TV, Wide Open: Developing Art for Networked Distribution

Aymar Jean Christian is an Assistant Professor in the Media, Technology and Society program in the Department of Communication Studies at Northwestern University.

This talk will chart the beginnings of an experiment in developing community-based networked television. The Wide Open series, part of the Open TV network, empowers a diverse set of creative artists to tell original stories as part of an art-driven online anthology series. Blending elements of scripted entertainment, performing arts, and other creative practices, Wide Open is focused on under-represented artists and audiences -- e.g. queer, black, Latin@, trans, femme, and others) -- and seeks to evolve from an online anthology series into a fully-resourced multimedia platform providing under-served communities with a viable alternative to mainstream entertainment. This project is an intervention in television, film, online video, and art industries, all of which undervalue the creative work of people of color and other marginalized workers. The persistent inequality of these creative economies has resulted not only in a stilted mainstream entertainment industry but also a rich, under-explored wealth of diverse artistry already moving forward in alternative spaces. By showcasing underrepresented arts and artists through more open platforms online, Wide Open seeks to build a broad, diverse and consistent audience for underrepresented and under-funded arts, television, and film.