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ConnectCP is the international who's who of cultural policy, planning and research. It is an online database that contains profiles of 'experts' in cultural policy. Each profile outlines an 'experts' experience, current interests, and other information relevant to their work in cultural policy.
 To be considered an 'expert' for ConnectCP, a person needs to be recognised in the field of arts and cultural policy as someone who holds a senior research, policy, teaching or management position and/or has demonstrated expertise, at national and international level, in research, analysis or commentary. Experts need to be prepared to provide and update information about themselves and their work for ConnectCP, and may be asked to provide referees.
Aims
ConnectCP has two main aims:
• To increase the international flow of ideas, skills and knowledge about developments in cultural policy.
• To improve the quality of cultural policy debate by increasing access to and interaction between experts in the field.
Through these aims, ConnectCP should improve support for arts and culture and ultimately benefit artists, arts organisations and communities worldwide .
Uses
ConnectCP will help with any task that involves providing or finding information on a cultural policy expert, or searching for people with particular expertise. For example:
• ConnectCP will help conference organisers find world class speakers, and will make it much easier to locate biographical information on speakers - an often laborious process.
• It will help government agencies, management consultants and arts organisations to find research partners or analysts from diverse backgrounds on a diversity of issues.
• Journalists will be able to find experts to comment on cultural policy issues in the media.
• The ability to search by topic, offers the possibility to identify experts by specialisation, and will provide access to their publications that might not be available on any other bibliographical databases.
• And of course, the experts listed in ConnectCP have the great advantage of always having an up-to-date profile readily accessible to peers, students and research partners.
Conference organisers & project developers
• find and contact experts, speakers, researchers and analysts.
• review expertise, backgrounds and biographies of potential presenters
• obtain ready-made profiles and photos.
Cultural policy experts
• showcase nationally and internationally career highlights, publications, articles and reports
• an easy to maintain online profile.
• provide privacy protected email contact details.
History
The idea of an on-line database of cultural policy experts was first discussed by Diane Dodd and Sarah Gardner in April 2003. Sarah confirmed IFACCA's potential interest in such a resource so Diane proposed the idea to Cas Smithjuisen at the Boekman Foundation and he also agreed to support a feasibility phase.
In consultation with IFACCA and the Boekman, Diane explored the feasibility of the project and developed a detailed proposal that was presented at the meeting of IFACCA researchers, in Montreal in August 2003. The meeting participants supported IFACCA's involvement in the development of the database.
Diane requested Paul Hosking of Innovetec, to build a prototype website and database to show to IFACCA and the Boekman Foundation. As a result, IFACCA joined with the Boekman Foundation to support the establishment of ConnectCP, and with funding committed from both parties. Construction of the website and database began in earnest in spring 2005.
Throughout 2005 the website and database was designed and developed by Paul in consultation with Diane. Throughout the process, the on-line database and website was also tested and refined with the help of an international reference panel.
In June 2005, Diane presented the functioning website and database at a meeting at the Second World Culturelink Conference in Zagreb and from this point, ‘star experts’ were invited to join the project. An extensive testing and development period followed.
The website and on-line database was launched on 16th June 2006 at the World Summit on Arts and Culture, NewcastleGateshead. A second presentation was followed closely at the ICCPR meeting in Vienna on the 14th July 2006.
ConnectCP
www.connectcp.org |
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