Case Study: “Training Videos for Art Workers”

Project: Stories Art Money Database Training
Client: Desart
Date: 2017
Location: Alice Springs

Background

Desart is the Association of Central Australian Aboriginal Art Centres.

Established in 1992, its members include 41 independently governed Aboriginal Art Centres representing 8000 artists, and servicing a membership area of 1.221 million square kilometres.

Stories Art Money (SAM) is an online artwork management system that Desart developed for art centres; and which is now used by most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art centres across Australia. SAM is the administrative tool that art centre workers use every day: to catalogue and label art works, document their provenance, make sales and consignment transactions, issue certificates of authenticity and artist biographies, control the art centre’s stock, and facilitate online purchases.

While regular face to face training in using SAM is offered by Desart, it may be challenging for art workers based in remote parts of Australia to travel to attend this training. It’s good, too, to be able to access information about how to use the system while you’re using it.

Matrix’s Involvement

Desart asked Matrix to assist in developing some materials to support remote art workers in learning to use and get the best results from SAM.

Working with Desart and Platform One Digital Services, Matrix created an easily accessible digital learning tool and a series of videos explaining different aspects of the system.

Outcomes

Art Workers are able to access a series of videos that demonstrate how to use their database.Designed with remote Aboriginal workers in mind, the videos use Aboriginal voice and pace to suit the learner. Anyone who wants to see how to use aspects of the database can now watch how it works before giving it a go themselves.