We’ve just confirmed that the digital festival will be kicking off with a day of media talks and debates. In addition to the big art house film debate: Birmingham a cinematic backwater? (see former blog post) we will explore how digital channels are changing the approach of media workers and the way in which we disseminate news and distribute power. Iwona Tempowski from the Advantage Proof of Concept Fund will also be present to prove that funding opportunities are still very much alive for the digital sector, infact digital firms are particularly invited to apply for the next round of funding.
THE PROGRAMME:
12.30 - 1.30 pm: Birmingham: A Cinematic Backwater?
1.30 - 2pm: Buffet lunch
2pm – 2.30 pm: ‘Business models for online content’. Paul Bradshaw.
The digital revolution has changed the way in which journalists and publishers can reach audiences and make money, while many businesses are still exploring the realms of what the online world can offer.
Paul Bradshaw explores how it is possible to turn a profit from content led sites and how we can evolve new business models to cope with the era of free informtion.
The UK’s ‘4th most visible person online (according to the MostPublic Index), Paul Bradshaw is a Senior Lecturer in Online Journalism, Magazines and New Media at Birmingham City University’s School of Media, his background is in magazine editing and editorial website management. He has contributed to several books about the internet and online journalism, and one on cult fiction and he is currently writing a book on online journalism.
Paul also works as a consultant with a number of media organisations.
2.30 - 3pm: Nick Booth: Help me Investigate:
Nick Booth explains the concept behind a new 4ip funded project which will redefine the relationship between news and communities and push the boundaries of the democratic power of the web.
Help me Investigate is an ‘open source investigative journalism’ platform for members of the public and journalists to pursue answers to local questions.
It allows journalists and active members of the public, to propose something they want to investigate, to organise, to pursue it and then to report on it and repeat the process
Set up by Nick, along with Paul Bradshaw and web designer Stef Lewandowski, Help me Investigate will be piloted in Birmingham before hopefully being rolled out as a national model.
Nick Booth is former BBC political reporter and television and radio documentary maker. His company Podnosh specialises in using social media for social and democratic benefit and advises organisations on the impact and opportunities of social media, such as blogging, podcasting, youtube, flickr and other social networking sites.
3.30 - 5pm: Advantage Proof of Concept Fund:
Iwona Tempowski will give a fifteen minute talk and Q&A session on the Advantage Proof of Concept Fund, answering the two key questions on the mind of everyone who approaches the fund: which projects are suitable for support and how do you go about getting it?
If you have a particular project in progress, Iwona is booking 30 minute one to one sessions to advise on individiual appliations, helping to maximise your chances of success.
The £5.8 million Advantage Proof of Concept Grant Fund was launched in 2008 to promote economic growth through innovation by supporting many of the third party costs that businesses face when developing new products and processes. It provide pre-commercialisation capital for technical and commercial proof of concept, typically between £15,000 and £30,000.
The Fund is expecting to make more than 200 awards by March 31st 2010 and is now accepting applications on a rolling basis.
To book a one to one workshop please email Iwona.Tempowski@centraltechnologybelt.com
