Have you ever wondered what it takes to produce compelling and well-executed online events on platforms like Zoom, Facebook, and YouTube? How about so-called “hybrid” events that feature in-person and online audiences and participants simultaneously? How do you get more professional looking video and clear, crisp audio online? How do you setup a livestream event? What kinds of budgets are needed?
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought a new interest in this expansive field of online and hybrid event programming for those in the arts, culture, and heritage sectors. While some in the arts and culture sectors were able to build upon existing technical skillsets to dive into these new formats, many organizations in the heritage sector have struggled to make the shift. Fortunately, doing this kind of work is significantly more affordable and less technical than it was even five years ago.
Since 2020, QAHN has been partnering with heritage organizations across the province to help them share their programming in online and hybrid formats. As of November 2022, we have produced or co-produced over 50 such events. These collaborations have allowed Quebec’s heritage organizations to reach audiences both traditional and new, while also providing opportunities to develop certain technical skills for participating in the new media landscape. Many heritage groups appreciate the fact that they can reach much broader audiences (sometimes even nationally or globally) with an online option compared to strictly in-person events. As Hemmingford Archives expressed about an event we co-produced with them in 2020, it “was watched by a huge number of people in Quebec, who may in the future decide to visit our organization. We can hold an event on site for less than 100 people whereas our virtual event attracted thousands… With the new technology… there are unlimited possibilities for new events that will reach more people than we could in the past.” While the gradual reopening of cultural spaces in 2022 has brought a sigh of relief to many of us, we know that online options are still cherished by those who may be geographically isolated, living far from their family’s Quebec roots, or facing health or mobility challenges.
Through its 2022-2023 Go Live Mentorship project, QAHN will share what we have learned about online and hybrid programming to build the capacity of our member-organizations to carry out online and hybrid event programming. To do so, we will first offer a series of workshops to strengthen member-organizations’ digital programming skillsets based on their own particular needs and learning goals. Then, we will collaborate with partner groups across Quebec to produce online events showcasing local heritage where partner groups can progressively put these skillsets to use and consolidate their knowledge under the close guidance and mentorship of QAHN. By the end of the project, these organizations will be better poised to take what they have learned into the future and produce online events more autonomously.
For more information, contact QAHN’s digital media specialist, Glenn Patterson at [email protected] or call the QAHN office at (819) 564-9595.
This project is funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage.
