The homepage of the new Google Cultural Institute platform, launched today

The Google Cultural Institute was established in 2010 with a simple mission – to ‘help preserve and promote culture online’. In pursuit of this mission, they have already launched the successful Google Art Project, as well as supporting cultural institutions in digitizing their collections and sharing them online.

Today, the Google Cultural Institute has announced the launch of an exciting new platform, designed to provide cultural institutions with the tools to bring their collections to a truly global audience. We had the opportunity of interviewing the Institute’s Director, Steve Crossan, about the announcement and Google’s plans for the future.

The new Google Cultural Institute platform looks really exciting – what is it and what does it do?

We’re announcing 42 online exhibits which tell the stories behind major events in the 20th and 21st centuries including The Holocaust, Apartheid and D-Day. We’ve worked with 17 different institutions around the world including the IWM (Imperial War Museums), the Steve Biko Foundation and Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum to bring online millions of artefacts including pictures, videos and manuscripts.

Your mission is to ‘help preserve and promote culture online’. What do you think is the special appeal of cultural content for online audiences?

For us culture is about story – the shared stories of our collective memories, and the objects that represent our heritage. We’ve already found massive interest in the Google Art Project and the World Wonders project; this project is about allowing a lot of partners to host and serve their content in an engaging way – and more importantly to easily create beautiful digital exhibits that bring that material to life. We also want to allow partners to use our services to drive similarly engaging experiences on their own domain, as we did with archives.nelsonmandela.org.

For cultural organisations reading this, how can they get involved in the work you are doing?

We have an online form to register interest, and our aim is to progressively open up the platform to more and more partners:
http://g-cultural-institute.appspot.com/signup

Looking ahead, how do you see the platform developing from here?

More launches will be following rapidly on this one, and we’re headed very much in the direction of free tools that any cultural institution can use to engage with audiences around the world.

—–interview ends—–

The Collections Trust is committed to working in partnership with the Google Cultural Institute and cultural heritage institutions to open up their collections for discovery, use, enjoyment and learning online. We will bring you further news about the Google Cultural Institute platform as it develops. In the meantime, use the comments below to have your say and share your views about this exciting development!

We are now seeking to appoint up to four new Trustees to join our skills-based Board and to support the strategic leadership of this dynamic organisation as it moves into the next phase of its development.

Trustees are usually senior figures from the public and private sector with experience in one or more of the Collections Trust’s main areas of activity. We would normally expect Trustees to have experience at a governance level in a similar charitable organisation prior to joining the Board.

Trustees are expected to:

• Contribute to the strategic direction of the organisation
• Champion the organisation through their networks and contacts
• Ensure the highest standards of probity and good governance

Membership of the Board is by election through the existing Trustees, who are also the voting members of the Charity. Trusteeship lasts for a period of 3 years, after which it can be renewed for one further term, to a total of 6 years. The position of Board member is unpaid. Reasonable expenses incurred in the pursuit of Board business will be covered.

Positions

Reflecting our Strategic Plan for 2012-14, we are seeking to appoint against the following profiles:

• A senior figure with experience at a strategic/policy level within the Arts or Creative Industries
• A senior figure (director level or above) with experience in corporate/private finance
• A senior figure (director level or above) with experience in a UK National museum context
• A senior figure (partner level) within a legal firm with experience in UK cultural property or IP legislation

Commitment

The Collections Trust Board meets four times annual, coinciding with the quarters of its Financial Year (June, September, December, March). Meetings are usually held in Central London between 11.00 and 14.00. Papers are issued in advance and the majority of Board business is transacted at the Board meeting.

In addition to membership of the Board, Trustees may be invited to join the Audit Committee, which meets twice annually (in advance of the June and December meetings).

For further information, you can download a copy of the Job Description for Collections Trust Board Members.

Applications

Applicants are asked to write to Margaret Greeves, Chair of the Board of Trustees c/o nick@collectionstrust.org.uk by 17.00 on Friday, 17th August with a covering letter and brief personal statement detailing your interest in the position, your relevant skills and experience and any other information that is pertinent to your application.

Selection

Applicants meeting the above profiles will be invited to join a Committee of the Trustees for a discussion about their candidacy, their interest in the Collections Trust and the specific values they can bring to the organisation.

The Collections Trust is an Equal Opportunities employer, and is committed to transparency and best practice in our governance. Applications and interviews will be held in confidence.

Current membership

The current membership of the Board (correct at July 2012) is:

• Margaret Greeves (Chair)
• Mr Bill Thompson, BBC
• Mr Oliver Morley, National Archives
• Dr Suzanne Keene, University College London*
• Mr Gareth Salway, Bristol City Museums & Gallery*
• Mr Jack Gilbert, independent*
• Ms Janet Vitmayer, Horniman Museum & Gardens
• Mr Simon Cane, Birmingham City Museum and Gallery
• Ms Jane Carmichael, National Museums Scotland
• Mr David Howarth, Clare College, Cambridge
• Mr Richard Ferguson, National Maritime Museum*

* Due to rotate off the Board in September 2012

Further enquiries

For an informal discussion of the Collections Trust’s work and the benefits of membership of the Collections Trust Board, please contact Margaret Greeves at mg217@cam.ac.uk.