1. Your guide for being a data partner

2. “ Being part of Culture Hack Scotland
helped define our approach to
innovation and has given us access
to a like-minded and influential
community of culture, design and
digital professionals
Hugh Wallace
”
Head of Digital Media, National Museums of Scotland

3. Culture Hack Scotland is a 24 hr event where digital & design talent
work together with cultural organisations to make new and exciting
innovation projects.
Last year’s CHS was the most productive event of its type ever seen
with the creation of 30 amazing projects inspired from datasets
sourced from cultural organisations across Scotland.
This year Culture Hack Scotland takes place April 27/28 in Glasgow
with the theme Data, Sound+Vision as part of Sync the new
prototyping and cultural innovation programme for Scotland.
Central to the event is a group of organisations who participate as
data partners. This document explains what that means and why
this opportunity for you to be one of only 8 cultural data partners
this year is not to be missed.

4. “ Culture Hack Scotland was a great advert for how open
innovation can transform access to culture.
Blown away by Culture Hack Scotland. Probably the most
productive hackday that I’ve ever seen. Well done Scotland.
A fantastic opportunity for non-techies to get their head around
the possibilities that digital media offers.
An educational, informative and fun experience. It really
highlighted the advantages and importance of openness and
collaboration.
No clearer demonstration of how the worlds of digital and the
”
arts are the same terra firma. I want more.
Participant feedback at Culture Hack Scotland 2011

5. What is a dataset?
A dataset is a set of information of any type in a digital format.
Some examples of datasets include:
- event listings
- museums collections data
- online data archives
- creative text, audio or video content
- performer and performance database
- non-confidential audience-related data
- detailed statistics/research

6. What makes a good/bad dataset?
Good datasets:
- have lots of items
- has lots of associated metadata (e.g. location, dates etc)
- is in a consistent electronic format
- is rich and interesting
If you offer a dataset for Culture Hack Scotland, it will be published
with a licence with terms of fair usage. We provide a generic licence
and custom licenses can be agreed as appropriate in the recognition
that datasets with more restrictive terms are less likely to be used
during the event.

7. Examples of data partners from previous events:
- National Museums of Scotland - collections data
- Edinburgh Festivals - complete listings data
- Guardian - full article content
- Royal Opera House - performance and collections data
- City of Edinburgh Council - city-wide footfall data
- National Galleries of Scotland - collections data
- BBC - archive data
- Skinny & The List - listings data
And what were the sort of things that these datasets got
turned into?..

8. The Edinburgh International Book Festival’s world class
mobile site was based on a Culture Hack Scotland prototype

9. Full production version CHS prototype
The Edinburgh International Book Festival’s world class mobile site
in summer 2011 started as Culture Hack Scotland prototype

10. Dating site festafriend started as at Culture Hack Scotland prototype
and that summer became the talk of the Edinburgh Festival

11. The beautiful data visualisation festivalsclock.com started
as a Culture Hack Scotland project

12. As well as 27 other great projects created in just 24 hours.
Explore them all at www.culturehackscotland.com

13. Benefits to your being a data partner
- Your data is used as the creative basis of the CHS event
- Your organisation is aligned with a high profile innovation event
- Access to the community of developers and designers
- Ability to explore digital innovation in a risk-free environment
- Logo and credit on the Sync/Culture Hack Scotland website
- Logos visible during the launch of the event
- Listed as a Culture Hack Scotland in all press releases
- Guaranteed tickets for 2 members of staff

14. Other things for data partners bring to CHS
Problems: understanding your challenges can inspire creative yet
relevant solutions
People: having senior leadership at the launch and staff who can
explain the context of the data incentivises usage
Prizes: such as tickets, exclusive views incentivise participants
Please recognise that the talent that comes to the event do so as
generous volunteers. Data partners therefore are invited in the same
spirit and consider the digital & design participants as collaborators
and potential future partners and not as free labour.

15. Some other questions you might have
Isn’t hacking a bad thing?
Many words have multiple meanings and in this context hacking means the
practice of digital talent making new projects quickly and creatively. The Culture
Hacks in London and Scotland in 2011 both catalysed massive interest in this kind
of work from both practitioners and policy makers so it can’t be all bad!
Who owns the IP of what gets made?
The developer or designer has the rights over the code/app/website that they
might make while the data owner retains all ownership to any data it might use.
Like the Edinburgh Intl Book festival in 2011, after the event the data owner can
then discuss with the developer how they take the project forward together.
Will my organisation kick itself if it doesn’t take part?
Probably yes.

16. Culture Hack Scotland will be held at the stunning SocietyM
- a newly opened workspace for so called business nomads

17. Centrally located just 5 minutes from Glasgow Queen Street,
this creative workspace will be inspiring for all involved

18. Contact a Sync Producer to find out more
Contact Suzy on suzy@triggerstuff.co.uk or
Rohan on rohan@welcometosync.com to talk about what
data sets you might have and the best ways for your
organisation to take part in Culture Hack Scotland.
The target deadline for receiving datasets is March 1st.
Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you

20. SYNC is a new two-year programme for the
cultural sector in Scotland – all about making,
prototyping and innovation in the space where
culture, technology and design meet.
SYNC consists of the landmark Culture Hack
Scotland event, a Geeks-in-Residence
programme and SyncTank the future-facing
online magazine.
SYNC is supported by Creative Scotland and you
can find out more at www.welcometosync.com