This is an article by the Taskforce Publieksdata. DEN is the chair of this taskforce.
What is standardization? What information do we want to collect? And how? The cultural sector benefits from standardization of audience data. This is not simple. Loes Hoogenboom, former director of Stichting Digitaal Informatieplatform Podiumkunsten (DIP), is investigating this for the Taskforce Publieksdata.
Make a difference with standard definitions
How do you standardize commonly used definitions? Loes mapped this out for the Taskforce Publieksdata. An important step. This gives you better insight into the cultural audience and allows you to make comparisons between institutions and sub-sectors. Even across national borders!
Standardization of data in the cultural sector
Data provides insight, but to compare effectively, standardization is a must. This report contains an initial exploration and a proposal for data standardization in culture. Together, we can reach more audiences. Be inspired and dive into the standardization report.
Why this report?
"Where we need to work towards is that everyone understands the goal: being able to say something meaningful on an overarching level," says Loes. With this approach, the sector can achieve a lot step by step, she is convinced.
"Without standardization, you can also put numbers side by side, but then it's like comparing apples to oranges."
Loes spoke with various parties in the cultural sector about desires, (technical) possibilities, and the best approach to truly make a difference together. These conversations provided important insights, including: make concrete agreements and start small.
Three components
The report zooms in on three components:
- The necessity of clear definitions;
- Standardizing export standards;
- Issuing unique IDs.
What is the next step?
The report is here. And now? Time for the next step! The report includes a few concept definitions. The aim is to finalize these in the coming period, in collaboration with the cultural sector. The inventory will also have a follow-up.
Additionally, we will delve into how to achieve standardization. What kind of organizational model is needed? Broadly speaking, it is already clear that it should be an independent party. This party must also ensure continuity in the future. Standardization is a continuous process of inventory, broadening the audience, and ensuring that definitions are accepted, implemented, and evaluated.
The challenge now is to take quick steps and not talk endlessly. Step by step, we move forward. The more concrete the steps, the more effective they are.
Get started with standardization! Loes shows how to start small.
Loes Hoogenboom worked until early 2022 as the director of Stichting Digitaal Informatieplatform Podiumkunsten (DIP). From that position, she contributed to the creation of a national and centrally organized digital infrastructure for the performing arts and initiated a standardization process for the definitions of ticket statuses and received entrance fees within the (ticketing systems of) the performing arts.
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