Hay Festival Arequipa, moved from “face-to-face" to digital structure. To give you a general view on how the festival works face-to-face, please watch: http://www.hayfestival.com/arequipa/video We thank the team from Hay Festival for their contribution.

Festival Digital Model

Hay's digital program must run and replicate the model of a face-to-face program, consisting of a series of events, one after another, on our website. Punctuality and quality of production are essential.

The events that make up the program will be mostly live, and in some cases, we will offer recorded content, which will be inserted into the program, as "false live" or as a recording.

All events of the Hay Digital programs must become available within 24 hours on the Hay Festival website once they have been broadcast life in the programme. To do this, once the activity has taken place in the program, the recording of it must be posted on a shared Drive so that the webmaster can post it on the festival website. Once these 24 hours have passed, the recorded session will be in Hay Player (accessible with subscription).

All events must show the Hay Digital branding (generic, the flower with "Hay Festival Digital"), throughout the transmission or video, appearing at the top left of the screen. In addition, there will be specific branding per event, which will be put on either on the screen or introducing a video / image during the transmission (this information event will be detailed in the production sheet).

Technology and Equipment

The transmission platform will be selected amongst the most appropriate in each country / festival. This platform must:

• Have a capacity to host up to 5000 people

• Have a channel for simultaneous translation

• Have a virtual waiting room for speakers

• Allow registration and reminders through its system

• Allow to record the sessions in audio and video

• Allow each session live to be branded through the video frame (since it is only allowed to show the Hay logo in the live or pre-recorded event) it should also allow to make certain camera movements to enrich the image.

• Have a chat for comments and a chat for Q&A (separated)

• Transmission links of this platform will appear on the Hay website and partners that require it, and on Hay networks.

• Zoom Webinar is the option that we are going to use in Mexico (cost 2,500 USD per month). Explore the most appropriate option in each country.

Teams in charge of different areas should be established as follows:

• Technical team: In charge of the transmission platform (Zoom Webinar, Crowdcast).

Duties:

• To help and guide people to sign up for each session.

• To facilitate links for speakers, translators and team

• To test the technical tools before hand

• To coordinate the transmission of the program

• To put on visual elements as branding, video, slides

• To record and to broadcast each one of the sessions of the programme.  This includes camera movement, sound control, translation channel, if applies.

• To post the recorded events on the selected share drive, right after the end of each session.

• To connect the transmission platform to the festival's social networks if needed.

We suggest:

• To have a private space with excellent internet connection and all the technical equipment

• A specialized team of non-less than 4 people to work exclusively for Hay Festival, pre, during and post 2020 programme, to take care of:

• The press conference launching the program

• The various tests programmed before the festival streaming

• The festival itself (The technical team establishes the beginning and the end of each session giving green light to the session`s moderator to start and to finish each event.

• Interpreters must be hired in advance to participate in all the technical tests: platform, internet connection, etc.

• Production coordination team, must:

• Coordinate with the Technical team, in a permanent basis and guided by the production sheet designed by the Programming Team.

• Provide the technical team with the best internet connection

• Be in charge of the artistic performances within the programme, as concerts, if any. 

• Assign someone from the coordination team to check registration figures prior the festival

• Coordinate with the Social Networks team to enhance registration figures prior the festival  

• Coordinate and facilitate the tools for the interpreters

• Be in charge of the open chat during each session, to control messages that might be offensive or inappropriate (racist, xenophobic, classist, sexist comments or any other of that kind).

• Programming / Coordination team for guest participants/speakers, must:

Establish the program, schedules, and contents of each session/event.

Check:

• The number of participants

• The visual complements for each session (branding, videos, slides, charts, etc.)

• Keep the production sheet continuously updated

• Update the Website with the latest programme

• Host the guests in the virtual waiting room, giving them all the info required for their session: format, session participants and all the instructions of who`s who regarding technical issues as muting microphones and putting on visual complements.

• Present the session if required, appearing life in front of the cameras.

• Advise moderators on how to lead the session.

• Manage/check/control the Q&A chat, sharing the selected questions with the moderator through Zoom's internal chat.

• Video editing: team in charge of:

 Editing pre-recorded videos that will get the Program team advise and recording suggestions.

• Communication team, in charge of:

• Having knowledge of all the programme details.

• Programming interviews, press conferences, press releases and information about the festival

• To feed the Social Network team with contents to be broadcast through the selected social media networks.

• Gathering local, national and international media representatives; journalists, and influencers to attend the press conference launching the programme.

• Organizing press conferences or private meetings with guest authors if needed and with the approval of the Programming Team.

• Social network team, in charge of:

• Managing and shaping the contents for each digital social media, given by the Communication team.

• Enhancing the promotions of certain sessions if they show a low number of previous registrations.

Work Calendar

• Once the festival dates are defined, the platform that will be used for registration, streaming, and recording of events must be selected and rented.

• The digital press conference for launching the program must be set 3-4 days after the beginning of using the selected platform.

• The complete program and specific details about each session will be open for public access at the festival`s Web site in both, online and pdf formats, right after the launching press conference.

• The registration process to access each session at the selected platform -cost free- will be available right after the press conference.

• At the same time, the production team will update the registration data for several purposes.

• The day the use of the platform begins, the technical team must duplicate the online program in it (which will be already finished and available either in a Word document or through a feed on the Hay Festival website) and generate the records for programming / coordination participants to add this record on the Hay website.

• During the month prior the festival, tests must be done simulating the programme sessions (this is to be coordinated by the technical team) and tests with participants and interpreters).

• The technical team creates the links, the program / coordination team in charge of guest speakers/participants, does the tests.

• Recordings of deferred events will also be made and those are in charge of the technical team accompanied by the programming/ coordination team (in charge of the guest speakers).

• Production sheet and audio-visual materials for events are constantly updated.

• During the festival: the technical team will work all day, making each transmission. Production/ Coordination team, will be following and providing assistance to the interpreters.

• As mentioned above, a person within the Coordination Production Team will be in charge of the comments chat and someone from the Programming Team, in charge of each guest speaker during each session.

• Quality and punctuality will be much appreciated, all characteristics that make Hay Festival one of a kind.

Watch Hay Festival Digital Queretaro to foresee Arequipa’s structure:

https://www.hayfestival.com/m-152-queretaro-2020.aspx?skinid=19&genrefilterid=0&categoryfilterid=0&sectionfilterid=588&pagenum=1

Authors: Lily Hughes (Mentor), Amira Alsharif (Alumna), Samantha Nampuntha (Alumna), Tobias Kokkelmans (Alumnus), Kanobana Roman (Alumnus), first presented at Atelier for Solidarity 2020.

Introduction:

As we discussed during the working group themes and answered the questions, it became clear that while COVID-19 was a problem that affected us all, there were also many other problems we had been dealing with for a long time. 

This moment, this pause–this atelier, this working group––gave us time to reflect and we decided, if and when we come out of this pandemic, WE ARE GOING TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY. 

But how? 

For those who do not know the ‘For dummies’ series of books take a very complicated/comprehensive topic and give simplified instructions on how to go about it. We have taken the very complicated process that is festivals and the very comprehensive questions that the Atelier has made us answer and compiled them into instructions for ourselves. 

Step 1: Get out of bed.

Step 2: Rethink everything you know. 

Rethink festivals, rethink programming, rethink success. Stop measuring success by tickets sold or audience reached. Bigger and louder might not always be better. Continue asking questions. Convince funders, sponsors, stakeholders, partners, board members, artists, vendors, audiences, neighbours, volunteers to do the same.

Step 3: Stop focusing on the product and start focusing on the process. 

If it’s too expensive or too damaging for the ecology to bring productions to your festival, try to focus on bringing the people to your festival. Prestige is not the goal anymore. Don’t hold yourself back because you’re afraid to make mistakes. No-one is an expert anymore. We have to start learning by doing. Doing something now doesn’t mean you have to do it fast. Take your time. Produce less. 

Step 4: Confirm your commitments.

Make a commitment to kinship. 

Make a commitment to listen.

Make a commitment to art. 

Make a commitment to community.

Make a commitment to the earth. 

Step 5: Acknowledge your audience. 

A festival is not just a manifestation of arts. A festival is also a manifestation of audiences. Don’t treat them as cattle, as merely numbers on your spreadsheet. Look at your audience, as individuals from very different walks of life who take the risk to come together. Because they, because we are drawn to each other. Because we need difference to understand who and where we are.

You are not coming back to the same audience - COVID 19 has changed people, their attitudes, perspectives, priorities, financial status, global status etc. Work to encourage the positive outcomes and remove the negatives. You have a potential new audience. You have a potential new community. 

Step 6: Open up.

In times of physical distancing, festivals should promote social proximity. In times of lockdown, festivals should open up. We can’t afford to cave in. Don’t let restrictions get in the way of opening up. There’s always a way.

Act local, think global. When people can’t travel, ideas still can. International exchange is something we cannot do without. Make art viral. 

If we want solidarity, it should be international solidarity. If we want solidarity, it should not be between the arts only.  It should be between the arts and so many other aspects of our society that create our wellbeing. 

Culture is an ally to society. Culture is an accomplice to social justice.

The arts don’t serve the economy, the arts create abundance. Abundance of perspectives, abundance of narratives, abundance of oxygen, abundance of time, abundance of space, abundance of freedom. Nina Simone once said: freedom is: no fear. 

Step 7: Use festivals to create the world you want to see.

Actively work on dismantling power structures—western oppression, racism, capitalism, patriarchy—work collaboratively, give power and voice to people who have been silenced by oppression. Remember festivals are a vector for change. Share stories. Share histories. Share art. Share food. Share freedom.