European Network of Cultural Centres (ENCC)

Digital Ethics

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How can cultural operators choose tools and platforms that are sustainable, inclusive and respectful of our data?

Digital presence and tools are the cornerstone of any cultural organisation's development. But how to navigate the digital shift without loosing sight of our values? How can we make sure that they fit our needs and that we are not serving theirs?

The ENCC and Digital Ethics

The COVID-19 pandemic intensified and speeded up the digital shift. As our coordination office translated a large part of its activities online, we felt the need to evaluate our digital choices and reflect on them. This working group is a community of practice gathering both experts and cultural professionals interested in the topic, to build momentum around it and experiment together.

In 2022, we launched a project to renew our communications and digital tools with a strong focus on ethics, inclusion, and transparency. This includes defining an ethical, inclusive, and transparent approach to digital for cultural operators, testing alternatives to GAFAM platforms and tools, and reflecting on the digital shift itself, underlining the value of non-digital tools, events, and communications. One of the first results of this work was the publication On Digital Ethics for Cultural Organisations, co-written with Pierre Huyghebaert from Spec uloos.

In March 2023, our annual conference put digital practices, ethics, and sustainability in the spotlight, with half a day dedicated to digital researchers, artists, and practitioners, and a hands-on workshop on alternative digital practices.

Experts and practitioners with experience, needs, challenges, or questions to share with the group are welcome to join. To find out how to participate, please contact Irene at irene.fici@encc.eu.