News just in! CI researcher Chris Elsden has won a prestigious research grant from the British Academy for his cutting edge work on the future of ticketing in the digital economy.
His proposed project, What is a Ticket? Reimagining Online Economies for New Creative Transactions in the Performing Arts, draws together his personal research interests in fintech and alternative economies with ongoing and pandemic-induced hurdles faced by the Creative Informatics team and community at this time. The award will cover hiring Design Informatics creative technician Evan, engagement with festivals and creative partners, and the employment of a Creative Informatics intern.
As events move online, the sale of a traditional ticket – paid for ahead of time, allowing access to a one-off live event, through a box office – has begun to unravel. Online, many people expect creative content to be freely accessible. However, a small cohort of ‘content creators’ can make a living by producing and performing content on platforms such as YouTube and Twitch.
But how do such practices and business models translate to traditional box office infrastructure of large institutions and festivals? Indeed, as many artists and venues have rushed online, it remains profoundly unclear the best way to get paid. At the same time, through digital transformations, money and tickets are becoming smarter, and programmable, enabling new kinds of creative transactions.
This research programme asks: what is the future of ticketing, and how can the design of innovative payment interfaces connect performers and audiences in new ways?
Look out for updates from Chris and his team on this blog and on Twitter @ElsdenChris
