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: • Financial support in travelling from Maidenhead to London, and returning to a point where my work-provided open-return may be used to return to Edinburgh late September 16th. • Accommodation assistance whilst in London. Additional (non-core) objectives from the trip to London are (in no particular order) as follows: • 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) • Request, from Tony Benn – and his care assistant/PA, Ruth – any assistance they can provide, or leverage they have – which can get older photographs relating to key UK political figures gifted to Commons • Follow-up with the cinematography team behind Benn’s forthcoming ‘audio-biography’ – “’’Tony Benn: Will and Testment’’” – on their in-principle agreement to release/provide the film’s trailer to Commons • Expand my circle of journalistic contacts for ‘’Wikinews’’ • In-person run through the technical back-end (used for Laura Hale’s Paralympics reporting for ‘’Wikinews’’) with Wikimedia UK staff/volunteers. • Provide relevant contacts to Jon Davies et-al to progress discussions on possible partnership with City of Edinburgh Council (CEC). Initial goals are: o In-principle agreement to ‘donate’ all recorded public council meetings, and Q&A sessions (already receptively received by two friendly local councillors) o Collaboration which gives Council-employed (or volunteer) library staff permission to register, and edit, on Wikimedia projects (with guidance/workshops to-follow) o Encourage council to adopt more-liberal licensing on their publications o Utilise council distribution channels to try and increase Edinburgh contributor-base with targeted literature • If-possible, and sufficient interest, run a ‘’Wikinews’’ workshop on the Saturday, or Sunday. • Collect additional literature, discuss possible targeted literature, to distribute in Edinburgh  

Budget

• Travel costs: o Single, off-peak: Maidenhead to London o Return to a point where my work-provided, open, Edinburgh-Maidenhead return ticket is valid (likely Birmingham New Street) o Cost of use of public transport in London • Accommodation: London, or Maidenhead: Friday evening; London, Friday, Saturday evenings • Cost of several Lothian Regional Transport (LRT) day-saver tickets (£3.50 ea)

Timeline

• Initial period o The initial period of use for the grant is the four days: Friday, September 13th to 16th • Follow-on use o This is where the LRT day-saver tickets come into use o Over remainder of September, and through October, distribute bundles of Wikimedia-UK literature to public libraries, cafes, bars, independent bookstores, council offices, community resource centres

Expected outcomes

• Short: 2-3 minute, direct-to-camera, self-introduction from Tony Benn (without mention of Wikimedia project(s) o This to be minimum 720p o Lower resolutions will be provided by downscaling as-deemed appropriate • Full-length (i.e. 15 minute+) ‘’Wikinews’’ video interview with Tony Benn o Again, minimum 720p, with downscaling as-per clip • Likelihood of additional, older, photographs from Tony Benn’s collection • Extended list of UK political contacts for use by ‘’Wikinews’’ • Progression of early-stage interest from City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) on any possible partnering work for outreach/educational purposes • Considerable ‘intangible goodwill’ • possible mainstream coverage/syndication

General interest

• 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. n:en:WN:WC. Wouldn’t usually discuss 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.

Who I am

• See my ‘’Wikinews’’ userpage, don’t believe the bad press, and watch out for Scottish humour.

Discussion