The Happenstance Project involves placing six technologists into three arts organizations for two 5-week residencies to understand how technological innovations can become embedded in arts organizations and lead to organizational change. The residencies aim to deliver products, services, knowledge and skills as well as research outputs comparing the structure/culture of participating organizations and different modes of innovation. An interdisciplinary team includes representatives from each arts organization, the residents, researchers and a technology provider to make the project happen and learn lessons that could benefit the cultural sector. The project is currently two weeks into the first residency period.

1. The Happenstance Project: A series of residencies placing
six ‘technologists’ into three arts organisations (Site
Gallery, Spike Island, Lighthouse Media).
Residents spend 3 days per week
over two 5 week ‘sprints’. The aim
is to understand how one-off
‘glanceable’ technological
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innovations, together with the
distinctive processes and
cultures of digital
technologists, can become
embedded into organisational
practices of arts organisations
and lead to organisational
change.

2. 2. What will your project deliver?
Products and Knowledge Research
services and skills outputs
Outputs might include: • Specific workshops – • Comparing structure /
• Products to make e.g. ‘agile’ culture of the arts
creative activity visible methodology, ways of organisations
– to the public and to documenting process • Comparing different
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others in the building • More broadly - modes of innovation
• Tools for collaboration attempting to be visible (experimenting vs.
(apps, virtual / engaging towards adapting) between
spaces, communication users of the building as residencies
methods) well as working with • Understanding
core staff on specific conditions (barriers /
projects opportunities) for org.
change

3. 3. Who is in your R&D team? How are you working together
to make the project happen?
Arts / Cultural Organisation The Residents
Site Gallery (Laura Sillars, Judith James Jeffries / Leila Johnston (Site);
Harry); Spike Island (Anna Searle Jones Kevin Walker / Linda Sandvik (Spike);
/ Helen Legg); Lighthouse (Honor James Bridle / Natalia Buckley (LightH)
Harger) - experimenting, making stuff,
- Framing organisational objectives, understanding /challenging arts orgs.
setting expectations, managing local
engagement Insert
Researchers Technology Provider
Chris Bilton (PI + Site); Ruth Leary Caper (Rachel Coldicutt, Katie Beale,
(Lighthouse); Katherine Jewkes (Spike) Beckie Darlington)
- Observing process, communication - Project design & project
and comparison between residents and management, recruiting arts orgs and
arts organisations, writing up technologists, managing expectations
implications (allowing risk), mentoring
technologists

4. 4. What are you learning and developing that could be of
value to the sector?
• Understanding innovation process (open / experimental vs. applied /
closed) – mapping relationship between risk and adaptation
(research and development) as two halves of the innovation
process
• Identifying cultural and structural barriers to technological innovation
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in arts organisations, and identifying catalysts and facilitators for
tech. innovation
• Understanding organisational and cultural aspects of technological
innovation, beyond immediate outcomes
• Comparing methods and expectations between three
constituencies: technologists; artists; arts organisations (and by
extension their stakeholders and audiences)

5. 5. Where are you in terms of your project’s development?
Completed work Still to do Challenges
Recruited 3rd arts org Complete residencies ‘Open’ brief for
Recruited 6 1&2 residents
technologists Evaluate project Differing expectations
Completed inductions outcomes for arts organisation
(met staff / associates Identify next steps Observing ‘process’
in each org)
Insert Write up research Relating specific
Two weeks into first report outcomes to general
residency findings
Evaluate
Develop Develop Live to
Project launch audience
and test and test market
data