During first 6 month of the project we worked mainly on creating the idea of internet environment, which should be user friendly for partners, learners and audiences to contribute and reflect on the content. Later, on the basis of the ideas contributed by partners and through joint discussions the flexible framework of the digital platform was developed by the webdeveloper commissioned and supervised by R//C. Gradually, over the duration of the project, the framework was adjusted according to the developments in the projects and the needs of the platform's users.
Building this website has definitely been a process – the platform having organic-like for which has been constantly transforming, evolving and adjusting – reflecting the changes its users/the partners have been undergoing. These changes were connected with the increase of digital competences and project methodologies as developed by partners.
In October 2019 two persons of the R//C staff resigned and their work had to be continued by new persons who had to quickly get updated on the process. Another challenge was posed by the pandemic and delays in the project activities resulting in a different content delivered to the website. All theses challenges were dealt with by our organisation successfully.
On the whole, there are no discrepancies between what was planned and what was achieved within IO1. For the realisation of IO1 Poland was the product owner, Sweden, Italy and Lithuania were supporting partners. Each partner organisation participating in I_Improve has contributed, through their staff members, to the content of IO1. The use of IO1 during the Multiplier Events enhanced connectivity throughout Europe building on a community of peers and citizens. Delays in the organisation of the Multiplier Events were caused by the pandemic, these in turn resulted in the delivering relevant content to the digital platform later than planned. However, the IO1 output was finally contributed to the extent described in the application.
The I_Improve Project digital platform’s structure and functions:
1) Main Page
The Main I_Improve page has a very visible banner connecting project to River//Cities Platform. We kept the colours of the I_Improve the same as River//Cities – as a link with the WATER. Main Page introduces the Project and gives project’s timeline.
Action News – is a section for project’s news, with images, clear headings and dates.
I_Improve Activities divided into individual boxes:
Learning & Teaching Activities: (short term joint staff meetings called C- Activities).
A description of activities organised by each partner during the period between February /March 2019, at chosen date, lasting 5 days per activity + Summarising Activity and Description of creative sessions.
Dissemination & Testing: A description of individual events - Social Innovation Labs (E - Activities).
The lab (E1 - E6) - is a local initiative of every partner to test the innovative pedagogies and applicability of the educational resources developed and elaborated on in IO1 and IO2 through an initiative they will prepare as part of their organisation’s work programme.
E7-E12 multiplier events are implemented on a local level as the partner organisations upload the project to a policy making level.
Intellectual Outputs: section divided into 3 Boxes presenting final outcomes/reports of each project’s chapter; IO1, IO2, IO3.
IO1 Adapting a Digital Platform
IO2 Transmedia Learning Community
IO3 Analytical Report for Policymakers
2) Partners
Page presenting all organisations taking part in the project, together with logos and links to their own websites
3) Educational Platform
This section serves as a space to document the learning process of staff members participating in the learning activities. Through information across several accessible 2.0 platforms which support a variety of media platforms, it creates a transmedia educational resource. Through sharing stories, documents, reflections and experiences of staff members we aimed to create a transmedia learning community with lifelong learning practices.
This Platform is divided into 4 sections:
What is it About
Explains the purpose of Educational Platform space and serves as a board for articles written by our Educator.
Projects in Action
Section divided into individual boxes for each partner.
Here partners present and write updates about their projects. They also give examples how to develop one’s competences in social and civic, creative expression and entrepreneurship by using particular methods and tools. These examples can inspire and stimulate other professions in the cultural sector as a means of increasing the learning dimension of their organisation through an informal approach.
We Learn Together
We didn’t only want to show how the projects evolved, which methods were used, what the role of the changemaker is, but we also wanted partners, learners and audiences to contribute and reflect on the content. To reach out to as many people as possible, we wanted to use a variety of digital platforms so we can share our stories and encourage people to contribute and share.
The site contains links to other media platforms: own media platforms or external ones that mention our project, or activities within the project. Also magazine clippings, links to web pages/blogs which mention our seminars, presentations, workshops, webinars, meetings with changmakers etc.
Creative Innovations
Since it is a very important part, we created additional space for this subject here in Educational Platform. This text also appears on the main page in the Intellectual Outputs section (IO3).
The design of the IO3 report is a link in the innovation chain by shaping the ideas and concepts of the preceding activities into an attractive and practical set of recommendations for decision makers.
4) Contact Page
Various channels for the contact.
5) Galleries
Living, visual form of documenting our project, consisting of larger galleries showing bigger events/meetings, and smaller ones documenting I.e: our online meetings.
6) Social Media
The ‘brain’ of our project is our website, it gives us the control needed in such complex project. It is built to reflect the business/project, the brand, but it is the Social Media which is the ‘mouth’ of our project. We linked our website with I_Improve Facebook Page and I_Improve Instagram via visible logos.