ABOUT THE WIKIDATA IN DANCE PROJECT

The Canadian Dance Assembly (CDA), Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists - West Chapter (CADA-West), Dance Umbrella of Ontario (DUO), and Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists - East Chapter (CADA/East) are asking members, clients and affiliates to consent to this data project.

The Wikidata in Dance project is inspired by the Linked Digital Future Initiative (LDFI) which was a multi-year project led by the Canadian Association for the Performing Arts (CAPACOA). https://linkeddigitalfuture.ca/

WHAT IS WIKIDATA IN DANCE?

WHY ARE CDA, CADA-WEST, DUO AND CADA/EAST TAKING ON THIS PROJECT?

Currently, much of the information about the performing arts sector (including dancers, choreographers, and dance organizations) is not properly formatted to be found, read, and processed by search engines and other discovery technologies. As a result, it’s too often being ignored or underutilized. The Wikidata in Dance Project aims to make performing arts information findable to help build better connections in our sector – between arts workers and audiences – in the digital age.

This can be achieved by converting publicly available text information dispersed all over the web into data accessible for reuse in open databases such as Wikidata and the Artsdata knowledge graph. The CDA, CADA-West, DUO and CADA/East are working to interconnect member or client data with the Artsdata knowledge graph and Wikidata.


CADA/East is currently inviting professional members to give their consent – or not – to participating in this linked open data project by opting in or opting out by Friday, March 1st 2024.


If you consent to allow CADA/East to include your basic information, it will be added to Wikidata and the Artsdata knowledge graph so that dance artists can be more easily accessed online.

BENEFITS OF MAKING INFORMATION LINKED AND OPEN

There are many benefits to making your information linked and open by adding it to the Artsdata knowledge graph and Wikidata. 


Exercise ownership and control over what information and data circulate about you in the web of open data. We want you to be able to control what information about you is made available as open data. This can be achieved by your consenting to allow CADA/EAST to share your basic data. 


Make information about you and your work findable and accessible. Linked open data is like a jigsaw puzzle that self-assembles. When you allow your information to be published as linked open data, it can be automatically assembled with other open data about the productions that you created or the upcoming performance that you are performing in.

BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH THE REALITIES OF THE DIGITAL ECONOMY

When information about the performing arts is turned into linked open data, it can more easily be found and processed by applications such as search engines. This means people who look you up on a search engine (i.e., google) will receive more accurate and detailed results (also known as rich results), highlighting your latest work, and inviting users to check your streaming platform or social media accounts. 


This linked open data can be reused by other performing arts sector stakeholders. For example, it could be automatically populated into event listings to provide full production credits including your name and a link to your website. This is a great way to promote your work, your brand and any other information you want easily searchable.

WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION WILL WE RELEASE AS OPEN DATA?

The scope of Wikidata in Dance includes any information describing dance artists, dance professionals, or dance organizations as it relates to their professional activities. We will only release information of a public nature, such as one would expect to find in a public biography. No personal information – other than the first name and last name of dance professionals – will ever be released.

EXAMPLES OF TYPES OF INFORMATION TO BE PUBLISHED AS LINKED OPEN DATA

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS:
First name, Last name 
Occupation (based on membership category)
Current work location (city, province)
Official website link (if applicable)
Links to external databases: Wikidata, Wikipedia

ORGANIZATION MEMBERS:
Company Name
Organization type (for example, dance company, performing arts organization, etc.)
Location (city, province)
Official website link

With your consent (see below), we will publish this information as linked open data under a Creative Commons CC0 License. CC0 is a “no rights reserved” license. This means the data can be read and used by anyone, for any purpose, including in event listings and performing arts archives.

WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE?

Here are examples of Wikidata entries that were created as a result of open data publications by other associations:

Canadian Dance Assembly

CAPACOA

RUBBERBANDance GROUP

Quebec Dance Association