So Why Is ici Focusing on Arts and Culture?
In tough economic times, it is a sad reality that arts and culture are usually the first to hit the chopping block when government and foundations cut back on spending (never mind that any number of studies can show that arts funding spurs significant social and economic returns -- that's another discussion in itself). The cruel irony is that this economic pinch coincides with a time of exponential growth in consumer-level mobile technology -- technology that cultural organizations in particular could harness to enhance programming, services, and audience outreach. Audiences who are quickly adopting this technology are ready to be challenged and engaged in new ways, yet most arts organizations lack not only the money but the technical resources to keep up with this demand. In ici's early planning stages, it was clear in our discussions with art programmers, administrators, and marketers that there is no shortage of need for innovative technology -- the stumbling block is simple lack of resources.
Thus came the decision to shape ici with the needs of the nonprofit arts and cultural community in mind, and also to support this community with dedicated channels within the ici platform at no-cost -- no strings attached. The reward for ici is seeing our technology actualized at an optimum level by the most innovative users (early examples have included POST/Philadelphia Open Studio Tours 2010 & 2011 and Philagrafika 2010). By helping creative organizations thrive and take advantage of exciting new technological possibilities, we are doing our part to promote the arts as a relevant -- and necessary -- component of a healthy society.
