Tate and Vodafone today announced a new partnership to develop online and mobile technologies for Tate’s galleries and website. The partnership launches with Tate Debates, a weekly online discussion on Tate’s blog to encourage people to share their ideas and opinions about art. In the coming year Vodafone will continue to support Tate’s digital activities, working together to bring new technology into use in the galleries and on the internet. Further projects will be instigated over the coming months, including the creation of mobile services to complement Tate’s website, which receives over 18 million visitors a year.
Tate Debates, sponsored by Vodafone, launches this week as the latest way audiences can interact and engage with Tate. Hosted on Tate’s website, it will offer online visitors a chance to come together and discuss artists, exhibitions and wider issues relating to galleries and the visual arts. On Thursday 28 July, and every Thursday morning after that, a question or topic will be announced around which people can debate their ideas over the following two-day period. The first question will ask what people want from mobile apps in galleries and museums, while future topics will include questions about art education, design and architecture, and the history of art collections.
This interactive forum is designed to encourage more public engagement in art as well as to deepen Tate’s relationship with its online communities, which already include a network of over 263,000 Facebook fans and 392,000 Twitter followers.
As the partnership develops, Vodafone’s expertise will allow Tate to continue its pioneering use of the latest technologies within the museums sector. Further plans will take shape as the relationship progresses, finding innovative ways to use mobile devices and apps within the gallery.
Marc Sands, Director, Tate Media said:
Tate is delighted to be working together with Vodafone on Tate Debates and we look forward to realising many new projects in the future. Engaging with a global online audience, as well as our millions of gallery visitors, is an increasingly important part of what Tate does and I am sure our work with Vodafone will open up even more exciting and diverse ways to make this possible.
Lee Epting, Group Content Director, Vodafone said:
We are very pleased to announce our partnership with Tate and are excited about the opportunities to work with them to develop mobile services for Tate, their members and visitors.