A guide for host organisationsGeeks-In Residence 2012

•5 Scottish cultural organisations are chosen as hosts

•A pair of geeks with skills spanning design and web development is matched against each host

•Each matching is allocated £6k to spend on geek time

•Allocations are to be spent developing a project prototype for the host which has been defined in collaboration with the geeks

•Allocations must be spent by December 15th 2012

•How the allocations are spent time-wise is to be determined by the host and the geeks

What is the Geeks-In-Residence programme?

This opportunity is for those who want to explore new ways of working and new ways of thinking. You don’t have to be “digitally advanced”: just interested in how digital can enable valuable change

What if alongside basic digital organisational development and high value innovation funding, there were more ways for us to explore practically the more progressive side of innovation in a relatively low risk and low cost fashion? Sync explictly targets this missing rung of cultural innovation, with an explicit focus on making rather than talking.

The Geeks-In-Residence element of Sync is designed to help practitioners and organisations who want to stretch themselves to engage in new practical conversations. This programme is for people who don’t want to relate to digital innovation and design in a transactional way that reduces the space for experimentation and mutual learning.

Why is this different?

•Up to £6k of developer/designer time

•A working prototype of an innovation project that allows you to explore & test a new way of doing things or a new line of thinking

•Awareness & understanding of development & design processes

•Access to new thinking and new networks

•Dedicated Sync producer support to guide and optimise the opportunity

What you get out of it

The project prototype could be creative, organisational or about your audiences... A focus will emerge from initial conversations between you and the geeks

•Director or equivalent senior level to own the geek relationship

•Clear framing of the challenges and opportunities you face as an organisation

•Recognition that this is an exploratory, collaborative and progressive innovation process: not traditional commissioning

•The time and energy to work with the geeks on project identification and to support ongoing delivery and learning

•A narrative report of your experience for publication in SyncTank, our online magazine

What you must be able to give to be eligible

Being a Geeks-in-Residence host is a unique opportunity. To respect that, only those who are ready to learn, be challenged and be experimental will be invited to take part.

•Organisations register their interest in participation (asap)

•Interview w/Sync producer to assess interest & eligibility (asap)

•Host organisations to be confirmed by March 31st

•Geek recruitment to close May 15th

•Sync team match Hosts with Geeks by June 15th

•Kick off, prototype development & delivery (June 15th-Dec 15th)

•Narrative reports submitted by November 31st

•Allocations spent by December 15th

Timelines

.Director or equivalent prepared to champion the residency

.You understand this is collaboration not commissioning

.You’ll make the time to support the geeks and learn from them

.You’re ready to have your thinking and practice challenged

.You know the difference between a prototype & a full project

.You recognise that what gets made might fail

.You’re ready to be open about what you know & what you don’t

What makes an eligible-in-Res host?

This opportunity is for those who want to explore new ways of working and new ways of thinking. You don’t have to be “digitally advanced”: just interested in how digital can enable valuable change

If you would like to be considered as a Geeks-in-Residence host please email Sync’s rohan.gunatillake@gmail.com to schedule a conversation to discuss the opportunity in more detail

Thank you

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