Artsmonkey Blog

Via twitter I came across seamstress @Kokeshi_me and her wonderful blog on Japanese Culture ‘Dancing on Temple Tops’ http://www.wabei-mono.com/blog/ featuring her vintage Kimono’s http://wabei-mono.com/kimono/

And a quick re-visit: back in 2008 I came across ‘Own It’ http://www.own-it.org/ a website run by the London College of Communication and University of the Arts London Own-it offers free intellectual property advice for creative businesses. As their site says “Within your business or your practice, you’ve probably created a wealth of in-house ideas, designs, music, writing, images – in short, ‘intellectual property’ - which can make you extra money, as long as you give it the proper legal protection. Own-it will show you how.”  They run great free seminars for creatives, producers, artists, directors, musicians, et al.There is a growth industry in ‘stealing’ people’s work, or as I heard it described recently ‘harvesting’ the wealth of creative work available and in the public domain on the internet. Sites such as Flickr and Facebook, are scoured by design, marketing and ad companies for images or as a free resource for ideas that they used to pay artists and designers a fee for. So before you post that photo make sure you really understand IP and what a creative commons agreement is, or keep it private.  Blog articles can be re-used as someone else’s work elsewhere on the net etc. Cynical I know, but worth considering how and what you post on the net. Here’s another site that offers advice if you find your work has been ‘borrowed’ by someone check out Calvin Lee’s advice on his blog site http://www.mayhemstudios.com/blog/2008/02/on-line-copyright-infringement.html

Finally I keep mentioning Twitter, but you may not know what twitter is – it’s a social networking site where you post updates of your activity or links to other sites, interesting articles etc. in no more than 140 letters. You can comment on other’s posts and advertise your latest blog or upload of pictures to Flickr or ‘tweet’ about events. It’s a little thin on UK creatives so if you’re an Artist and want to give it a try read this info guide first by Jewellery designer Nicola Tallmadge ttp://www.squidoo.com/ArtistTwitterGuide

Are you e-proficient? Or does your son, daughter, niece, nephew etc. understand the world wide web far better than you?

There’s no doubt we’ve moved much closer to a ‘big brother’ state and one of the biggest watcher’s of our activities is the internet. It’s also one of the most popular leisure and work tools since the bicycle was invented. We bank online, we shop online, we socialise, we share work, listen to music, educate ourselves… there’s an ever expanding list.  I was asked to run a drama session with the Brownies this month on e-safety and I came across Tim’s Blog. Tim is a youth worker who is asking some very pertinent questions about social media, because no matter how much we worry about our young people being safe when ‘online’ there is no denying that they thrive on the flexible, creative nature of social media. The whole point of social media is it’s self-regulation and lack of rules imposed by an authority – the masses vote with their feet. 

In youth arts young people, can make a film, write a song, record it overlay it as a soundtrack and upload the whole shebang on the internet in a very short space of time. They can grab photo’s and content from their work and market their project to friends and strangers alike in a scarily efficient way –sometimes capturing the imagination and interest of thousands of people as evidenced by you-tube and face-book campaigns. Is it time for an e-safety test? (like cycling proficiency) i.e. before you get on it you have to be aware of how to use it safely; protect yourself, respect others (there is an alarming incidence of e-bullying). Taking the computer away might be a little like bolting the stable door – it’s an exciting world and I do mean ‘world’ it is addictive and equally it’s useful. Do read Tim’s blog and do check out these sites below if you have any concerns about e-safety. The most useful piece of advice given to me by Artist and blogger Dan Thompson was “don’t do something just because the computer or a website tells you to, you’re in charge not the computer” - ‘check before you click’. 

Internet safety websites giving information to parents and young people http://www.bbc.co.uk/chatguide/parents/index.shtml 

An easy-to-understand site with a common sense guide to using chat rooms for the whole family.

http://www.iwf.org.uk The only organisation in the

 http://www.safety.ngfl.gov.uk   Advice for schools on internet safety from the Department for Education and Skills. 

http://www.childnet-int.org/ Childnet International : Key safety issues and how best to discuss internet safety with children. 

http://www.getnetwise.org/  Challenge yourself and learn how your children can use the internet safely. http://familyinternet.about.com/cs/internetsafety1/a/safety01.htm 

About: internet safety. Take the tutorial for internet safety. US site with level-headed information for parents.

http://www.besafeonline.org/English/safer_use_of_services_on_the_internet.htm 

This site has been developed to make adults more aware of how to use the internet safely, so they can encourage safe behaviour online among children and young people. http://www.kidsmart.org.uk/ 

A safety site with resouces and activities for families and teachers including some interactive games. http://www.safer-internet.net/ 

A European site with information about the campaigns and activities on making the internet a safer place for all. http://www.keepyourkidssafe.com/ 

Product reports and information about what software you need to have installed on your computer.  http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents  The Home Office working with industry experts to keep parents informed.