In Place of War - a digital platform for artists in conflict zones

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This application is for follow-on funding for the successful AHRC funded In Place of War (IPOW) project to develop an online platform for artists to share creative responses to conflict. It is based upon an innovative relationship with two new technology companies: Yoomee and AudioBoo. The former specialises in online web and network development, with a particular emphasis on social enterprise and community development. They will be the technology 'supplier' for the project and have been chosen because of their collaborative style of working and a commitment to the overall vision of the initiative. The latter is an audio version of twitter that has come into prominence as a popular format for 'citizen journalists' and social commentators living and working in Libya and Egypt during the recent 'Arab Spring'. AudioBoo are a project partner and are therefore contributing all time and resources in kind. They view this as an exciting development of the technology they have already pioneered and are interested in exploring how different users develop and expand their service. The project will work with both companies to create an integrated online platform that allows artists and creative commentators living in conflict zones to upload, document, and share artistic responses to unrest. IPOW currently has three online resources - an archive of digitised materials from theatre projects in war zones, a project web site and a social networking platform. This initiative seeks to combine all three and then substantially increase their reach. The rising popularity of social media, and the crucial role it has played in recent local (eg. the UK riots) and international conflicts (eg. Libya) has created an environment where international commentators now use social media to learn about different aspects of conflicts. Twitter feeds, facebook posts, online blogs and audioboo reports are now a vital part of knowledge circulation processes. Journalists outside conflict zones, as well as students, academics and the arts community, are interested in stories and different responses from people directly affected by and involved in unrest - and this project seeks to align existing IPOW resources and networks to these international developments. Artists have been widely used as first-hand sources for reporting on the situations in Egypt, Libya and Syria during the 'Arab Spring' - and we believe that an easily accessible site for the arts community, where they can upload material (visual, audio and text) and search the responses of others - could be an innovative platform in this new media environment. Drawing on IPOW's existing network, and on the experience of the technology partners (including a social media advisory board), this proposal, therefore, aims to create an accessible online resource that will become the pre-eminent site through which artists share their work and experiences of war. Simultaneously, it aims to become the portal to which those people seeking to locate first hand 'creative' responses to conflict turn.