Because of the nature of the performing arts it can be difficult to keep records of productions. A workshop on 18-20 July will examine how eScience can be used to improve record keeping for the investigation and development of the performing arts.

The workshop, run by the Arts and Humanities Data Service (AHDS) at the University of Glasgow, will bring together individuals from the fields of eScience and the arts to tackle the difficulties in creating and storing digital material on theatre, music, film and dance performances.

Projects already established by AHDS include an electronic resource called Designing Shakespeare which allows students and scholars access to production details, excerpts from theatre reviews, an image database of production photographs, video interviews and VRML models of the key theatres spaces in Stratford and London. This allows a greater understanding of theatre designers working in Britain during the last 40 years of the twentieth century and illustrates the vast range of possible interpretations of Shakespeare’s work.

Organiser of the event, Daisy Abbott, said: “The AHDS has already produced a number of valuable digital representations of performance that enhances the way the performing arts is researched and understood. However, it is important that new ideas are considered for furthering this evolution of working across traditional academic boundaries.”

The workshop will taken place from 18-20 July 2007 at the e-Science Institute in Edinburgh. To book a place for this event, please visit http://www.nesc.ac.uk/esi/events/784/

Notes to editors
For more information contact Kate Richardson in the Media Relations Office on 0141 330 3683 or email K.Richardson@admin.gla.ac.uk

About the Arts and Humanities Data Service (AHDS)
The Arts and Humanities Data Service (Performing Arts) is based in the University of Glasgow’s Humanities Advanced Technology and Information Institute. The AHDS preserves digital data in the long term, promotes good practice in the use of digital data, provides technical advice to the research community, and supports the deployment of digital technologies.
For more information visit http://ahds.ac.uk/

First published: 13 July 2007

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