Microgrants/Wikinews: Video and more

Overview

I am attempting to combine a work-related trip from Edinburgh to my employer’s offices in Maidenhead, with a long-weekend (14th to 16th September) where my primary goal will be to carry out a video-recorded Wikinews interview with UK politician Tony Benn.

This microgrant application is for:

1. Financial support in travelling from Maidenhead to London

   Plus, returning to a point where my work-provided open-return may be used to return to Edinburgh late September 16th.

   • Expected simply single Maidenhead—London with employer-provided open return being valid via London
   • Worst-case is a single Kings Cross—Birmingham New Street

2. Accommodation assistance whilst in London

   I may have a business Travelodge account by that time (5% discount).

   Too old to sleep on small couches — plus snore, loudly (I'm told).

3. Additional (non-core) objectives from the trip to London are (in no particular order):
   1. Donate two large hardback volumes obtained from press previews at the National Gallery of Scotland to the Wikimedia UK library (Lusieri exhibition, Peter Doig exhibition)
   2. Request, from Tony Benn – and his care assistant/PA, Ruth — any assistance they can provide, or leverage they may have — which can get older photographs relating to key UK political figures gifted to Commons
   3. Attempt follow-up with the cinematography team behind Benn’s forthcoming 'audio-biography' – Tony Benn: Will and Testment

      Have verbal, in-principle agreement, they release/provide the films trailer to Commons

   4. Expand my circle of journalistic contacts for Wikinews
   5. In-person run through the technical back-end (used for Laura Hale's Paralympics reporting) with Wikimedia UK staff and interested volunteers
   6. Provide relevant contacts to Jon Davies, et-al, to progress discussions on a possible partnership with the en:City of Edinburgh Council (CEC).

      Initial goals are:

      1. Pursue in-principle agreement to 'donate' all recorded public council meetings, Q&amp'A sessions

         Already received with some-interest by two friendly local councillors

      2. Start discussion on collaboration which gives Council-employed (or volunteer) library staff permission to register, and edit, on Wikimedia projects

         Guidance/workshops to-follow; council has specific goals to reach on IT education

      3. Look to encourage council to adopt more-liberal licensing on their publications
      4. Utilise council distribution channels to try and increase Edinburgh contributor-base with targeted literature
      5. If-possible, and sufficient interest, run a Wikinews workshop on the Saturday, or Sunday

         This could-well be brainstorming on lines of questioning for Tony Benn

         I collect additional literature, discuss possible targeted literature, to distribute in Edinburgh

 

Budget

1. Travel costs:
   • Single, off-peak: Maidenhead to London (TBD)
   • Return to a point where my work-provided, open, Edinburgh-Maidenhead return ticket is valid (TBD; likely worst-case off-peak single, Birmingham New Street)
   • Cost of use of public transport in London (with caveats)
2. Accommodation
   • London, or Maidenhead: Friday evening
   • London, Friday, Saturday evenings
   • Cost of several Lothian Regional Transport (LRT) day-saver tickets (£3.50 ea - call it a year's back-dues, plus this years, for Wikimedia UK)

Timeline

1. Initial period:
   • The initial period of use for the grant is the four days: Friday, September 13 2013 to Monday, September 16, 2013
2. Follow-on use:
   • This would be distribution of literature around points where potential new Wikimedians may pick them up

   September, being of special-interest when it's Freshers', would be an ideal point to leave leaflet stacks in Student Unions, and local bars.

   On ongoing basis (at least through October), distribute bundles of Wikimedia-UK literature to public libraries, cafes, bars, independent bookstores, council offices, community resource centres

Expected outcomes

1. Short: 2-3 minute, direct-to-camera, self-introduction from Tony Benn (without mention of Wikimedia project(s)
   • This to be captured at highest-possible quality

   Progressively downscaled versions would be added to Commons until such time as a version appropriate to embed in the Infobox officeholder was produced

   This, equally, can have the audio split off for really low-bandwidth connections

2. Full-length: 15 minutes+, Wikinews video interview with w:Tony Benn
   • Process as-per for the Short
3. Likelihood of additional, older, photographs from Tony Benn’s collection
4. Extended list of UK political contacts for Wikinews
5. Progression of early-stage interest from City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) on possible partnering work for outreach/educational purposes
6. possible mainstream coverage/syndication

General interest

1. For those who may have a particular interest in the questions to be asked of Tony, there is a newly-started discussion on the English-language Wikinews project’s Water Cooler. (See n:en:WN:WC).

   We wouldn’t usually discuss interview questions in such an open manner, but if I can keep some of what I’ve got "under embargo" (Audio from his Fringe session), Wikimedia UK people are most-welcome to constructively engage in this discussion.

Who I am

1. "Trouble in Telecoms"
   • Please read my en:Brian McNeil Wikinews user-page with a British sense of humour.

   Don't believe all my bad press

Discussion