Watch the webinar here:

 

 

Free webinar brought to you by The Space, in association with Arts Council England.

Twitter is changing and as a result many arts organisations have noticed a decline in engagement on the platform.

Even before Elon Musk’s acquisition, Twitter reported losses of their heaviest users. Staff cuts raised concerns about the platform’s moderation, with commentators suggesting Twitter may become less usable for those who already face intolerance and hate.

In this webinar, Dr Rianna Walcott  is joined by Paula Akpan to explore what impact this might have for arts organisations and artists.

 

We cover:

• What it might mean for connecting with your existing audience?
• What it might mean for reaching new people?
• How might a sector with such a fluid, freelance community communicate in the future?

 

We also looked at wider issues:

• As a sector, what do we require of social platforms?
• How might currently available and emergent platforms meet those needs?
• If we choose to migrate to different platforms, what influence might we have?

 

Contributors:

Rianna is based at the University of Maryland’s Black Communication and Technology Lab as a postdoctoral fellow of the DISCO network, investigating the impacts of social and racial inequalities on digital spaces. She’s written about race, feminism, mental health, arts and culture for Wellcome Collection, Metro, The Guardian, BBC, Vice, and Dazed. She also co-founded projectmyopia.com, promoting inclusivity in academia and a decolonised curriculum. She co-edited The Colour of Madness, an anthology of BAME mental health experiences in the UK. In the time left over, she moonlights as a professional jazz singer.

 

Paula is a journalist, historian and speaker. Her work focuses on blackness, queerness, social politics and our relationship with technology. She writes for Vogue, The Independent, Stylist, VICE, i-D and Bustle, among others, her articles can be found here. Paula is a Black British History MA graduate from Goldsmiths, with an interest in mapping the lives and activism of Black lesbians and queer women in Britain between the 70s and 90s. She is currently writing her first book, WHEN WE RULED (2024), tracing the lives and legacies of 12 African queens and warriors.

 

The webinar will be introduced by Fiona Morris, Chief Executive and Creative Director of The Space.