The Wait is Over: Welcome to Digital Ladders

Welcome to Digital Ladders, the BC Alliance for Arts + Culture’s digital literacy initiative. We’ve teamed up with BC’s foremost digital experts to take the digital skills of BC's creative community to the next level. Read on to see how Digital Ladders can benefit you and your organization, at little to no expense.

HOW DOES THE PROGRAM WORK?

The name tells the story: think of the program as a ladder. There are three rungs, depending on your general level of digital literacy.

For people who are just getting used to digital ideas and concepts, try our Salons. These are 90-minute presentation-style sessions touching on a variety of topics. For example, we’ve got a session on January 8 called Leveraging Video on how to make video storytelling part of your organization’s strategy. On January 22, CRMs and the Arts teaches you the basics of Customer Relationship Management technology. We’ll be adding more Salons, so check back often!

If you’re more comfortable with digital media, and want to learn the process involved in creating a large-scale project, apply for our Learn-to-Do Labs. You'll be teamed up with other participants and matched with a creative technologist who will lend their expertise. Each team is then given the nugget of a creative idea, a platform and a target audience for a mock project. Over three days, you'll get to experience the logic, process, language and flow of creating digital work.

For those who already have a specific project in mind, and need a bit of guidance to bring it to life, our Workshops comprise the final rung of the ladder. Over two days, you'll shape your project, and come to a better understanding of how to build a strong funding application. You'll also have access to expert mentors who will teach you the ins and outs of getting your idea off the ground.

You can hop on the ladder at any point, or take all three levels — whatever works for you!

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? HOW DO I APPLY?

That’s the best part! Salons are open to anyone for the low price of $10 (for BC Alliance members and livestream viewers) or $15 (non-members). Labs and Workshops require prospective participants to complete an application detailing their project. If you’re chosen, not only will you participate for FREE, but the BC Alliance will pay you a $125/day stipend per participant or team to help subsidize the time you’re taking away from your work.

WHO ARE THE DIGITAL EXPERTS WORKING ON THIS PROJECT?

The BC Alliance has partnered with Sue Biely, CEO of Nudge Consulting, and Robert Ouimet, of Bigsnit Media Consulting, to design the program from scratch, and curate a faculty of the best and brightest in the BC digital media scene.

Our Digital Ladders Faculty includes some of BC’s foremost digital experts. Among them, they’ve worked for Microsoft, Google, Disney, Electronic Arts, Mozilla Firefox, PBS, Niantic Labs, CBC, the BBC, Activision Blizzard, Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, the National Film Board of Canada, and the 2010 Olympic Games, to name only a few heavy-hitting organizations. They’ve earned Emmy® and Webby Awards, and have contributed to major motion pictures, AAA video games, international marketing campaigns, educational programs, Super Bowl commercials, web platforms, tech start-ups, mobile apps, music videos, television and radio programs, and everything else under the sun. They’re a digital dream team, and they’re here to bring your digital dreams to life.

Click here to find out more about our Faculty.

SOUNDS GREAT! WHERE DO I START?

Click around the Digital Ladders website to familiarize yourself with the program, and then dive right in where you feel comfortable. If you’ve still got questions, feel free to drop us a line at digital@allianceforarts.com. And don’t forget to spread the word your community using the hashtag #DigitalLadders!