.tel Story of Oliver Humpage
Oliver Humpage, Watershed’s ICT Co-ordinator explains how Watershed.tel works. Launched this week, watershed.tel is a strong example of how a .tel domain can be used for near real-time communication in a simple-to- access format. Bristol-based Watershed Media Centre has 3 cinema screens, several events spaces and a Café/Bar, and has lots of events both film and not film.
“Watershed opened in 1982 as Britain’s first dedicated Media Centre – that is, concentrating on photography and the moving image. Watershed’s strength is its ability to mix up creativity, learning, R&D and business in ways which benefit everyone. ”
“The internet is a vital part of Watershed’s activities. We started experimenting with online content in 1999 (we got a symmetric 10Mb internet connection, well before broadband was widespread), and we were one of the first places in Bristol to offer completely free wireless access in our Café/Bar. ”
“As a result of these early experiments we concentrated more and more on online artwork and activities, until we reached a point around 2004 where we made a conscious decision to stop having “traditional” exhibitions in the building at all. http://dshed.net is our online showcase, which is currently undergoing a major redevelopment to help it cope with the sheer quantity of creative output it’s trying to display. ”
“Watershed is a rarity in the arts world, having a relatively large IT department and managing as much IT as possible in-house. This gives us the knowledge and flexibility to experiment with new technologies. A large part of being a successful IT dept relies on having the time and skills available to do R&D, coupled with an underlying recognition that technology is there to help people communicate more easily and more effectively. ” Read more…
