Digital Audiovisual Content in Marketing and Distributing Cultural Products and the Arts in Greece

School of Journalism and Mass Communications Faculty of Economic and Political Sciences

New Media and Technologies in the era of Convergence: Digital Audiovisual Content in Marketing and Distributing Cultural Products and the Arts in Greece. BY Nikos Gryllakis

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF DIGITAL MEDIA, COMMUNICATION AND JOURNALISM Specialization: Digital Media, Culture and Communication

Supervisor: Dr. Maria Matsiola May 2021

ABSTRACT The aim of the present study is to reflect upon the use of digital technologies for the marketing of arts and cultural events in the cultural organizations and foundations by conveying experts’ interviews and reviewing relevant literature. The key question that the study seeks to touch upon is whether cultural foundations and events exploit the amenities of the digital technologies and to what extent. The ways of production of digital audiovisual content will be of special focus to the dissertation and the strategy of digital campaigns of organizations as well. The primary foundations that the dissertation will be focusing upon are the organizations of Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Dimitria Festival as well as the major cultural foundation in Athens, namely the Onassis Foundation. Other significant organizations or foundations relevant to art have also been of interest to the dissertation. What the research seeks to examine is issues such as digital content creation, arts marketing, use of digital media and new technologies, brand identity and strategy building. Particular digital campaigns of foundations will be reviewed from a closer focus. The dissertation was conveyed during the turbulent times of the COVID – 19 pandemic, therefore the changing conditions of the media will not be overlooked. One of the special queries of the survey is to examine how the content of the organizations and events – festivals was distributed digitally, since physical events were banned in 2019 – 2020. The use of digital platforms for the distribution of digital artistic content will be touched upon from various perspectives.

Keywords: digital campaigns, arts marketing, digital audio-visual content production, audience development and engagement, cultural events, cultural foundations, digital streaming platforms

ACKNOWLEDMENT

The deepest of gratitude is owed to the supervisor of this thesis, Dr. Maria Matsiola, for the guidance and expertise, as well as the interviewees that contributed to the content of the research. Pasqua Vorgia and Vasilis Bibas, Ifigeneia Konstantinidou, Achilleas Polichronidis, Eleni Skarpou, Katerina Nikolaou, Marina Zigneli and Lia Kesopoulou.

A deep sense of respect to the committee members Prof. Tsourvakas and Prof. Paschalidis for their contribution to the completion of the thesis.

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CONTENTS

ABSTRACT ...... ii ACKNOWLEDMENT ...... iii LIST OF FIGURES ...... vi INTRODUCTION ...... 1 CHAPTER ONE ...... 4 THEORY AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ...... 4 1.1. Defining Arts Marketing - Branding and Audience Engagement...... 4 1.2. Digital Technologies in distributing and marketing the artistic content globally...... 5 1.3. Digital Technologies in distributing and marketing the artistic content domestically. ... 8 1.4. Festivals going digital: how movies migrated online | distributing the artistic product. . 8 1.5. Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF) and Dimitria Festival go digital | The locality of digitization...... 12 1.6. Research Methodology ...... 15 1.6.1. Selection of the Experts Interviewees...... 16 1.6.3. Evaluation interviews with communication experts...... 17 1.6.3. Conduct and analysis of interviews...... 17 CHAPTER TWO ...... 19 THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL...... 19 2.1. The case of Thessaloniki International Film Festival | A film Festival goes Digital. ... 19 2.2. Thessaloniki International Film Festival and audio – visual productions and marketing 20 2.3. 61st Thessaloniki International Film Festival visual identity | Storytelling in audio – visual marketing ...... 21 CHAPTER THREE ...... 26 DIMITRIA FESTIVAL ...... 26 3.1. The case of Dimitria Festival | A Festival on demand ...... 26 3.2. Dimitria Festival – Distances | Audio – visual identity and communication ...... 27 3.3. Art distributed solely through digits | e – dimitria...... 29 CHAPTER FOUR ...... 31 ONASSIS CULTURAL FOUNDATION ...... 31 4.1. Digital Content of a major cultural foundation in Greece | The cases of Onassis cultural foundation ...... 31 4.2. Enter Project | A project for the “here and now” through the world of digital platforms...... 34 4.3. Society Uncensored | The voice of society | digital audio – visual content production to the purposes of social impact...... 36

4.4. The Social Impact of a Cultural Organization becomes real | The power of digital technologies to the purposes of free speech...... 40 CHAPTER FIVE ...... 45 EVALUATION BY COMMUNICATION EXPERTS ...... 45 5.1. Evaluation of the digital audio – visual content production for the purposes of cultural product marketing...... 45 5.1.1. Eleni Skarpou, communication expert and former communication manager of Dimitria Festival ...... 46 5.1.2. Marina Zigneli, Editor in chief of TFC Magazine ...... 46 5.1.3. Lia Kesopoulou, copywriter, brand strategist and social media manager ...... 47 5.1.4. Katerina Nikolaou, journalist, radio producer and communication expert ...... 47 CONCLUSIONS...... 49 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 52 Appendix – Questionnaires ...... 58 Questionnaire relevant to the audiovisual marketing for the promotion of cultural products ...... 58 Transcript of Interview: Achilleas Polichronidis, Graphic Designer, Partner of Red Creative Agency and Dimitria Festival ...... 63 Transcript of Interview: Vasilis Bibas | Social Media Manager at Onassis Foundation ...... 65 Transcript of Interview: Pasqua Vorgia | Curator of the Talks and Thoughts series and in charge of the Digital Series #Society Uncensored ...... 68 Questionnaire for the communication experts in Thessaloniki ...... 70 Transcript of Interview: Katerina Nikolaou | Journalist and Communication Expert at Sofouli Theatre ...... 71 Transcript of Interview: Lia Kesopoulou | Communication Expert at Theatre T, Communication Advisor at VICKO ...... 73 Transcript of Interview: Eleni Skarpou, Communication Expert, Journalist, Former Communications Manager of the Dimitria Festival ...... 75 Transcript of Interview: Marina Zigneli, Editor in Chief TFC Magazine, MA graduate of Film Studies, Partner of Digital Agency “Felines” ...... 77

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1 | Shift72 – Launch an online film festival. Source: https://www.shift72.com/...... 11 Figure 1.2 | Shift72 – Host your festival online. Source: https://www.shift72.com/ ...... 11 Figure 1.3 | Shift72 - CPH: DOX. Source: https://www.shift72.com/ ...... 12 Figure 1.3 | TIFF – Festival Scope. Source: https://www.filmfestival.gr/en/professionals-b2b- tiff/press/news-press-en/27245-tiff-offers-digital-screenings-of-greek-films-on-festival-scope ...... 13 Figure 1.4 | TIFF Online Platform. Source: https://www.filmfestival.gr ...... 14 Figure 1.5 | Dimitria Festival Online Platform. Source: https://e-dimitria.gr/ ...... 14 Figure 2.1 | TIFF’s visual identity. Source: https://www.filmfestival.gr/el/film-festival ...... 21 Video 2.1 | TIFF61. Official Spot 1 | Sci – Fi. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFZNXCsvF2c ...... 23 Video 2.2 | TIFF61. Official Spot 2 | Rooftop. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huCOh2lMRgw ...... 24 Video 2.3 | TIFF61. Official Spot 3 | Foleys. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taiyH52KYEk...... 25 Figure 3.1 | 2020 Dimitria Festival’s visual identity. Source: https://e-dimitria.gr/ ...... 26 Video 3.1 | Dimitria Festival Trailer Spot | Kariofillia Karabeti. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fSbHe09D-I ...... 30 Figure 4.1 | Onassis foundation YouTube channel. Source: https://www.youtube.com/user/sgtathens ...... 32 Figure 4.2 | Onassis Foundation Website. Source: https://www.onassis.org/el/ ...... 32 Video 4.1 | ENTER Program As you sleep the world empties by Vasilis Kekatos. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-7g_-4gZwE ...... 35 Figure 4.3 | Psofos – Hate Speech | Society Uncensored Series | Onassis Foundation – Stegi. Source: https://www.onassis.org/el/initiatives/society-uncensored-a-series-of-digital- discussions/psofos-hate-speech-on-social-media ...... 37 Figure 4.4 | Intolerance by Io Voulgaraki | Performance on YouTube Channel | Onassis Foundation – Stegi. Source: https://www.onassis.org/el/whats-on/intolerance ...... 39 Figure 4.5 | Zak Kostopoulos on Onassis Foundation Led Wall. Source: https://www.onassis.org/el/whats-on/onassis-stegi-pride-week/zak-zackie-oh ...... 41 Figure 4.6 | Comment relevant to the “Golden Dawn” trial | Onassis Foundation. Source: https://www.onassis.org/el/onassis-stegi ...... 43

Figure 4.7 | Screenshot of Bekatorou’s comment | Onassis YouTube channel Source: https://www.news247.gr/koinonia/mpekatoroy-to-chroniko-mias-sygklonistikis- exomologisis.9113060.html ...... 44

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INTRODUCTION

It is an indisputable fact that the business world has witnessed the rise and establishment of the use of digital technologies and media in order for the corporations to enrich audiences and lead their enterprises to success. Cultural foundations are hybrid types of organizations since the human capital and the sensitive nature of the cultural product can create intricate conditions in terms of marketing, advertisement, audience enrichment and public awareness. What remains to be conceived is how the foundations, as well as the artists, determine how their artistic creation can be produced, marketed, advertised, and promoted. One of the key questions that have not been reflected upon in terms of literature is how the cultural product finds its route to the public through digital audio-visual platforms and how the digital media facilitate the contextualization of the artistic projects in the audience’s life. It appears that digital engagement projects are being executed by arts organizations but there seems to be a lack of theorizing the processes that these projects follow, as well as their impact on the audience (Wamsley, 2016, p. 66). In order to proceed with the analysis of the digital projects that have been designed to reach and engage a particular audience, it is crucial to first provide a literature review relevant to definitions in terms of arts marketing, audience engagement and digital technologies. After having set the framework of how the key concepts are defined, the study will be reflecting upon the utilization of these key concepts in major artistic events and cultural foundations in Greece. Traditionally, the first chapter of the thesis serves as a literature review in which significant concepts are defined under scrutiny so that they can be easily perceived. Definitions of branding and marketing are provided, and the concept of audience engagement is explained through the theories of Kolb (2005), Laurell and Björner (2018), Pelsmacker, Geuens and Bergh (2013) and other researchers. There is an effort of rendering the term of digital technologies more specific and for this purpose the digitization of festivals is extensively discussed. The global image of festival digitization during the COVID – 19 pandemic is one of the major issues of the chapter, as it explains how digital technologies made the distribution of art possible during an impossible, turbulent period. There is a discussion of how digital technologies were exploited in the marketing of cultural organizations both globally and domestically and the chapter ends with a brief reference to the two main festivals which will later serve as case studies (Thessaloniki International Film Festival & Dimitria Festival). In the research methodology sub-section that follows there is reference to the ways in which this research was conducted. The qualitative data that has been collected in order to support the hypothesis of this

thesis is commented upon so as to lay the grounds of how this research can be considered valid. In this chapter, there is also short reference to the difficulties that arose in the process as well as to concepts which can be further analysed in future research relevant to the field. The second chapter centres itself around the first case study of the thesis. Thessaloniki International Film Festival is the main issue, which is being discussed, along with the ways in which the organization is present digitally. The chapter discusses how the festival was conducted during the pandemic and how digital media were utilized in order for the visual image of the festival to be shaped. The use of digital audio – visual productions is further analysed, since the festival made use of different visual marketing tools, directed by Exarchou, tools which are commented upon. In its entirety, the chapter aims to provide a holistic comment on the digital strategies of Thessaloniki International Film Festival and interpret the manners in which the organization manages to be digitally present in all possible channels. The third chapter constitutes a research relevant to one of the major cultural events in Northern Greece, Dimitria Festival. In the case of Dimitria Festival, the digital technologies that were implemented are also analysed through a different lens, since in the case of this precise festival, the organization was also communicated through graphic design. Therefore, apart from the focal point of digital audio – visual content production, meaning mostly video productions, there is interest in how the agency that served the project utilized graphic design as well. The vision of the creators of the festival’s visual identity is commented upon through the juxtaposition of the agency’s deliverables. The graphic designs as well as the video productions are commented upon and are put in the wider context of the festivals aims. The fourth chapter is a defining chapter of the dissertation since it focuses upon the use of digital technologies, and in particular, the use of digital audio-visual content production and publishing of one of the most significant cultural foundations in Greece-Onassis Foundation. There is a generic discussion relevant to various projects which suggest the vivid digital presence of the foundation in the digital platforms, projects relevant to podcasts, cinema, theatrical performances, and encounters with significant people. The ways that the foundation utilizes its YouTube Channel are further discussed, as well as social media in general. However, the most interesting point of the research lays on specific projects that the foundation has realized. The Enter Project is an initiative that Onassis Foundation realized early on during the pandemic and therefore provided artistic content to the audience solely through the use of digital platforms. One of the films that were included in this collection is “As you sleep the world empties” by Vasilis Kekatos, which is of interest to the research because of its relation to the pandemic. Digital audio-visual content production and its dissemination through digital

platforms are, thus, linked to the ongoing reality that the world is facing. Accordingly, the Society Uncensored series is a digital series of talks relevant to socio-political issues which serves as an open discussion arena, promoting free speech and democratic practices. Distribution of digital content is looked into not only through artistic purposes but also in terms of social impact. The fifth chapter centres on the perspective of four different female voices in the journalistic field of Thessaloniki, who aim to answer the questions of whether digital audiovisual content production in the art sector is fruitful, how it can be further utilized to strengthen the purposes of the artists and how audio-visual content can bridge the gap between the creators and the audience. After having supported the key question of digital audio-visual content production and publishing through various case studies, the thesis entails chapters on the conclusions that can be drawn based on the research as well as the recommendations that can be suggested for more efficient utilization of digital technologies.

CHAPTER ONE

THEORY AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

In this chapter of the thesis, significant concepts, such as definitions of branding and marketing and the concept of audience engagement are provided. There is an effort of rendering the term of digital technologies more specific and for this purpose the digitization of festivals is extensively discussed. The global image of festival digitization during the COVID – 19 pandemic is one of the major issues of the chapter, as it explains how digital technologies made the distribution of art possible during an impossible, turbulent period. The chapter is concluded with an extensive reference in the methodology that was performed for the thesis research. Experts’ interviews were employed as the qualitative research method.

1.1. Defining Arts Marketing - Branding and Audience Engagement.

In order for someone to understand the term “arts marketing”, one first has to understand the cultural event as a commodity or product. As Pelsmacker, Geuens and Bergh (2013, p. 2) suggest: “Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create and exchange value, and satisfy individual and organizational objectives”. However, what is of utmost importance is the creation of an identity that can lead an arts organization, event, or business to success. One can support that finding a product or a service that does not exist in a particular market and creating this product based on the promotion of its unique identity can definitely lead to a success. The American Marketing Association defines a brand as “a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of these, intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers, and to differentiate them from those of a competitor” (American Marketing Association cited in Pelsmacker, Geuens and Bergh, 2013, p. 39). As Baumgarth and O’ Reilly (2014, p. 5) suggest, “an arts brand can be an artefact, an artist or group of artists, an organization, an event, a venue, a performance, a song, or an exhibition”. Branding seems to be the concept based on which a venue can build a very particular identity, which differentiates the venue from other venues which offer similar services. Kolb (2005, p. 8) states: “It was only during the 1970's that cultural organizations came to the widespread realization that, if there was to be sufficient attendance, it would be necessary to market their art to the public”. Arts marketing has been familiar to art foundations for many years but most of them did not consider it necessary to reflect extensively upon how they can

market their services. Since the 1970’s, cultural organizations did seem to consider arts marketing crucial, since they started facing difficulties addressing to a constantly changing audience. Technology, social media and the new era made vast changes to the way communication is perceived and this is the reason why the arts needed to follow the stream. As Kolb (2005, p. 8) further stresses: “Cultural organizations have found that they need to learn more about marketing skills so that they can attract an audience that is increasingly difficult to find”. Boorsma and Chiaravalloti (2010, p. 7) suggest that artists and art organisations perform three interrelated kinds of artistic functions for three main stakeholder groups: customers (artistic experiences), community (ongoing (re)construction of culture), and professions (adding to the development of the professional field of artistic disciplines). Fulfilling these functions can help strengthen the relationships between the arts and key stakeholder groups, but their relevance is secondary when compared with the primary artistic functions of the art organisation. Many art organisations depend heavily on the efforts of external partners to be able to create and deliver the values expressed in the mission (Boorsma and Chiaravalloti, 2010, p. 10). Audience engagement is what seems to be the issue at stake. How can an organization, event, foundation, arts venue convince the customer that this particular cultural product is the product that they need to buy? Social media and the use of digital environments and platforms are what drastically changed the way that arts engage audiences in recent years.

1.2. Digital Technologies in distributing and marketing the artistic content globally.

It is an indisputable fact that technology has shifted the way in which content is distributed and marketed in the arts sector. As Laurell and Björner (2018, p. 529) suggest, “The ways in which consumers engage with professional organizations have transformed due to the expansion of the digital media landscape”. This extensive digitization is expressed by the use of different digital tools not only to market the cultural products of the organizations but also to distribute it. As it will be stressed later on in this thesis, the tools that the foundations seem to use extensively include technologies which are relative to digital marketing (newsletter, audio-visual content, websites, social media and SEO techniques), as well as tools for distribution such as digital platforms to display their content.

Thomson, Purcell, Rainie (2013, p. 2) conducted a research relevant to how arts marketing functions in the art organizations in America. The findings were striking as to how digital technologies are perceived by the art world.

“The internet and social media are integral to the arts in America. A survey of arts organizations that have received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) finds that technology use permeates these organizations, their marketing and education efforts, and even their performance offerings. Moreover, many organizations are using the internet and social media to expand the number of online performances and exhibits, grow their audience, sell tickets, and raise funds online, while allowing patrons to share content, leave comments, and even post their own content on organizations’ sites. The internet and digital technologies have also disrupted much of the traditional art world, according to these organizations. It has changed audience expectations, put more pressure on arts groups to participate actively in social media and, in some circumstances, undercut organizations’ missions and revenue streams. Even the notion of art is changing: 77% of respondents strongly agree or somewhat agree with the statement that digital technologies have “played a major role in broadening the boundaries of what is considered art.” Tied to this embrace of technology is a widespread sense among arts group leaders that digital technologies are critical to the spread of the arts: • 81% of the organizations in this survey say the internet and digital technologies are “very important” for promoting the arts, • 78% say these technologies are “very important” for increasing audience engagement, • 50% “strongly agree” with the statement that the internet “has increased engagement in the arts by providing a public platform through which more people can share their work”, • 65% say digital technologies are “very important” for fundraising, • A majority of these organizations also agree that the internet is “very important” in increasing organizational efficiency (63%), and for their engaging in arts advocacy (55%)”.

As one can infer from the above research, the use of the internet, as well as digital technologies, has seen a great rise of appreciation from the communication experts of the arts foundations. However, the use of digital technologies is not limited to promoting an arts event or organization but also becomes a part of the pure artistic process. As it will be stressed later on, the artistic experience has changed, especially because of the COVID – 19 pandemic, and arts have seen drastic shifts relevant to their creation, distribution and communication. Place has become a virtual setting in which art is created, distributed and promoted. Place has significant implications for art organisations. Art activities no longer only occur in the context of a physical setting, but also in virtual settings, whether it is a car, concert hall, theatre, coffeehouses, or churches (Novak‐Leonard and Brown, 2011, p. 30). Novak‐Leonard and Brown (2011, p. 64) identify three basic categories of art activities: art attendance, personal art creation, and performance and art participation through electronic media. In addition to art attendance, individuals participate in art creation activities such as painting and sculpting, photography, film and video‐making, among others. Research suggests the third category of art activities—participation through electronic media such as viewing or listening to a performing arts event or accessing art performances or programming online— is the most prevalent mode of art participation in the US (Novak‐Leonard and Brown, 2011, p. 71). Especially, during the times of a pandemic, place has become a vague concept to address since art events and performances are not feasible to happen physically anymore. Place has been attributed a more temporal characteristic, that of digital inclusiveness. Anyone can access a performance which is being offered digitally and it is only through technology that art can exist during a pandemic. The attendance of the audience to the event is only possible through digital platforms and technology is no longer solely a facilitator for communication of the artistic goals but is rather part of the art itself. Place plays a critical role in building a sense of community, especially using technology to help build online communities in partnership with the public (Kolb, 2005, p. 14). Digital space becomes the stage in which a performance can occur, and the same digital environment can become a community of shared experience. This can only have an obvious impact on how the product (online performance) is marketed digitally. Marketing communications now involve new platforms and tools, which enable art organisations to blend reach, intimacy, and engagement with consumers and influencers (Hanna, Rohm, and Crittenden, 2011, p. 269). Therefore, art organisations can take full advantage of their owned media (for example website and social media sites) and earned media

(word‐of‐mouth) to reach their intended goals (Corcoran, 2009, cited in Wiid and Avila, 2017, p. 3).

1.3. Digital Technologies in distributing and marketing the artistic content domestically.

In Greece, research has not laid extensive focus on whether digital technologies have been exploited in distributing and marketing the artistic content. Arts foundations, as well as festivals, have not been in the scope of researchers so that the question of whether foundations have become digitized can be answered. However, there has been an extensive research on how museums operate in terms of digital technologies and marketing and one can say that the findings suggest that the digitization of museum foundations has made them evolve and provide a different experience to the visitors. Liritzi (2019) supports that the evolution of technology has had a huge positive impact on the development of modern museums and she suggests that the museums which do not adapt to the technology shifts are susceptible to harm their sustainability. Furthermore, she claims that technology has had an overall positive impact on the advertising, communication, as well as the satisfactions of the visitors. Tsiflikli (2020) conveys a research which focuses upon the strategic communication and marketing of a particular cultural foundation in Northern Greece and in her research, she stresses the importance of the use of digital technologies by the arts sector. She highlights the use of websites as a digital environment which constitutes the digital identity of a foundation, the use of social media which serve as an open source of information relevant to the foundations, as well as mobile applications and other multimedia in order to enrich the audience’s experience. Marakos (2017) focuses his research on the issue of audio-visual advertising and stresses its importance especially during the era of digitization. He supports that audio-visual advertising consists of a dynamic entity that entails text, sound, colour, movement, and place which may constitute a tool probable to provide any advertisement with life and meaning.

1.4. Festivals going digital: how movies migrated online | distributing the artistic product.

It is not striking to suggest that festivals (either art festivals in general, or specifically film festivals) were compelled to adapt to the new demands of the pandemic in order to be able to

display their content. Early in the coronavirus crisis, a wild discussion immediately started taking place considering whether filmmakers should permit the distribution of their artistic product online. Kaleem Aftab (2020), in his article for Variety, interviews many different artistic directors of grand film festivals that had their hesitations relevant to the digitization of the festivals. Most of them concluded that if they said no to the digitization during times which are uncertain, they would not know what would happen with the films. The use of technology enabled the festival organizations to be present, at least digitally, so that the audience would not be deprived of their film preferences. Thus, numerous film festivals all over the globe chose to distribute their content through the channels of technology and exploited the available digital platforms to do so. A necessary research was conveyed so that the digital context of the ways of this distribution can be more effectively understood. Academic literature has not yet been updated with the ways through which the festivals managed to achieve their digital presence. However, several articles have been written to reflect upon the digitization of the festivals during the pandemic. In this subchapter, there will be excessive reference to how festivals digitized themselves in the times of COVID – 19. Aaron Zeghers (2020) suggests that some of the festivals adjusted themselves easily to the fluidity caused by the pandemic and managed to overcome the difficulties in a matter of days. He mentions that some festivals (e.g Copenhagen International Documentary Festival, CPH: DOX) adapted to the new environment by reimaging their whole programming rapidly. The necessary technologies were provided by digital platforms which facilitated the organizations in order to achieve their goals. Zeghers (2020) categorizes the platforms into two main categories based on the way by which the content is distributed: • On – demand video streaming platforms • Live – streaming films and events Copenhagen International Documentary Festival (CPH: DOX) used an on – demand video streaming platform, Shift72 in order to distribute its content. Shift72 was the digital platform that claimed that it could distribute the entire program of CPH: DOX only 24 hours after the decision of a total lockdown because of COVID – 19. The key features of Shift72’s digital platform as they appear in Zeghers (2020) research are: • Ability to sell passes or individual tickets to all films. • Ability to build programs of multiple films (ie. shorts programs). • Ability to play set pre-roll content before all films that is non-skippable.

• DRM encryption (industry standard copyright protection used by Amazon, Disney+) of all films uploaded. • Geo-blocking enabled. • Ability to watermark films. • Embeddable into custom url or website. • Ability to develop custom iOS, Android, Chromecast, Apple TV streaming apps. • Mentions ability to incorporate live streaming, but more info is needed on this. • No mention of ability to link films from Vimeo / Youtube The price varied from $ 3.300 to $11.000 for the USD activation fee and +10% of streaming box office revenue. In addition to that, the pricing included an additional fee of $3 per feature film upload. Chris Lindahl (2020) made an extensive list of the organizations that chose to adapt their plans to the demands of the pandemic by moving their festival online. Some of the festivals decided to follow a hybrid version of both online and offline screenings whilst other organizations conveyed their festival solely online. One of the world’s biggest and well-known film festivals, Sundance Film Festival was conveyed between the 28th of January and the 3rd of February and provided limited offline screenings along with digital ones, and mostly met its audiences where they were. As it can be seen in the announcement of the plans of the festival, the digital presence made it possible for some screenings to be available to a global audience. 2021 Sundance Film Festival offered digitally via a custom-designed online platform (festival.sundance.org) alongside drive-ins, independent arthouses, and a network of local community partnerships. The online expression of the Sundance Film Festival will provide global access for storytellers and audiences alike to come together, experience artists’ new work, connect with one another, and participate in conversation. Eric Kohn (2020) supports that the necessity of virtual spaces for the realization of film festivals made a whole new business saw a rise. The organizations started seeking cost-effective platforms so that they could display their content not only in a fast but also concise manner. The journalist of Indiewire, in his article, suggests that since many film festivals were forced to cancel their plans for physical screenings, many platforms grasped their opportunity to create the necessary spaces for the festivals to show their movies. As previously mentioned, the list of platforms is almost endless. Shift72 (Figure 1.1 & 1.2), Film Festival Alliance, Muvi, Festival Scope, Eventive, Cinesend are just a few among the countless digital platforms that strived to gain as many festivals as possible in their clientele.

Figure 1.1 | Shift72 – Launch an online film festival. Source: https://www.shift72.com/

Figure 1.2 | Shift72 – Host your festival online. Source: https://www.shift72.com/

As it is stated in Melanie Goodfellow’s (2020) article in Sreendaily, Shift72 is a specialised video streaming solutions platform with a track record in helping film, media and broadcast businesses launch and manage their own streaming services (Figure 1.3). Its film industry clients have included Cannes Marché du Film, SXSW, The American Film Market, CPH: DOX and PÖFF Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.

In her article, Goodfellow supports that in April 2020, two major corporations working on streaming solutions for festivals, Shift72 and Festival Scope, decided to join forces in order to manage the higher-than-expected demands and traffic that the online edition of Denmark’s CPH: DOX (Copenhagen International Documentary Festival) triggered.

Figure 1.3 | Shift72 - CPH: DOX. Source: https://www.shift72.com/

Wendy Mitchell (2020) supports that the online version of the CPH: DOX managed to sell 66.500 streams in its initial programming of screenings. If one takes into consideration the fact that many people did not watch the streaming on their own, they can infer that the average number of viewers may be up to 113.000. The online platform, launched with 40 films on March 18 by Festival Scope and later expanded by Shift72 to 150 films, had been available solely to Danish IP addresses.

1.5. Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF) and Dimitria Festival go digital | The locality of digitization.

As mentioned previously, most of the festivals that decided to distribute their content digitally chose to do so using the on-demand streaming platforms. This conclusion is valid for the two Greek festivals as well (TIFF and Dimitria) which chose to display their content on demand, using two different ways of doing so.

Thessaloniki International Film Festival initially followed the path of what was happening on a global scale and decided to provide a number of films to the digital platform “Festival Scope” for the audience to access it with a free registration (Figure 1.4).

Figure 1.3 | TIFF – Festival Scope. Source: https://www.filmfestival.gr/en/professionals-b2b- tiff/press/news-press-en/27245-tiff-offers-digital-screenings-of-greek-films-on-festival-scope

As part of its online activities, the organization decided to upload a number of movies which constituted the program of the 60th organization and the titles remained online from the 14th of April until the 26th of April both for the Greek and international audience. Each film was available for 300 screenings. Later on, for the 61st organization, TIFF designed its own platform (Figure 1.4) (https://online.filmfestival.gr/) for on-demand display of content.

Figure 1.4 | TIFF Online Platform. Source: https://www.filmfestival.gr

As far as the Dimitria Festival is concerned, for the distribution of its content the festival designed its own platform, as well (https://e-dimitria.gr/). In the platform (Figure 1.5), numerous performances were streamed digitally for more than 21 consecutive days and more than 150 artists were able to display their content.

Figure 1.5 | Dimitria Festival Online Platform. Source: https://e-dimitria.gr/

Before plunging into the next two chapters, where one can find extensive reference to the ways in which the two festival organizations (Thessaloniki International Film Festival and

Dimitria Festival) marketed and displayed their content, there is a specific reference to the methodology that was followed for the realization of the thesis.

1.6. Research Methodology

The methodological approach of this research was to touch upon the issues of the digital emergence in the arts sector by looking into the strategies that are followed by the cultural foundations, events and festivals in terms of digital audio-visual content production and publishing. The major questions of the thesis are the following: a. Are foundations and festivals in Greece utilizing the tools that digital technologies provide? b. How do these tools facilitate the process of marketing and distributing their artistic products? The expert interviews were employed as the qualitative research method in this thesis since interviews are the most widely used method of data collection in social sciences, providing a unique source for ‘inside’ information (Manzano, 2016; Dorussen, Lenz, & Blavoukos, 2005; Littig, & Pöchhacker, 2014). In terms of technical management of the qualitative interviews, the questions posed range from open-ended conversations to using semi-structured or structured interviews (Manzano, 2016; Littig, & Pöchhacker, 2014). An issue set is the definition of an expert as people who possess specific knowledge acquired during their professional course, not only in a technical framework but also in organizational procedures and processes (Littig, & Pöchhacker, 2014). The purpose of the method used in this study was to gather an overview and the orientation on a newly imposed practice on the field of the marketing of cultural organizations and events. This approach aims at receiving broader insights into the contemporary forms of digital audiovisual content in marketing and distributing of the cultural products and the arts in Greece. In order to achieve our purpose, four experts who hold specific job positions in different fields of the cultural organizations under study were selected to be interviewed. Furthermore, to evaluate our findings, four journalists who work as communication experts were asked to state their professional opinion on the issues raised in the thesis. The analysis of the data retrieved from the interviews as well as the research in the digital platforms and digital material of the foundations and organizations were further commented upon through different spectrums.

The questions that the thesis seeks to answer – as well as raise – mainly concern whether the digital technologies are being utilized to an extent which has exhausted the possibilities of further use by the foundations or whether there is still room for further grow and improvement. The thesis does not limit itself to the plain registering of the techniques that are being implemented by the organizations and foundations but rather pursues to further engage itself with the reasons why these techniques are being implemented and what is their impact to the foundations’ branding, social presence, audience engagement, as well as strengthening of artistic creativity. This is the reason why, in the final chapters, there is a critical analysis of all these significant questions that have been raised and there is an effort of assessment of what is being followed, so that further ideas can be suggested for the foundations in order to make their work more efficient and the use of the amenities of digital technologies more effective.

1.6.1. Selection of the Experts Interviewees.

In order to support the three main case studies, namely the case study of Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Dimitria Festival and Onassis Foundation, and in the framework of the methodology of experts’ interviews, people in charge in specific fields of the cultural organizations were approached. Therefore, the need of qualitative data for the thesis was fulfilled by the interviews of: • Ifigeneia Konstantinidou, Social Media manager of Thessaloniki International Film Festival, • Achilleas Polichronidis, Graphic Designer-Partner of the Dimitria Festival, • Vasilis Bibas, Social Media Manager of the Onassis Foundation and • Pasqua Vorgia, Project Manager of the Digital Series “Society Uncensored”. They were selected based on the definition of an expert, as retrieved from Meuser and Nagel (2009, p.18): “in scientific research an individual is addressed as an expert because the researcher assumes – for whatever reason – that she or he has knowledge, which she or he may not necessarily possess alone, but which is not accessible to anybody in the field of action under study”. All four of them hold strategic positions in the organizations and foundations under study. Furthermore, an attempt was made to acquire a wide range of aspects on the subject of the thesis, therefore a variety of professional opinions (social media manager, graphic designer, project manager) were sought to deliver a complete perspective. As Bogner, Littig and Menz (2009, pp. 17-35) stress in their book Interviewing Experts, apart from the sometimes quite problematic identification of experts, the acquisition of a high

degree of thematic competence on the part of the interviewer before they conduct the interview is constitutive for an expert interview. This implies that the interviewer must do their utmost to acquire as much as possible of the – relatively exclusive – special knowledge that the expert has normally acquired in the course of a long (secondary) socialization process. This is the reason why a thorough acquisition of information preceded the interviews so that a good knowledge of the experts’ background and of the main issues of the discussion would be insured.

1.6.3. Evaluation interviews with communication experts

In order for the thesis to ensure a more valid conclusion, four communication experts in Thessaloniki were asked to comment upon the issues that the research seeks to raise and therefore provide a more professional input in the findings. Four interviews were conveyed for that purpose, with four experts: Lia Kesopoulou, Katerina Nikolaou, Eleni Skarpou and Marina Zigneli. The purpose of these interviews was to provide a holistic evaluation of how the corporations manage their digital content. The managerial perspective of the communication experts was considered vital for the thesis since conclusions can be drawn not solely as a result of a bibliographical or research-based type of thesis but also of a more concrete corporate approach.

1.6.3. Conduct and analysis of interviews.

A questionnaire in the form of Google Forms was initially created and distributed, so as for a basis to be created before the conduct of the interviews with the experts to overcome the lack of time due to obligations. The experts’ knowledge and competence to practical use which was provided by their position in the organizational structure was sought through the interviews. Their professional ability to shape events permits them to speak on behalf of an organization and deliver information on the subject under study. Even though the general idea on the questions posed was given to the interviewees to allow for knowledge at the level of the discursive consciousness (Meuser & Nagel, 2009), finally, an open interview which allowed the interviewees to unfold their own outlooks and reflections was conducted with each one of them. Closed questions and a prefixed guideline were avoided. During the analysis of the expert interviews, the attention was focused on the thematic units that formed the main interest of the research. Of course, many thought-provoking issues were

raised besides the initial scheduling and were added in the outcomes of this thesis. The institutional-organizational context within which the expert’s position is embedded provides more data and sets the guidelines in a new order (Meuser & Nagel, 2009). The first step in the analysis was to assess the meaning of the interviewees’ statements regardless of the order of appearance. The most interesting parts were compared among all the answers and a guide was created. All the interviews were performed through call recording. Therefore, they had to be transcribed thematically to be better interpreted. However, as followed by the bibliography (Meuser & Nagel, 2009), the transcription was not detailed to each word and prosodic and paralinguistic elements were notated only to a certain extent. Afterwards, the text was formed according to the created thematic units following a commonsense reasoning by adopting the terminology of the interviewee.

CHAPTER TWO

THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

This chapter centers itself around the first case study of the thesis. Thessaloniki International Film Festival is the main issue, which is being discussed, along with the ways in which the organization is present digitally. In its entirety, the chapter aims to provide a holistic comment on the digital strategies of Thessaloniki International Film Festival and interpret the manners in which the organization manages to be digitally present in all possible channels.

2.1. The case of Thessaloniki International Film Festival | A film Festival goes Digital.

Thessaloniki International Film Festival is one of the major cultural events in Northern Greece, and the second biggest film festival in Greece, along with Athens International Film Festival. Normally, the festival takes place in November, in the premises of the port of Thessaloniki with guests from all over the world, varying from filmmakers, actors, film critics, journalists and thousands of attendees. 2020 was the year during which the events of the COVID – 19 pandemic made it impossible for the festival to take place physically, since the safety measures of the Greek government did not permit the realization of any cultural plan, thereby the festival was conveyed digitally between the 5th and 15th of November, 2020. It is one of the purposes of this thesis to examine the corelation between the audio-visual content production and the realization of a major film festival organization. Thessaloniki International Film Festival made use of numerous audio-visual means in order to create, promote, communicate and realize the event, despite the difficulties that arose because of the demands that the quarantine restrictions posed. One can easily support that the 61st organization of the film festival in Thessaloniki was concluded with a major success. The spectators were numerous and even in such dreadful times the audience seemed to support the online film screenings that took place. As it is stated in TIFF’S website:

“The 61st Thessaloniki International Film Festival was concluded with great success, receiving the audience’s love in every possible way. More than 80,000

viewers and movie industry professionals watched the films and attended the festival’s online events, whereas a large number of films were sold out. Agora, the Festival’s development branch, also achieved a great attendance, offering support to Greek cinema through a series of new initiatives, actions, and awards. The 61st Festival hosted a series of exhibitions and visual art events, within the framework of TIFF’s main concept, “Intimacy: a modern tyranny”. Works of art, video mapping, as well as The Glasshouse Project installation adorned the city streets and squares, as well as the Port of Thessaloniki, offering glimpses of joy and hope to the city’s residents, who had the chance to enjoy a touch of art during their scarce walks for exercise, groceries and the covering of basic needs, amidst these hard days we’re experiencing. The goal is for these exhibitions to remain in the city’s public space even after the festival. For the first time in Greece, two online fully accessible screenings took place, of the Greek films A Crazy, Crazy Family by Dinos Dimopoulos and Morning Patrol by Nikos Nikolaidis. The movies were screened with an audio description for the blind and sight-impaired and with subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing.”

2.2. Thessaloniki International Film Festival and audio – visual productions and marketing

Before plunging into how the film festival promoted the online events, screenings and different activities that it entailed, one has to examine whether the organization made use of the audio-visual tools up until then. In order to do so, part of the survey included the interview of Ifigeneia Konstantinidou who works as the Social Media Marketing Strategist of the TIFF organization. In her interview, she supports that the organization makes extensive use of audio-visual techniques in order to reach a wide audience. She states that “The Festival uses audio-visual campaigns for both of the organizations that it entails (Thessaloniki Documentary Festival & Thessaloniki International Film Festival), as well as the other screenings that it conducts during the rest of the year”. She answers that the organization uses a variety of digital techniques to address the audience. Namely, Thessaloniki International Film Festival exploits the amenities of: • Search Engine Optimization (SEO) • Digital Audio - visual Content Productions (radio spots, trailers, video productions)

• Newsletter • Digital Advertising (Web Banners) It is her firm belief that the organization benefits from the use of these technologies since they facilitate the communication with the already existing audience, they provide the festival with the possibility of reaching a new audience, they strengthen the creation of a precise cultural identity of the festival, and they support the artistic goals of the creators of the movies. TIFF’s Social Media Strategist distinguishes two different projects that, to her eyes, combined the artistic demands of the creators with the necessary audio-visual marketing that communicates the festival’s identity to the audience. One of the projects is the creation of the video spots for the 60th Thessaloniki International Film Festival’s promotion, which were curated by Vasilis Kekatos, the award – winning Greek Director, as well as the project “Spaces” which invited renowned directors from all over the world to shoot a short film at home, during the coronavirus crisis. It is stated in TIFF’s website that more than 14 directors participated in the project, which was carried out entirely during the COVID – 19 pandemic.

The project is inspired by the book “Species of Spaces” by Georges Perec. The idea is to create a film at home, using the environment, the people or the animals in that space. The only outdoor areas that may be used are outdoor living spaces, such as the terrace, the garden, the balcony and the stairwell.

2.3. 61st Thessaloniki International Film Festival visual identity | Storytelling in audio – visual marketing

Figure 2.1 | TIFF’s visual identity. Source: https://www.filmfestival.gr/el/film-festival

Mrs. Konstantinidou stresses the fact that the harsh situation of the quarantine made the audience turn to the digital media, even with a desire to satisfy their needs for art through digital platforms. To her mind, digital productions, to all aspects, as cultural products or as marketing techniques for the promotion of cultural products, saw a striking rise. TIFF designed its digital presence for its promotional goals with persistence to the motto “Cinema, no matter what!”. The first announcement of the organization aimed to follow a hybrid model of Film Festival, with proper physical screenings inside the premises of the film festival, as well as screenings through the digital platform that was created. The pandemic did not allow this plan to take place, thus the Film Festival was conducted digitally in its entirety. One of the major concepts that cinema involves is storytelling. Storytelling was what was used for the promotion of the different type of event that was about to take place. The motto “Cinema, no matter what!” was what stressed the aims of the organization to show that cinema is there when the spectator needs it the most. The visual identity of TIFF (Figure 2.1) was built around colorful posters and moving images which showed a compass, symbol of the loss of direction that the situation imposed. The press releases that the film festival issued spoke of a need of finding our child-like self who can lead us to a more care-free era that we seem to seek. The visual promotion was curated by the Vasque artist Luis Mazon and communicated to the audience the story of a cinema which serves as a guide to those who are lost and of the movies which portray the horizons to which the human gaze faces. The technique of storytelling was not only used for the creation of the visual identity of TIFF in terms of visual posters, but it was also exploited in the creation of video spots which emphasized on the cinematic experience. Sofia Exarchou, a well-known Greek director, was asked to contribute to the festival’s promotion by creating three video spots for the 61st organization. The Festival states that every year it gives a vote of confidence to a young and talented director and, in 2020, this director was Sofia Exarchou. In relation to the video spots she created, Exarchou explains to Vogue (2020) that the issue she decided to raise was relevant to either watching or creating films.

“In a period of fear and uncertainty, I wanted to create three short stories about making and watching films, no matter what. I approached each spot from a different perspective. The first is from the creators’ point of view, those who make films. It is a funny story about the uniqueness of the cinematic composition, its magic, difficulty, and craziness. The second one is from the viewers’ point of view; it is

about the experience of cinematic viewing. And the third one is dedicated to all the cinema geeks – the film buffs, the amateur filmmakers and the science fiction lovers.”

Video 2.1 | TIFF61. Official Spot 1 | Sci – Fi. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFZNXCsvF2c

Exarchou’s first video spot is called Sci – Fi (Video 2.1) and presents adolescents who seem to be paying a tribute to the Sci – Fi culture of cinema. One can spot one of the girls dressed as Princess Leia, the fictional character from the blockbuster Star Wars, and one more adolescent dressed similarly to the Matrix – like world. The main action is taking place in what seems to be a space-cabin and there is one more person dressed in a space uniform. The editing of the video is quick, and this element is what provides the idea of intense action. The processing, in terms of colours, is somewhat vivid, and this is probably what refers to a nostalgia for the films that used to be made in the 80’s. The video spot is really short, with a duration of 30 seconds, making it proper from a marketing-oriented perspective. Exarchou states that this spot is to be appreciated by the sci-fi fanatics. If one takes into consideration that the core tribute of the 61st organization was “The space between us: From sci-fi to cli-fi”, then the first video spot that Exarchou produced is appropriate for the promotion of the aesthetics of the festival.

Video 2.2 | TIFF61. Official Spot 2 | Rooftop. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huCOh2lMRgw

The second video (Video 2.2) spot that Exarchou created is more relevant to the cinematic experience as it is perceived by the spectator. The duration is longer than the first production – namely 53 seconds – probably because the director needed somewhat more time in order to achieve the emotional movement of the spectators. The spot introduces the spectator to the film “Penny Serenade”, a black and white classic, starring Carry Grant and Irene Dunne, and sooner rather than later the spectator realizes that the action of the spot is centered on a rooftop, with people watching the film overwhelmed. The close-ups to the spot’s protagonists show the moving effect that art can have on a person and progressively the camera zooms out to show the terrace to its entirety, making the spectator realize that what they are watching is a screening, similar to the many screenings that the festival conducts in numerous venues in the city of Thessaloniki. The urban landscape, the terrace, the emotionally moved look of the protagonists, as well as the use of the camera make the spot melancholic and nostalgic, but at the same time stress the importance of cinema as a unifying form of art. The spectators are watching the film together and they are experiencing the intense emotions one along the other. Exarchou mentions in an interview for Vogue Greece that “During the quarantine, I remember seeing people out in their balconies sitting and watching different movies on the walls. Cinema is an experience to be shared no matter what”.

Video 2.3 | TIFF61. Official Spot 3 | Foleys. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taiyH52KYEk

The third and final spot (Video 2.3) that Exarchou created is the longest of the productions and is definitely the most cinematography – related one, in terms of cinematographic creation. The third spot, with a 1-minute duration starts with a standardized cinephile shot, a romantic shot of a couple being tender to each other and kissing while there is pouring rain. As the camera zooms out, the spot quickly acquires a sarcastic dimension, since we see people trying to create the sounds that are supposed to be heard during this scene. We see a person dropping water in order to create the sound of the pouring rain and another person moving his hands on the surface of glass in order to imitate the sound of the windshield wipers. The spot is obviously an allusion to the foleys, to a not – so – famous category of artists who are the ones creating the sounds that are included in the movie. Exarchou suggests that “The most extraordinary thing about a film is that numerous people work for its production. One of the least known specialties is the foleys, the people that produce the sounds for a film. Their job entails a lot of laughter, if one considers that to create the sound of a punch, they hit lettuce!”.

CHAPTER THREE

DIMITRIA FESTIVAL

This chapter constitutes a research relevant to one of the major cultural events in Northern Greece, Dimitria Festival. In this case, the digital technologies that were implemented are also analysed through a different lens, since in the case of this precise festival, the organization was also communicated through graphic design. Therefore, apart from the focal point of digital audio – visual content production, meaning mostly video productions, there is interest in how the agency that served the project utilized graphic design as well. The vision of the creators of the festival’s visual identity is commented upon through the juxtaposition of the agency’s deliverables. The graphic designs as well as the video productions are commented upon and are put in the wider context of the festivals aims.

3.1. The case of Dimitria Festival | A Festival on demand

Figure 3.1 | 2020 Dimitria Festival’s visual identity. Source: https://e-dimitria.gr/

Dimitria Festival is one of the long-lived festivals in Northern Greece, which is being conducted in Thessaloniki since 1966. The organization started as an initiative of the Greek National Tourist Organization (G.N.T.O) and has now become one of the most significant

cultural events in Greece, with numerous performances being offered, performances relevant to theatre, dance, music, and art exhibitions. The Festival is conducted annually during September and October and is organised by the Municipality of Thessaloniki. Every year, the artistic community of Thessaloniki, along with a committee of artistic directors, work on a detailed schedule of a cultural festival that exploits the art venues of the city such as Labbatoir, municipal theatre “Aneton”, Thessaloniki Concert Hall and other venues, in order to conduct a festival of European standards. As in the case of TIFF, the given situation of the pandemic did not permit the realization of a festival with spectators being physically present, and the organization was therefore led to the decision of conducting a festival based on the digital presence of the spectators.

3.2. Dimitria Festival – Distances | Audio – visual identity and communication

For the creation of a visual identity, the organization hired the “Red Creative” agency, a design solutions of visual communication agency that had worked previously with the Dimitria Festival, as well as with TIFF. “Red Creative” state their vision behind the visual identity they provided.

We visualised the theme with a flexible moving surface that represents a virtual stage. The word “distances” is the protagonist, it moves, changes positions, the type gets distorted, creating new relationships between them and the viewer. We chose a bright, happy, yellow colour, in order to send an optimistic message for the future.

The agency’s work focused on: • Interior graphics • Logotype • Visual Identity • Posters In the following figures retrieved from the website of the agency, one can observe that the communication team delivered a detailed visual work for the promotion of the festival. The deliverables of the Red Creative Agency to the Dimitria Festival constituted of an intro stop motion animation / kinetic poster for all events, a static horizontal poster, a banner on the

exterior of the Municipality building and an interactive pdf file posted on the Dimitria platform with the program of the events. In order to grasp the importance of graphic design in creating a brand identity in a more effective manner, the survey contacted Achilleas Polichronidis, partner of Red creative agency and project manager of the Dimitria Festival. Mr. Polichronidis stresses the importance of graphic design in creating an anticipated packaging of the cultural product.

“In the age from modernism onwards, the value of a serious and unified identity that attracts and grasps the public's attention is now a given. We have been trained and enticed as consumers not to pay so much attention to the content of a product, as to the outer surface, to the packaging of a spectacle-product. The more robust and imaginative a proposal is and the closer a design team is to both the client and the client of the client (the public) and the more possibilities it opens up for these two units to come in contact but also in dialogue and to provoke both the perspicacity and the imagination of the two at the same time, the more intense their relationship and therefore the final result - apart from its capitalist effect (to sell basically) - can cause a deeper psychological relationship. And at its best, design also offers a visual education to the consumer, challenging him / her to think, to discover”.

To his eyes, the Covid pandemic was what made the need for digital presence imperative. Not only did many festival organizations shift their presence to the digital spectrum but they also realized that this shift opened them to a world full of new perspectives Mr. Polichronidis suggests that this shift was brought by a completely different reality than the one the art world was used to:

“The impact of the Covid pandemic was evident from the beginning in the way the various proposals were designed. First, we were faced with a new and different reality from what we are used to. From a balanced approach between digital and analog, we suddenly moved exclusively to digital. The approach changed. We had to keep in mind the whole history of Dimitria, the design approaches until then, the complete change in the participation of the public in the festival but also a strong note of optimism with which we wanted to permeate the conditions in which the

festival would take place. Personally, I wanted to avoid the monolithic and hazy character of previous years, regardless of the fact that I like it aesthetically and I consider previous works beautiful. The continuation of the black and white, brutalist design had to be broken and we went towards something “airier” and “lighter”. We also needed something more flexible to adapt to the quests, aesthetics and recognizability in the all-digital reality of the past but also adding something personal or relatively new to the whole issue”.

3.3. Art distributed solely through digits | e – dimitria

It is of major importance to mention that the whole festival included artistic products that were produced to be distributed solely through the digital platform (Figure 3.2). More than 150 artists participated in 21 consecutive days of streaming, more than 60 total hours of artistic products. The videos were produced by the videographer and photographer Alexandros Oikonomidis and the productions were available for streaming on the website http://www.e- dimitria.gr/.

Figure 3.2 | Dimitria Festival Program. Source: https://e-dimitria.gr/

It was possible for every user to create their own profile, create their own personalized calendar and watch the online performances whenever they desired through the use of mobile devices, tablets or their desktop PC. Many promotional videos were produced in order to support the audio – visual communication of the festival and were uploaded in the YouTube channel of the festival. Below, one of the trailers of the festival can be found (Video 3.1).

Video 3.1 | Dimitria Festival Trailer Spot | Kariofillia Karabeti. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fSbHe09D-I

In the promotional video, which served as a teasing spot right before the official commencement of the festival, the well-known Greek actress Kariofillia Karabeti can be seen performing a dramatized recitation of the work “Reunion” by Glykeria Basdeki, which was originally written for the purposes of the festival. One can make the remark that the content produced by the festival was used in the promotional spots in order to offer just a foretaste of what the audience would enjoy if they chose to book a digital performance through the festival’s platform.

CHAPTER FOUR

ONASSIS CULTURAL FOUNDATION

This fourth chapter is a defining chapter of the dissertation since it focuses upon the use of digital technologies, and in particular, the use of digital audio-visual content production and publishing of one of the most significant cultural foundations in Greece-Onassis Foundation. The ways that the foundation utilizes its YouTube Channel is further discussed, as well as social media in general. However, the most interesting point of the research lays on specific projects that the foundation has realized. The Enter Project is an initiative that Onassis Foundation realized early on during the pandemic and therefore provided artistic content to the audience solely through the use of digital platforms. Digital audio-visual content production and its dissemination through digital platforms are, thus, linked to the ongoing reality that the world is facing. Accordingly, the Society Uncensored series is a digital series of talks relevant to socio- political issues which serves as an open discussion arena, promoting free speech and democratic practices. Distribution of digital content is looked into not only through artistic purposes but also in terms of social impact.

4.1. Digital Content of a major cultural foundation in Greece | The cases of Onassis cultural foundation

#We Stay Close, Not Closed. If someone wishes to sum up the main idea behind the digital presence of Onassis foundation, the motto of the foundation speaks for itself. In times of a pandemic, physical presence is surely hindered, yet this did not seem to pose a grand problem for the major cultural foundation in Greece, Onassis Foundation, as it has adapted efficiently to the new era (Figures 4.1 & 4.2). It is an indisputable fact that the foundation’s digital presence has been significantly expanded since the first social distance measures that the government imposed, and it has been suggested that it has seen its artistic products thrive during the harsh times we are experiencing.

Figure 4.1 | Onassis foundation YouTube channel. Source: https://www.youtube.com/user/sgtathens

Figure 4.2 | Onassis Foundation Website. Source: https://www.onassis.org/el/

Onassis Foundation has centred its approach to distance or the lack of it. Distance, to the foundation’s interests, should not signify a closure or a pause to the artistic expression but rather a reason for which people should come in contact through different means.

As it is mentioned in the foundation’s website:

We stay home. But we insist on going out, through our digital channel. In ATHENS, NEW YORK, LOS ANGELES, all around the world. Every week, we upload and share in our YouTube channel instances, images, discussions, sounds, emotions.

Sold-out shows, new PODCASTS, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, virtual cinematic experiences, online courses, secret concerts. The reality of the ONASSIS FOUNDATION becomes digital. One ONASSIS STEGI in every house, in a place that doesn’t exist in the map, to entertain, educate, unite, trigger discussions.

We come closer, we take the best seat on the couch and tune into the digital channel of the ONASSIS FOUNDATION. Where you can find something different today and every day. Onassis Foundation’s digital programs constitute of various categories of content:

• On stage: This precise section provides the audience with access to past theatrical or musical productions of the foundation in order for the productions to be visited or re – visited once again. • Onassis Encounters: In this section, the audience has the chance to enjoy many different talks (encounters) with various artists, scientists, authors, people who shape the world and have something of interest to share. • Onassis Podcasts: This section constitutes of a series of podcasts (available on various digital platforms as well – Spotify, Apple, Google etc) of discussions varying from art to activism. • Onassis Cinema: A section which includes projects of selected filmmakers, mostly experimenting with different kinds of cinema.

From all of the above, it is easy to suggest that Onassis Foundation exploits the amenities that the technological tools provide in the era of convergence. One of the foundation’s projects that reflects the need for art during turbulent times is the “Enter” project which will be the focus on the next subchapter.

4.2. Enter Project | A project for the “here and now” through the world of digital platforms.

In April 2020 Onassis Stegi asked from a number of directors to contribute to the foundation’s digital content with artworks which would be produced in 120 hours. The concept’s main aim was to show that art can be produced in any kind of space, regardless of the circumstances. In this completely unexpected context of the pandemic, any kind of scenery can become the scenery to host art, and any artist can exploit what is around them in order to convey their own kind of message. Through the words of the Director of Culture of the Onassis Foundation, Mrs. Afroditi Panagiotakou:

How does a dancer dance in his kitchen? How many images capture the eyes of a director when he spends most of his time on his couch? Is the entire house a scene? We enter in order to see. As guests. You, too. Enter.

A variety of artists from all over the globe contributed to this demanding project and all their works were uploaded to the YouTube channel of the Onassis Foundation. One of the most striking artworks that were distributed in this manner was a short movie by Vasilis Kekatos, the Palme d’or winner director, who created the movie “As you sleep the world empties” (Video 4.1).

Video 4.1 | ENTER Program As you sleep the world empties by Vasilis Kekatos. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-7g_-4gZwE

In his movie, Kekatos creates a fictional world, very similar to our own, in which an epidemic has made mankind sleep and it is uncertain when and whether they will be waking again. The epidemic seems to have caused hypnosis to some, but others have not yet been affected by this disease. The main hero of the film, who is also the narrator (the voice of Kekatos himself) is a persona who speaks about his love for a girl, a love which is now unrequited since the girl is asleep. He takes his old camera so as to film what seems to be a reminiscence of an old universe which is now devastated by the absence of people and life. Kekatos uses both video and audio effects, and his production seems highly nostalgic, making an extensive reference to the ongoing situation related to the COVID – 19 pandemic. Kekatos himself has directed, edited, scripted and narrated the film which appears to be an ode to love in times of a pandemic. During the film, one can hear the line “I wanna show you that the world is empty. I would love to go for a walk with you”. In this way, a production of digital content becomes a testimony of how a whole new era is experienced, how a vast shift of life is perceived and what was previously considered as given, is now uncertain and in doubt.

Vasilis Bibas, the Social Media Manager of the Onassis Foundation, in his interview for the present thesis, suggests that what is crucial in the new projects of the foundation is that the digital element is present from point zero. The new ways of communicating with the audience do not replace the physical presence but rather serve as a parallel line until the world can go back to the physical spectacles.

“Initially, we had to take advantage of our archive material. We stopped doing something like that very quickly. Enter Program had already started in May. So, the commencement of the idea had started earlier in April, in the beginning of the pandemic. We received new pieces of work from the artists and behaved like children during Christmas. The excitement was great. The response from the people was very warm as well. And this showed that when people overcame the initial numbness of the digital presence of the foundations, they realized that YouTube does not replace the experience of theatre, dance, physical spectacle. It is something parallel to that. And it is something that will keep existing when we return to the spectacles. We continued with this mentality in many different events. For example, the Festival of Young Choreographers was about digital works. We did not try to find new choreographers who would create pieces of art just to show filmed dance performances. We wanted digital projects. That is, works whose essence was be originally displayed online. And Future Now, a different program with theatre works is going to be digitally distributed in April. The mentality is that everything we produce while the scenes are closed should be an original digital production”.

4.3. Society Uncensored | The voice of society | digital audio – visual content production to the purposes of social impact.

One of the main concerns of Onassis Foundation is to be present in the rising debates in society and its positive stance on matters of the public sphere has never been doubted. As suggested earlier in this thesis, the digital presence of the foundation was significantly stressed during the pandemic. In July 2020, the foundation sensed the need of the society for social debates and in the light of the death of George Floyd in the United States of America, the Foundation decided to premiere a digital talk series named “Society Uncensored” in which important socio – political incidents trigger interesting discussions about social issues. The first talk was uploaded on the 25th of July and was named “9 Afrogreeks discuss: What does “I can’t

breathe” mean in Greece”. The production centred around what the “black experience” and “anti – blackness” mean in Greece and how a black person living in the country can make their voice be heard amidst turbulence and social injustice. Following this initiative of the foundation, three more videos were produced: • 8 Women Discuss: Patriarchy, Sexism, and Gender-Based Violence in Greek Society (25th November 2020) • 8 Young People Discuss: Cultural Identity and the Concept of “Belonging (February 10th, 2021) • #PSOFOS | Hate speech on Social Media (March 14th, 2021)

Figure 4.3 | Psofos – Hate Speech | Society Uncensored Series | Onassis Foundation – Stegi. Source: https://www.onassis.org/el/initiatives/society-uncensored-a-series-of-digital- discussions/psofos-hate-speech-on-social-media

It is of great interest to suggest that the Foundation produces its own content based on highly demanding criteria and does not hesitate to utilize a highly professional team in order to realize its projects. In the case of the #PSOFOS video, the foundation partnered with the production company Alaska Films so that they could produce the video. There was a crew

which consisted of nine to ten people, including the director, three to four camera operators, a sound recorder along with their assistant, an editor and a head of production. Pasqua Vorgia, who is the curator of the project Words & Thoughts, a project of Onassis Foundation, as well as the curator of the digital series #SocietyUncensored, supported the thesis by providing relevant information and accepting to be part of the survey by giving an interview. In her interview, she provides a rather detailed practical framework, relevant to the technicalities of the production of the video.

“The series is filmed in the -1 floor in the building of Stegi. There is this stool setting, in the black background, which also becomes a trademark. When you see this setup, you know it is a video of Society Uncensored. It is a multi-camera production which has the characteristic that you can see the cinematography process itself. The cinematographers are in the frames and we show that. It is something that happens in order to show the process of how this is filmed. There is an organic and dynamic movement of the camera on the faces, we never want it to be something static. The camera moves and creates a tension”.

In a different interview to the cultural website elculture.gr, Pasqua Vorgia emphasizes on the importance of a cultural foundation creating art for more than art’s sake itself.

“Nowadays the mainstream media and television do not often promote public debate, specific views are mostly projected and there is a lack of pluralism or controversy. A cultural organization should try to strengthen this perspective as, in my opinion, there is no art for art’s sake. There is art for dialogue, art for reflection. Stegi (Onassis Foundation) has shown this. And in the course of our discussions, we are very interested in having a democratic conversation, in having many voices heard, often from under-represented groups – possibly also marginalized voices.”

It is evident that Onassis Foundation has managed to conform its YouTube channel to a polyphonic field, in which many different perspectives can have the floor, something which – as Mrs. Vorgia states, is not the case with public or private television and traditional media in Greece. On the 14th of March 2021, Onassis Foundation issued a press release which informed the media that the digital series would present a new discussion, commenting on the socio –

political sphere of what was going on globally and domestically. Along with this new episode of the series (Psofos), the foundation would provide access to an older performance directed by Io Voulgaraki, which had been presented in 2016, by the name of “Intolerance”. The issues that the performance raised were relevant to questions about hate and “the coexistence of humans on Earth is transferred like a lasting civil war”. Combining the social impact that a digital audio – visual content production can have (Society Uncensored series) with a theatrical performance of similar issues is both genuine and digitally – friendly. The subscribers of the YouTube channel of the foundation were not only put in a specific mood which served as a comment relevant to what they are experiencing as citizens of the world as well as citizens of the Greek society, but they also had the opportunity to reflect on these issues by watching Voulgaraki’s performance (Figure 4.4).

Figure 4.4 | Intolerance by Io Voulgaraki | Performance on YouTube Channel | Onassis Foundation – Stegi. Source: https://www.onassis.org/el/whats-on/intolerance

Mrs. Vorgia further reflects on how a digital talk can have a large social impact to what society is experiencing. In her interview for elculture.gr, she comments on the issues relevant to the #Psofos talk, and she emphasizes on the democratic aspect of social media.

“Everything runs so fast. When we had this discussion, #MeToo had just started. Then there were other incidents that took us by surprise. The scene changed a lot. It was not possible to touch on everything that mediated. And in light of the latest events, I would like to say that we do not consider social media to be dangerous for democracy, on the contrary it is still a free field of public debate – which is not always the case with mainstream media. It may be the only place we can still hear all the voices. However, it is a place that is privatized, in which we do not know by what criteria things are censored, people go up and down, people and opinions are blocked. There is a question of who moves the threads, who controls, these processes are opaque. We think that discussion, research and transparency are needed for democratic criteria to emerge on this issue. Social is a mirror of society”.

4.4. The Social Impact of a Cultural Organization becomes real | The power of digital technologies to the purposes of free speech.

The power of image has been extensively discussed in contemporary culture in terms of representation, democracy, symbolism, sexuality, and persuasion. The impact that an image can have has, in many cases, been compared to the impact that text of the same or similar content. It has been suggested that the impact of an image can be significantly more striking than the impact of a sole text. In her survey, Joffe (2008, p.84), supports that “The most salient distinction between the relative effects of textual/verbal versus visual messages concerns their emotive impact. Visuals are thought to send people along emotive pathways where textual/verbal material leaves them in a more rational, logical and linear pathway of thought”. It is one of the aims of this thesis to address the question of whether a cultural organization can utilize visual materials in order to ignite social change. After conveying interviews with Vasilis Bibas, the Social Media Manager of Onassis Foundation as well as with Pasqua Vorgia, Curator of the digital series #SocietyUncensored, it will be further scrutinized whether cultural organizations can pursue a shift in the social sphere. On the 20th of October 2020, Onassis Foundation decided to project Zak Kostopoulos’ figure on the led wall on the preface of Stegi (Figure 4.5).

Figure 4.5 | Zak Kostopoulos on Onassis Foundation Led Wall. Source: https://www.onassis.org/el/whats-on/onassis-stegi-pride-week/zak-zackie-oh

Zak Kostopoulos was a gay activist of the LGBTQ movement who died on September 21, 2018, after an incident that took place in Omonia, Athens, and led to his fatal injury. The incident is treated as homicide. More specifically, Zak Kostopoulos was found trapped inside a jewelry store on Gladstonos Street in Athens trying to escape from strangers. He was beaten to death by the owner of the store, considered a robber, then further beaten by 8 police officers of the Omonia police station, and exhaled while being transported by ambulance to the hospital. After his death, protest marches and rallies took place in various cities of Greece, while associations, parties and organizations issued announcements, mainly condemning the phenomenon of self-judgment, which occupied the Greek public opinion for a number of months. The Onassis Foundation issued a statement on his death on September 21, 2018, while the 6th Athens Biennale was dedicated to his memory. Vasilis Bibas supports that the decision of projecting Kostopoulos’ figure on the led wall was obvious. He suggests that the Foundation could not rest silent on such a sensitive issue amidst the cohesion of the society. He highlights the fact that taking an open social and political

stance is part of the identity and brand of the foundation, and it was not something that the foundation would do for the first time. Later on, days before the conviction of the Neo – Nazi criminal organization “Golden Dawn”, the Foundation projected on the Led Wall the lines of the murdered Pavlos Fyssas “Siga Min Fovitho”.

“Regarding the projection of Zak Kostopoulos image in the building of Stegi, it is not the first time that Stegi took an open stance on some social issues for which we felt we had to say something. Stegi’s mission statement in Instagram is that “we create the conditions; we explore the ideas, and we spark bold discussions that shape and shake society”. It is a mission statement that follows Stegi in every aspect. No production is just a dance performance or a theatrical performance, solely because it is beautiful. They always tie in with something that concerns us collectively. If one looks upon the artistic programs of Stegi over time, one will find the line that connects everything with our time. Social media cannot be indifferent to that. And our strategy should not be limited only to posting. We had talked about Zak again right after his murder and through social media. Social media is the easiest way to talk. As we took a stand between us, we decided that the Foundation should take a stand as well. So, we projected Zak’s image on the led wall we have. There was no particular discussion before doing so. It was an obvious decision. There was no scepticism about either Zak’s screening or “Siga min Fovitho” which was shown shortly before the Golden Dawn conviction. We were prepared for what this decision might create. We know that flesh is torn on social media. The photo was posted on Facebook and a few hours later it was deleted due to mass reports. I did not expect it to come down. The way we tried to manage the comments and reactions was with self – composure”.

Figure 4.6 | Comment relevant to the “Golden Dawn” trial | Onassis Foundation. Source: https://www.onassis.org/el/onassis-stegi

Even though Stegi (Onassis Foundation) managed to further expand an already existing discussion relevant to these social issues (murder of Zak Kostopoulos and murder of Pavlos Fyssas – Golden dawn trial), the Foundation also managed to create a different spark which has not been properly communicated to the public’s interest. In mid – January of 2021, the interest of the media started being monopolized by the emergence of the Greek #Metoo movement. Sofia Bekatorou, a well – known Olympic medalist, went on to testify her experience of sexual assault by a high-ranking Hellenic Sailing Federation member. It was sooner rather than later that her revelation caused a domino effect resulting in numerous women and men discussing publicly about instances varying from sexual misconduct to rape and paedophilia. However, how can a cultural organization like Onassis Foundation contribute to a movement mostly concerning the society’s rotten part? The discussion with Vasilis Bibas and Pasqua Vorgia brought to the thesis’ attention that an arts organization can inspire to a greater extent than one can imagine. A cultural organization similar to Stegi does not produce art for the sake of it, but rather aims to be part of the general discussion in what our times of being signify, how society and art shape each other and how the exchange of information can facilitate them into moving forward.

On the 25th of November 2020, months prior to the outbreak of the sexual misconduct allegations, Onassis Foundation released on its YouTube channel a video production called 8 Women Discuss: Patriarchy, Sexism, and Gender-Based Violence in Greek Society. In the video, the foundation invited different women to discuss about their femininity. Gender-based violence was a major issue that was raised in the video and was what inspired Sofia Bekatorou - four months prior to her testifying her experience to the media - to share publicly in the comment section – for the first time ever – her story about the sexual assault that she had endured.

Figure 4.7 | Screenshot of Bekatorou’s comment | Onassis YouTube channel Source: https://www.news247.gr/koinonia/mpekatoroy-to-chroniko-mias-sygklonistikis- exomologisis.9113060.html

CHAPTER FIVE EVALUATION BY COMMUNICATION EXPERTS

This chapter’s main focus lies on the perspective of four different female voices in the journalistic field of Thessaloniki, who aim to answer the questions of whether digital audiovisual content production in the art sector is fruitful, how it can be further utilized to strengthen the purposes of the artists and how audio-visual content can bridge the gap between the creators and the audience.

5.1. Evaluation of the digital audio – visual content production for the purposes of cultural product marketing.

In order to reinforce what is being discussed, the aim of the thesis is to address the city of Thessaloniki and the people who work in the field of communication. Their views on all these questions of how art can be produced and distributed and how digital technologies and audio – visual communication can support the marketing processes as well as the audience engagement, seemed to be a matter of crucial importance. Therefore, the research included the interviews of four communication experts who are active in the city of Thessaloniki:

• Lia Kesopoulou, copywriter, brand strategist as well as social media manager of different artistic projects, and more precisely communication officer for the city’s well – known venue “Theatro T”. • Katerina Nikolaou, journalist and radio producer in Status FM as well as communication expert of the theatre “Theatro Sofouli”. • Eleni Skarpou, journalist and radio producer in 1055rock, as well as previous communication officer of the Dimitria Festival. • Marina Zigneli, editor in chief in TFC Magazine, culture editor of Savoir Ville, as well as partner of the digital agency “Felines”.

The researcher participates in the survey with the identity of the journalist as well, since all interviews are conveyed through the lens of personal experience in the culture sector.

One of the observations one can easily suggest is that all of the journalists who were asked to participate in the survey supported that the digital presence of Dimitria festival seemed somewhat problematic. They stressed the fact that the organization still seeks to find a precise identity and seems to be ameliorating its digital practices in the last years. On the contrary, organizations such as Onassis Foundation have presented tremendous digital work over a great span of years and only seem to be evolving to what the times seem to demand. Some of the most significant comments of the four journalists are cited further on. The transcripts of the entire interview of each expert is displayed categorized into different subject areas in the appendix of the thesis.

5.1.1. Eleni Skarpou, communication expert and former communication manager of Dimitria Festival

Eleni Skarpou, communication expert and former communication manager of Dimitria Festival stresses the importance of digital audiovisual content production.

“At a time when the image travels faster than our shadow, the production of digital audiovisual content for cultural organizations is inevitable. Culture must be technically ready so as to reach every corner of the globe and this is achieved only through audiovisual content, whether it is through a promo of a cultural product (performance, concert, book presentation, event, art exhibition, etc.), or for the cultural product itself, which is called to enter our private sphere. In the first case, the audiovisual content prepares us for what we will see and is a tool for the marketing of a cultural organization (social media, websites, promo spots in the media, etc.). In the second case, the cultural product itself enters our home, since the rhythms of everyday life no longer allow us to be in places of culture and since technology leads us to accept our experiences very often through our computer whenever we can, and want”.

5.1.2. Marina Zigneli, Editor in chief of TFC Magazine

Marina Zigneli, Editor in chief of TFC Magazine, speaks of the power of image and sound and its dominance over words.

“Image and sound today have far more power than words, especially considering how many seconds the average person can stay focused on something. So, every cultural organization out there has just a few seconds to get attention, to inform, to excite and finally to convince. In a year without direct access to culture and its multiple manifestations, the production of audiovisual material became more than one aspect of marketing. In fact, it became the only channel for information and participation in the cultural scene of the country, through every home”.

5.1.3. Lia Kesopoulou, copywriter, brand strategist and social media manager

Lia Kesopoulou considers the foundation of TIFF to be in the right path in terms of digital presence whereas Dimitria Festival still need to follow a clearer vision.

“I consider Thessaloniki International Film Festival to have an excellent digital presence. It responded immediately to the conditions of the pandemic and moved online, without (quality) discounts to its program, through a very functional and user-friendly platform. It is dynamically present in terms of social media and in direct connection to what is happening around us. Dimitria Festival has tried to strengthen its digital presence, but I think it lacks vision and impact on the public”.

5.1.4. Katerina Nikolaou, journalist, radio producer and communication expert

Katerina Nikolaou believes that the next day of culture foundations is heavily depended on initiatives through technology.

“I believe that the next day for the culture foundations concerns the participation of the public in various ways in what we call culture. Whether via VR or gamification, participatory mode is the future of culture. With the cultural spaces shut down, the production of digital content became a one- way street for cultural organizations. From the live streams (which unfortunately were not the case for the most part) of the theatres to the digital tours of the museums, the production of digital content became one-way. But since culture is a social process, it requires - and this is a purely personal point of view - coexistence

and living energy. I am frightened by the idea of educating the public in a situation in which they will not leave the comfort zone of their home”.

CONCLUSIONS

In this chapter, the conclusions of the survey will be presented along with a number of recommendations and remarks relevant to the activities of the cultural foundations. The precise suggestions and thoughts of the experts will be further reflected upon and the thesis will try to answer the question: What can be further done in the future in order to achieve better audience engagement and social impact? The questions that the thesis aimed to raise were various and the answers can always be perceived by a wide range of points of view. They mostly concerned whether foundations and festivals in Greece utilize the tools that digital technologies provide and how these tools facilitate the process of marketing and distributing their artistic products. It can only be supported that the power of image and sound is crucial to what is called marketing for the cultural foundations. A vast change that the pandemic of the COVID – 19 brought to the discussion in the culture sector is also whether the audiovisual element can also be part of the product that a cultural foundation or organization creates. The very first case study of the thesis, the case of Thessaloniki International Film Festival managed to demonstrate the fact that sound and image can simultaneously be part of both the process of communicating the product but also be the product itself. The Festival used a host of videos by Sofia Exarchou which made the organization appealing to an audience which had started becoming nostalgic of the cinematic experience, being away of the cinema premises because of the pandemic. The organization held online not only communicated the craving for cinema through Exarchou’s videos but also provided online an experience which under different circumstances would be live. Therefore, the combination of visual communication and digital distribution was striking. Ifigeneia Konstantinidou, the social media manager of the organization, supported that it was only through digits that the audience managed to come in contact with the cinematic experience and the festival’s identity became a journey that managed to create its route solely through the screen. In the case of Dimitria Festival, the power of image was stressed under a different spectrum. Achilleas Polichronidis, the graphic designer in charge for the creation of the visual identity of the organization, suggested that the organization used graphic design in order to develop new ways of addressing the audience.

His perspective is focused upon the great significance of graphic design in terms of creating a unified identity which manages to grasp the audience’s eye and thus form a different kind of psychological relationship to the product.

“In the age from modernism onwards, the value of a serious and unified identity that attracts and traps the public's attention is now a given. We have been trained and enticed as consumers not to pay so much attention to the content of a product, as to the outer surface, to the packaging of a spectacle-product. The more robust and imaginative a proposal is and the closer a design team is to both the client and the client of the client (the public) and the more chances are created for these two units to come in contact but also in dialogue and to provoke both the perspicacity and the imagination of the two at the same time, the more intense their relationship and therefore the final result apart from its capitalist effect (to sell basically) can cause a deeper psychological relationship. And at its best, design also offers a visual education to the consumer, challenging him / her to think, to discover. Of course, it is not a common tactic, nor an exclusive responsibility of the designer; many different elements play their role”.

Onassis Foundation was the major point of interest to the research since its activities unroll to a wide spectrum of digital audiovisual initiatives. What became evident to the research was how a foundation can actually activate the society through the content that it produces and how its impact can be of great value for the common good. Pasqua Vorgia, Curator of the Digital Series Society Uncensored of Onassis Foundation, brought to the discussion the fact that the #MeToo movement in Greece was initiated in the womb of Stegi, since Sofia Bekatorou – who was the first woman to open the discussion of rape to a wide audience – firstly testified her experience in the comments section of a video in the YouTube channel of the foundation. Vasilis Bibas, Social Media Manager of Onassis Foundation, supported that different projections on the led wall of Onassis Stegi managed to steer and trigger a debate between social groups and were what defined the brand of the foundation to a great extent. The questions of whether a foundation can create a positive impact through audiovisual productions and image, as well as these activities contribute to the foundation’s branding were addressed through a very specific approach.

The interviews of the four communication experts that were asked to contribute to the research showed that it is obvious to the professionals of the sector which foundations and organizations manage to fulfil the society’s needs for audiovisual content.

What is obvious to the research is that the foundations cannot reach an audience without having a precise vision and identity. In the interviews with the experts, the common ground between the discussions was that foundations similar to Onassis seem to have achieved to create trustworthiness between their activities and the public because they are faithful to their belief system. Onassis Stegi has managed to create a brand which is strengthened by the use of the audiovisual element and based on this brand, it has managed to engage not only a decent number of follower but also a particular type of followers that seem to identify with the foundation’s aspirations. If one has to enclose every element that a foundation needs in order to engage an audience, the survey seems to indicate that a proper combination of interesting audiovisual content, precise brand aspirations in terms of identity and a vision, are what will lead a foundation to the audience it desires. Adaptability is the element that defined the foundations in the turbulency of the times of a pandemic and creativity is what made some foundation differentiate themselves from others. The digitization that the pandemic brought can be considered as a positive dimension as well, since foundations can combine digital and physical spectacles in the near future so that they can always be relevant. A question that remains is: Are the foundations willing to produce content, aspire, envision, create and adapt?

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Appendix – Questionnaires

Questionnaire relevant to the audiovisual marketing for the promotion of cultural products

This questionnaire is part of a dissertation conducted for the purposes of the Master of Art Digital Media, Communication and Journalism, at the Department of Journalism and Mass Media of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The object of the study is the way in which the organizers of cultural events use the audiovisual content and the new technologies in order to succeed in the promotion of their cultural products. The responses of the institutions will contribute to the formation of an image of how the audiovisual content is used in the marketing of arts and culture and to the awareness and depiction of the techniques that make the process of promotion of culture more efficient.

1. Which digital technologies does the cultural foundation that you represent use?

Mark only one oval.

Search engine optimization (SEO)

Digital Audio – visual productions (video spots, radio spots,

trailers) Newsletter

Digital advertising (web banners) Other:

2. * If the foundation that you represent has conveyed a digital advertising campaign in the past which entails digital audio – visual content production, please cite the name of the campaign below.

3. *If the foundation that you represent has not conveyed a corresponding campaign, would you consider it possible that it would do so in the future?

Mark only one oval.

Yes

Maybe

It has not been discussed yet

4. In which ways does the audio – visual content production contribute to the aims of the foundation that you represent?

Mark only one oval.

To the interaction with the existing audience

To the exposure to a new audience To the creation of a particular identity for the foundation To the reinforcement of the artistic goals of the artists

To all of the above

Other:

5. How would you describe the impact of storytelling to the creation of audio - visual content for the foundation that you represent?

6. Is there a particular group team that works on the digital audio – visual

content production? If so, how many people does it consist of?

7. Are the artists involved in the creation and publishing of digital audio – visual content in the foundation that you represent? If so, in which ways?

8. Does creativity constitute a defining factor in terms of digital audio – visual content production in the foundation that you represent? If so, please elaborate.

9. Is there a particular strategy which is followed in terms of digital audio – visual content production in the foundation that you represent?

10. Do you believe that the display digital audio – visual content is relevant to the audience, especially during the times of the pandemic and lockdowns?

11. How would you describe the digital presence of the foundation that you represent?

12. Would you say that utilizing digital channels and social media is important for the marketing of cultural foundations? If so, why?

13. Do you believe that the foundation you represent has made use of all the possible amenities of the digital technologies or is there still room for growth and innovation?

14. Are there any practical limitations to the process of producing digital audio – visual content in the foundation that you represent? If so, please elaborate.

15. Would you consider that the combination of digital and traditional marketing would be beneficial for the foundation that you represent?

Mark only one oval.

Yes

Maybe

16. Do you believe that the identity of a cultural foundation is significantly formed based on the digital content that it produces?

Mark only one oval.

Yes

Other:

17. Do you believe that similar foundation to the one you represent use digital technologies and audio – visual content in an efficient way?

Mark only one oval.

Yes

Maybe

I do not know

This content is neither created nor endorsed by Google.

Transcript of Interview: Achilleas Polichronidis, Graphic Designer, Partner of Red Creative Agency and Dimitria Festival

Visual Identity of Dimitria Festival

The visual identity of the Dimitria 2020 festival was developed based on specific circumstances and conditions. The impact of the Covid pandemic was evident from the beginning in the way the various proposals were designed. First, we were faced with a new and different reality from what we are used to. From a balanced approach between digital and analog, we suddenly moved exclusively to digital. The approach changed. We had to keep in mind the whole history of Dimitria, the design approaches until then, the complete change in the participation of the public in the festival but also a strong note of optimism with which we wanted to permeate the conditions in which the festival would take place. Personally, I wanted to avoid the monolithic and hazy character of previous years, regardless of the fact that I like it aesthetically and I consider the works beautiful. The continuation of the black and white, brutalist design had to be broken and we moved towards something more "airy" and "light". We also needed something more flexible to adapt to the quests, aesthetics and recognizability in the all-digital reality of the past but also adding something personal or relatively new to the whole issue.

Deliverables

In relevance to the analog, we were asked to deliver the central artwork, the central poster in horizontal and vertical layout, the banners of the town hall and the port and an extra banner in another dimension (I do not know for which place it was intended as it was not finally printed by the customer), as well as the “dressing” of Aristotle's square pavilion. From a digital point of view, we were asked to deliver all the banners and all their adaptations for the social media and the platform of Dimitria, as well as the program of Dimitria (in Greek and English) which for the first time was only digital in interactive pdf format.

Production

The truth is that we had much less time than in the past. There was a considerable delay since we were assigned the job and up until we were given a relevant briefing, if we can call it

that. There was a Covid chaos, bureaucracy, a new group in the Municipality, and a thousand more things going on. As for how people reacted, I cannot really say. Again, the complete lack of physical contact with the public, with the design community of the city, etc., did not allow me to have a clear picture of the reaction of the people. Besides, many of the designs we submitted were not implemented for some reason. So, in terms of promoting the festival, there were a lot of shortcomings, which also plays a role in the whole issue. From a personal point of view, and talking mainly with artists and designers abroad, they saw the final result quite positively or very positively. But this is not the audience for whom the image of the festival was designed.

General thoughts on the importance of graphic design

In the age from modernism onwards, the value of a serious and unified identity that attracts and traps the public's attention is now a given. We have been trained and enticed as consumers not to pay so much attention to the content of a product, as to the outer surface, to the packaging of a spectacle-product. The more robust and imaginative a proposal is and the closer a design team is to both the client and the client of the client (the public) and the more doors it opens for these two units to come in contact but also in dialogue and to provoke both the perspicacity and the imagination of the two at the same time, the more intense their relationship and therefore the final result apart from its capitalist effect (to sell basically) can cause a deeper psychological relationship. And at its best, design also offers a visual education to the consumer, challenging him / her to think, to discover. Of course, it is not a common tactic, nor an exclusive responsibility of the designer; many different elements play their role.

Transcript of Interview: Vasilis Bibas | Social Media Manager at Onassis Foundation

Social Media Strategy Our strategy is not structured. My background is not marketing, it is somewhat different. The strategy of Onassis Foundation on social media is to highlight the productions and activities of the Foundation and Stegi. To further strengthen and create new material, not really to sell a product, eg the ticket. This does not start with my mindset; it starts with the mentality of the Foundation that we do not post to sell tickets. The productions of Stegi are always selling well and the audience is growing, even in the complicated shows and complex productions.

Significance of the Image for the Onassis Foundation

I actually believe that there are fragments of truth in the saying that the best way to hide a corpse is to include it in the caption of a post on social media. The time that the user spends scrolling to stay in each post is minimal. What attracts the user is the image, the photo, the video. If this thing is enough to grab the user's interest, then he might as well read two lines of text. The way we approach the significance of the image and video in the Onassis Foundation is relevant to different factors: We work with great photographers and videographers. There are always very good photos that are indicative of the productions and initiatives of the foundation. However, on social media, it is not necessary that the photo of the award-winning photographer is the one that the users will engage with. It is the feeling that what we are showing is happening now and is being recorded in real time. That is where we go. We do not necessarily rely on equipment; we also record with our mobile phones. We release live material which intrigues the users more. Users have a sense of curiosity about what is going on behind the scenes. Essentially, our basic approach is to be social media users with benefits. What are the benefits? The fact that we can be in a rehearsal and go backstage, to speak with the actors who are preparing to go on stage, to catch them before the premiere and talk to them.

The convenience of new technologies

The great convenience is that you can have decent photographic material without carrying huge equipment. Some people consider it bad. In a way, we have all become photographers and videographers, this is very important and extremely democratic for me. For

me, this is the biggest revolution. As an amateur photographer, I have experienced what is like to carry your lenses everywhere. New technologies make it much easier for me. It is a different thing, to have to keep all this equipment on and shoot with an expensive camera and lens, and to have to export data in your PC, and it is a whole different situation to instantly take a photo, edit it and upload it.

The importance of image in achieving social impact

Regarding the projection of Zak Kostopoulos image in the building of Stegi, it is not the first time that Stegi took an open stance on some social issues in which we felt we had to say something. Stegi's mission statement in Instagram is that "we create the conditions; we explore the ideas, and we spark bold discussions that shape and shake society. It is a mission statement that follows Stegi in every aspect. No production is just a dance performance or a theatrical performance, solely because it is beautiful. They always tie in with something that concerns us collectively. If one looks upon the artistic programs of Stegi over time, one will find the lines that connect everything with the era in which we live. Social media cannot be indifferent to that. And our strategy should not be relevant only to posting. We had talked about Zak again right after his murder and through social media. Social media is the easiest way to talk. As we took a stand between us, we decided that the Foundation should take a stand as well. So, we projected Zak’s image on the led wall we have. There was no particular discussion before doing so. It was an obvious decision. There was no scepticism about either Zak’s screening or "Siga min Fovitho" which was shown shortly before the Golden Dawn conviction. We were prepared for what this decision might create. We know that flesh is torn on social media. The photo was posted on Facebook and a few hours later it was deleted due to mass reports. I did not expect it to come down. The way we tried to manage the comments and reactions was with self – composure.

The way comments are treated in Onassis Foundation social media

We try to make the followers of Stegi understand that our social media are not managed by a robot. Stegi is not a brand that has no identity, gender, etc. There are people who work for the social media. We are people who understand what is happening around us, we have our way of humour, we will use our pop - references. Humour also works well in relieving situations. I think we have reached a situation where we somehow have to understand what is out there. We

become a little snobbish with the fascists, homophobic, racists on social media. In most cases, they are the loudest on social media. And sometimes the loudest prevails. The way I see it, the way we manage social media is activating the healthiest part of society not to let these loud voices prevail.

Enter Program – Digital Content Production

Initially, we had to take advantage of our archive material. We stopped doing something like that very quickly. Enter Program had already started in May. So, the commencement of the idea had started in April, early in the pandemic. We received new works from the artists and behaved like children during Christmas. The excitement was great. The response from the people was very warm as well. And this showed that when people overcame the initial numbness of the digital presence of the foundations, they realized that YouTube does not replace the experience of theater, dance, physical spectacle. It is something parallel to that. And it is something that will keep existing when we return to the spectacles. We continued with this mentality in many different events. For example, the Festival of Young Choreographers was about digital works. We did not try to find new choreographers who would do works just to show filmed dance performances. We wanted digital projects. That is, works whose essence was be originally displayed online. And Future Now, a different program with theatre works is going to be digitally distributed in April. The mentality is that everything we produce while the scenes are closed should be an original digital production.

Onassis Brand and its digital presence – audiovisual content production

We are talking about a multifaceted Foundation that will simultaneously do an uber queer production, a hybrid production between theater, dance and videoart, and at the same time, without any hesitation, it will illuminate the Acropolis monument. So, it goes without saying that the sense of a brand is greatly enhanced by the audiovisual material you choose to use. This schizophrenic mosaic of Stegi is part of the brand. The different initiatives and their photos are part of a restless organization that deals with a lot of things with some basic values in mind.

Transcript of Interview: Pasqua Vorgia | Curator of the Talks and Thoughts series and in charge of the Digital Series #Society Uncensored

Words & Thoughts before and after the pandemic

Words & Thoughts was a program that used to bring some international celebrities (Nesbo, Pussy Riot) to Stegi’s Stage and a journalist was to convey the interview. People joined the conversation for free and this conversation used to be streamed live for the people who would not be able to attend. There was an archiving of the event on the website as well. Many different conferences and symposia also took place with a physical presence either in the Stage of Stegi or in collaborating organizations and venues. There were workshops, exhibitions, live performances, side events, etc. Now, we have started the Society Uncensored digital series. Thus, we are addressing a wider audience. The content thus acquires a more mainstream dimension. The approach no longer concerns a narrow academic or artistic community nor is it B2B. It is done with a different eye, precisely because it is done in a more generic medium. Society Uncensored deals with current matters in a way that is both academic and theoretical, experiential and more popular. As the initiative is transferred to the digital field, the audience opens up and it is impossible for the content not to be affected.

Digital Series & Social Impact

Issues related to social interest end up having an informational character and thus a social impact. Regarding the conversation with the Afro-Greeks for example, there are many people who have not seen black people speaking Greek. This is definitely something that opens horizons and creates a contemplation. The 150,000 views of the first discussion were something unthinkable. However, we are talking about the era of Black Lives Matter. And the fact that we brought 8 Afro-Greeks to speak and suggest that they are Greeks who live in Athens and are not visible, certainly causes interest. This gave us the impetus to continue to other issues. The conversation with women discussing patriarchy was also successful. And then the #MeToo saw a rise. Stegi contributed to this in a way. Bekatorou opened up publicly for the first time in the comments section of this video. She spoke publicly about what happened to her in the comments of the video on gender-based violence. Then a journalist saw her comments and contacted her for an interview. That's how it all started. Bekatorou said that these women found the courage to speak, why shouldn't I speak too? Then came #MeToo.

Practicalities relevant to the cinematography of the digital series

The series is filmed in the -1 floor in the building of Stegi. There is this stool setting, in the black background, which also becomes a trademark. When you see this setup, you know it is a video of Society Uncensored. It is a multi-camera production which has the characteristic that you can see the cinematography process itself. The cinematographers are in the frames and we show that. It is something that happens in order to show the process of how this is filmed. There is an organic and dynamic movement of the camera on the faces, we never want it to be something static. The camera moves and creates a tension. As for the people who work for this production, as for most of Stegi’s productions, we work with an external crew. In this production, we collaborated with the production company Alaska Films. There is a director, three to four cameramen, a sound engineer with his assistant, a sound editor and a production manager.

Democratization of arts in the digital field

We had a discussion with the directors of Future Now and it will be released on the channel in April along with their works. Various things have been said about the digitization of the arts because of the pandemic. Elias Adam, one of the directors, argued that this thing democratizes theatre because it opens up to a wider audience and anyone can access it. Dimitris Babilis, also a director, pointed out that we must not forget that not everyone has access to the medium. Not everyone can connect to the internet so there are different perspectives relevant to whom has access. He considers theatre to be something alive, there is always the danger of the audience being unpredictable and reacting to something they do not like. Something that you cannot experience in a digital performance. The existence of such media, however, currently offers work to the artistic world. Stegi is currently inviting directors to create by undertaking the production.

Questionnaire for the communication experts in Thessaloniki

1. How important do you consider the production of digital audio-visual content for the marketing of cultural organizations? 2. How do you judge the digital presence of cultural organizations, festivals, and events in the city? (Thessaloniki Film Festival, Dimitria Festival, National Theater of Northern Greece) 3. How do you judge the digital presence of cultural organizations, festivals, and events outside the city? (Onassis Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, National Theater) 4. What new technologies would you like to see used more by cultural foundations and in what way? 5. How important do you consider the production of digital audio-visual content by the foundations and festivals during the pandemic?

Transcript of Interview: Katerina Nikolaou | Journalist and Communication Expert at Sofouli Theatre

Marketing of Cultural Organizations – Digital Audio – visual content production

First of all, let me say that I slightly disagree with the term marketing of cultural organizations. Cultural organizations are educational organizations, so I prefer the term audience development. With the advent of the internet, the multimedia dissemination of information, the development of VR, the production of audio-visual content by cultural organizations either as a means of promoting artistic production or as an artistic product itself was a natural continuum. However, it is not something new. For years, cultural organizations have been making TV commercials to reach the general public. The elements that I consider new are the need for interaction which is achieved either through the participation in the viral chain, or through the gamification of the content in order to give the sense (or illusion) of participation. Social media have enabled cultural organizations, on the one hand, to reach out to a trained audience, and, on the other hand, to bring a potential audience in touch with their work and to educate them in a language of communication. Digital content and its "democracy" help cultural organizations to bring the public in contact with the product, to train it in its understanding, to bring the cultural products to their home and to reduce the insecurity of the public versus the arts.

Digital presence of cultural organizations in Thessaloniki

Certainly, the cultural institutions of the city responded relatively well to the need for a digital presence. But given the resources they have, I think that they could invest more for creativity in the interaction.

Digital presence of cultural organization in Athens

I consider the Onassis and Stavros Niarchos Foundations to be role models in relation to their digital presence and it is to those we turn our attention to (the smaller cultural organizations) in order to get ideas and see the current trends. In the cases of the National

Theater, and the National Theater of Northern Greece, while there is good will, there are times when you feel that it "stumbles in its mirror".

New technologies to be used in the future

I believe that the next day of culture foundations concerns the participation of the public in various ways in what we call culture. Whether via VR or gamification, participatory mode is the future of culture.

Digital audiovisual content production and its significance during the pandemic

With the cultural spaces shut down, the production of digital content became a one-way street for cultural organizations. From the live streams (which unfortunately were not the case for the most part) of the theaters to the digital tours of the museums, the production of digital content became one-way. But since culture is a social process, it requires - and this is a purely personal point of view - coexistence and living energy. I am frightened by the idea of educating the public in a situation in which they will not leave the comfort zone of their home.

Transcript of Interview: Lia Kesopoulou | Communication Expert at Theatre T, Communication Advisor at VICKO

Marketing of Cultural Organizations – Digital Audio – visual content production

First of all, it is extremely important for cultural organizations, whether public or private, large or small, to have organized marketing departments and, of course, a budget for marketing activities, with a focus on audience research. By getting to know their audience in depth, cultural organizations can create targeted content (and targeted ads) to attract and promote it. In this context, when the above conditions exist (specialized human resources, financial resources & target audience / s), we can also talk about content marketing, which is based on digital audiovisual material and must be done systematically and consistently. Because, as research abroad and in Greece show, the daily information of the public is taking place through social media, which have largely replaced the traditional media. This development gives cultural organizations the opportunity to produce original content and distribute it through their channels without the mediation of third parties, creating a very direct relationship - and an open dialogue - with the public.

Digital presence of cultural organizations in Thessaloniki

I consider the Thessaloniki Film Festival to have an excellent digital presence. It responded immediately to the conditions of the pandemic and was transferred online, without affecting the quality of its program, through a very functional and user-friendly platform. In social media it is dynamically present and in direct relation / connection with what is happening around us. Dimitria Festival has tried to strengthen its digital presence, but I think it lacks vision and impact on the public (something that happens when it is performed live). I consider the program of the Theatrical Voices of the City to be indifferent. The digital presence of NTNG is almost non-existent, with minimal online performances and even fewer actions, which are completely cut off from the conditions in which we live.

Digital presence of cultural organization in Athens

The Dialogues of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation is an excellent initiative, which offers knowledge and reflection on a variety of topics. In addition to the Dialogues, the SNCFF has created a rich program of activities for all ages, assisting in making culture the focus of

citizens' lives, adapted to the conditions imposed by the pandemic. The same applies to the Onassis Foundation, whose digital presence has been enhanced by events and activities from across the cultural spectrum. Finally, the National Theater, despite the blow it received due to the Lignadis case, is dynamically present, both with online performances for adults and children, as well as with workshops and online activities for audiences of different ages (something I would expect from NTNG).

New technologies to be used in the future

New accessibility technologies for the disabled in the theater, either live or online performances (subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing, audio descriptions for the blind), podcasts (in the theater would be of great interest the analysis of roles and plays, but also discussions with actors around from themes of the performances).

Digital audiovisual content production and its significance during the pandemic

I consider digital audiovisual content production very significant especially during the pandemic - specifically the digital content by the grand cultural institutions in Athens, due to the removal of geographical restrictions. Digital audiovisual content has become the only way to get in touch with culture.

Transcript of Interview: Eleni Skarpou, Communication Expert, Journalist, Former Communications Manager of the Dimitria Festival

Marketing of Cultural Organizations – Digital Audio – visual content production

At a time when the image travels faster than our shadow, the production of digital audiovisual content for cultural organizations is inevitable. Culture must be technically ready so that it can reach every corner of the globe and this is achieved only through audiovisual content, whether it is a promo of a cultural product (performance, concert, book presentation, event, art exhibition, etc.), or for the cultural product itself, which is called to enter our private sphere. In the first case, the audiovisual content prepares us for what we will see and is a tool for the marketing of a cultural organization (social media, websites, promo spots in media, etc.). In the second case, the cultural product itself enters our home, since the rhythms of everyday life no longer allow us to be in places of culture and since technology leads us to accept our experiences through our computer whenever we can and want.

Digital presence of cultural organizations in Thessaloniki

TIFF has a strong digital presence mainly during the months that the two festivals take place (film and documentary) and this makes it completely connected with its time. Its marketing is inextricably linked to the digital part and the information channeled through it. NTNG maintains a milder attitude, as its daily life is more intense and its digital presence maintains a balance, depending on the premieres of the performances and its events- collaborations. As for Dimitria, it is a festival that despite its many years of presence in the city, until recently it was an institution that was not famous for its innovation. The Festival followed more traditional ways in terms of marketing, and one had the feeling that it is addressing a limited audience. However, in the last 4 years, both its digital presence and the festival itself, seem to have found a place in the cultural events of Thessaloniki.

Digital presence of cultural organization in Athens

Having followed the strategies of the Onassis Foundation and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation as a culture editor, I must say that their digital presence became apparent when they began to open the "umbrella" of their cultural activities and came closer to the public through projects that captured art through the broader social questions and themes. Their digital

presence is strong and their direction towards it is clear, especially in a period like the one we are going through. I think that the National Theater goes hand in hand with our festivals and cultural organizations, however it does not lack its digital side and that is something optimistic.

New technologies to be used in the future

Although I remain one of the viewers looking for real contact with the cultural product, I believe that the digital dimension of the cultural product should be the primary concern of every cultural organization. I would like to see a better result in the parts of production and creation through appropriate platforms or through social media and not so much the use of new technologies. Inevitably, any new technologies according to the needs that arise, will be followed. And I say this because in many cases the digital presence that ends up being identified with the digital communication of a cultural product can easily become sketchy and lose the true meaning of art.

Digital audiovisual content production and its significance during the pandemic

The pandemic has proven more than any other factor and any other condition that even when the world is collapsing, technology has a way of adapting us to new data. For a year now, digital greatness has been what has kept us as viewers close to the arts and culture, even if it has not really worked most of the time for all those involved (artists, producers, technicians, etc.). Without this dimension of cultural organizations, we might not be able to bridge the gap, even though we often think that art is for the relevant. A book, a play, a live concert are created with the aim of reaching each person and moving each one differently. Alas, if we had to forget that. Therefore, congratulations to all those who digitally activated cultural material and we managed to breathe.

Transcript of Interview: Marina Zigneli, Editor in Chief TFC Magazine, MA graduate of Film Studies, Partner of Digital Agency “Felines”

Marketing of Cultural Organizations – Digital Audio – visual content production

Now we can say with confidence that everything around us is marketing. The highly condemned influencing has not received this name by chance. So, if we think that cultural organizations are also called upon to adapt to this idea, now is the time to leave behind the "traditional" marketing practices and invest in new audiovisual material. Image and sound today have far more power than words, especially considering how many seconds the average person can stay focused on something. So, every cultural organization out there has just a few seconds to get attention, to inform, to excite and finally to convince. In a year without direct access to culture and its multiple manifestations, the production of audiovisual material became more than one aspect of marketing. In fact, it became the only channel for information and participation in the cultural scene of the country, through every home.

Digital presence of cultural organizations in Thessaloniki

TIFF has developed a great approach strategy for all citizens, as its content is accessible and attractive to all age groups. The most important thing, however, is to be active and remain vigilant throughout the year and not just on the days of the respective festivals. It thus manages to build a relationship of trust with its audience, which is now looking forward to the next, well- organized organization. On the other hand, the Dimitria Festival in recent years seems to invest a lot in its visual identity which characterizes its quality content. At the same time, however, I believe that it does not take full advantage of its elegant presence to build a "digital" community. Despite the more modern approach and the use of some new tools, its digital presence is still consumed in already familiar and "traditional" marketing techniques. Finally, the NTNG tried but unfortunately failed to strengthen its digital presence, even this year during which it was considered extremely necessary. Apart from the uploading of some recorded performances, it did not create the necessary appeal to a wider audience of the city, but only cares for its already existing audience.

Digital presence of cultural organizations in Athens

Both the Onassis Foundation and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation in recent years seem to give great importance to the development of their digital presence. The Onassis Foundation now uses digital tools to provide audiovisual material throughout the year, regardless of its other events. In addition, through this activity, it aims to get in touch and support other cultural organizations of shorter range, such as the Drama Short Film Festival. The most important thing is that the public is now "educated" in what content they can expect from the Onassis Foundation, and this can be seen in the response to each action. The Stavros Niarchos Foundation also holds the reins in the category of the most digitally active cultural organizations in the country. It always makes sure to cover a wide range of activities relevant to the arts and culture that makes it almost impossible for the public not to be informed about its activities. This is a result from a strong and consistent digital presence, easily accessible and interesting for all ages. The National Theater, unlike in previous years, finally seems to pay the necessary attention to its digital presence and identity. Especially this year, when online theater became the only possibility, it seems to have met this challenge with performances and the preparation of new material. This of course can only be optimistic for the coming years, in order to maintain a consistent digital presence on social media and the various platforms.

New technologies to be used in the future

For me, the challenge that every cultural organization has to face with its content is accessibility. So, I would like it to be taken for granted that for every audiovisual material there is a choice of subtitles for people with hearing problems. I also consider it necessary for the foundations to reach a younger age, something which can be done through the TikTok platform. This platform favors the production of audiovisual content of a few seconds, able to attract the attention of younger people and put culture into their lives from an early age. Also, since many cultural organizations have already taken some steps towards this, it is important to see more podcasts, more discussions and interviews from people in the arts sector. I believe that in the long run, we could see more organizations operating with techniques such as VR, since organizations and museums abroad already do.

Digital audiovisual content production and its significance during the pandemic

It is at the same time promising and scary that the Greek public managed to adapt to a certain extent to this new reality that brought performances, exhibitions and entire festivals to the living rooms of the houses. I want to believe that cultural organizations will strengthen and continue their digital dynamics in the coming years, without this of course meaning that they will rely entirely on it. The audiovisual content of the last year became available for the 11 million citizens of this country. If we get out of this situation in the near future, I would very much like to see a hybrid form maintained that combines pre- and post-coronavirus practices successfully.