Innovation IRL
The next innovation revolution is nigh — it requires hearts and hands.
I travelled south to Sydney on the promise of Remix Summit 2024 tagline : culture, technology and entrepreneurship. Held over two days in mid-June at the Australian National Maritime Museum the weather outside was grim, the lighting inside was dim and generous speakers ignited the spark of inspiration I was in desperate hope for.
I’ve attended a myriad of music industry conferences, writing and ideas festivals since the dawn of the internet. Perhaps I am jaded, bored or over technology being framed as saviour vs enemy. I was intrigued by the soft focus of the program on content relevant to Australian cultural institutions — galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAM Sector).
On mid-year break from my Museum Studies university coursework (following on from a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Media and Digital Cultures) at the University of Queensland I settled in to hear an array of cultural leaders contextualise familiar ideas of ‘imagined community’ ; ‘chokepoint capitalism’ ; ‘social license’ ; ‘megatrends’ and ‘barometers of trust’.
Expecting a lot of ‘AI-this’ and ‘AI-that’ and ‘immersive digital this-and-that’ with data heavy slides predicting the ‘future’ of museums impending cultural doom and an avalanche of digital content tools — instead I heard a refreshing take on innovation that ignited my optimism on this new path.
I have been around the creative industries and cultural theory since innovation was buzz-wording alongside our dial up modems. This past week I’ve been reflecting on why I feel inspired again by a word that had all but lost its intended meaning in cultural discourse.
Innovation remains crucial to organisational transformation and the success of any institution.
I adored the provocation that the future of innovation is not losing sight of what is truly, madly, deeply HUMAN.
It is now innovative to connect hearts and minds, to invoke communities in the real world, offline and in spaces.
Digital transformation of organisations and how cultural products are delivered will continue to be technology driven whilst demand increases for offline somatic experiences — experiences in place with people that make us feel, imagine and act.
It is becoming innovative to slow people down. Slower, deeper engagement when writing something by hand or creating something tangible.
Innovation may involve holding a pen, a wooden spoon and making eye contact. I’m here for it.
Leanne de Souza is a well-respected leader living on Turrbal Country (Inner West Brisbane) with 30+ years managing creative projects, people & processes in the national cultural sector.
Currently enrolled at the University of Queensland in a Master of Museum Studies building on her research and knowledge rewarded with a High Distinction for a Bachelor of Arts (Media and Digital Cultures, Gender and Indigenous Studies) in 2021.
Leanne is widely respected as an independent contractor across the cultural industries. She is a strategist, program designer, facilitator, curator and producer. As a writer Leanne’s cultural analysis has thousands of reads here on Medium and she is currently writing a memoir and volunteering at Communify Queensland. Her personal writing about folklore, ancestry, travel and magic are found on Substack here.
She values accountability, transparency and respect for people and place.
Instagram: @rebelbuzz
