Making Digital Work: Data

Data is the first of five themes we’re exploring as we share the learnings from Digital R&D Fund for the Arts.

Data is the first of five themes we’re exploring as we share the learnings from Digital R&D Fund for the Arts. How can you make a bigger cultural impact by using your data wisely?

Data is everywhere. Much like physical infrastructures such as energy, transport and water, the global data infrastructure underpins our lives. An unprecedented amount of information is being created and shared online, offline, voluntarily, and unconsciously. Artists are using it as the basis of their practice — as a subject and as a material; businesses are using it to create new and improved products and services; people are using it to seek guidance on their lifestyle choices.

 

The potential of data to affect and reflect our lives is immense. Data is more than just spreadsheets, it’s a technique for gaining deeper understanding of the world around us with an abundance of stories waiting to be discovered. Data becomes really powerful when you bring together from different data sources and use it to surface new insights. 

 

This is only possible when we open up our data and encourage others to do the same. Data is a key learning theme from the Digital R&D Fund for the Arts. Data is influential when used correctly, and in context. Learning how to get the best from your data is the first step. Understanding what data to share, what data you could collect, and how you can combine it with data from other sources is the next.