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•• •• •• •• • •• ••••••• •• •• •• ••••• ••••••• ••••• and arts management A paper for discussion prepared by Iwan Williams Computers and Arts Management A paper for discussion prepared by Iwan Williams Published by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, UK Branch, London, 1982 Further copies of this report are available from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation © 1982 Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation 98 Portland Place London WIN 4ET Telephone 01-636 5313/7 ISBN O 903319 24 1 Cover design by Michael Carney Associates Produced by PPR Printing London Wl Contents Foreword Background to the Study Summary of Conclusions Explanation of Terms Chapter 1 The commercial environment The physical and human environment Management The total environment 10 12 13 15 16 Chapter 2 The Proposed System The Integrated Financial package The Stock Control package The Admission Analysis package The Mailing List package The Word Processing package 17 17 34 36 38 41 Chapter 3 The Physical and Financial Requirement The components of the system How much memory is needed? Alternative system configurations and their costs Software development 44 44 46 48 48 Issues to be Resolved Organisation and funding Software development 52 52 53 Chapter 4 The Working Environment Foreword Computers and Arts Management deals with the impact of information technology on the management of one small but important sector of creative activity. It is appropriate, therefore, that it appears at the beginning of 1982 which has been designated by the British Government as the year of Information Technology. This report has been produced by a Working Parry established in June 1981 on the recommendation of the Gulbenkian Foundation's Arts Initiative and Money (AIM) Advisory Committee which seeks to assist arts organisations to achieve better management and use of resources. Computers are a resource which, as their price declines and ease of operation increases, are being looked to by arts organisations of all sizes. The AIM Committee, however, was particularly concerned with small arts organisations. These might not have the staff and resources to investigate the application of computers, yet the benefits of computers to them might be considerable. This situation inspired the Working Party's brief, which was to investigate the potential use of computers in small arts organisations. Nevertheless its conclusions are relevant to arts organisations of all sizes. The Working Party concluded that the needs of arts organisations are sufficiently specialised to make software development necessary in order to realise the full potential of computers. This report, therefore, contains an outline description of a system designed to meet these needs, which is presented as a discussion document. The report is to be discussed at a series of conferences around the country where the advantages and disadvantages of computers and the merits of the particular system proposed in the report can be examined. If it is favourably received, the system might be developed incorporating suggestions from the conferences in ways discussed in the final chapter of the report. The members of the Working Party have worked extremely hard to produce this report within a few months. We are grateful to them and Iwan Williams for their commitment. We, and they, hope that this report of their work will be a valuable source of information and guidance for people in the arts who are considering how they might apply information technology within their organisations. Peter Brinson Director United Kingdom Branch Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon Background to the Stud