“Post’-pandemic hybrid futures’ was a year-long collaboration between KWMC / BDFI and KW community looking at the pros and cons of digital and in-person methods for engaging residents in events and activities. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, researchers wanted to know what resources and methods provided inclusive, accessible and enjoyable connections for access to culture and creative opportunities.

The project explored hybrid experiences designed and supported by KWMC in 2020 and 2021 through projects such as ‘Come Together’ and tested new hybrid experiences in attending and engaging with the Knowle West Festival in October 2022.

Researchers and community workers explored and played with whether and how hybrid needs to be live and digital and how hybrid elements could be stretched to give people a sense of the festival if they weren’t able to come. These included Tik Tok style videos shared before the festival, live streams and practical non-digital activities during the festival and access to festival recordings / playlists and posted packages afterwards. The various approaches highlighted hybrid challenges such as:

• The importance of multiple digital access points (such as Facebook, Zoom and QR codes) and expertise across the platforms;
• Tailoring hybrid experiences for people attending online or in person (like encouraging online participation through chat or emoji functions as well as through talking, or handing out packs to take home)
• Ensuring hybrid elements are designed with the needs, wants and barriers of people with diverse lived experience in mind;
• Making time to try out different hybrid technologies to learn their strengths and weaknesses and develop skills and expertise;
• Not always assuming that hybrid experiences need to be live, or digital.

Bristol Digital Futures Institute researcher Professor Rebecca Coleman said:

“Many people reported that the pivot to digital technologies during the pandemic made it easier or more pleasurable to participate in work, educational, social and cultural activities; others found these technologies inaccessible, cumbersome, overwhelming or draining. The one thing that is clear within this complicated landscape is that there are no easy answers or simple fixes. 

“This report goes some way to evaluating a wide range of digital and in-person hybrid techniques and technologies. Its aim is to feed into how organisations work with communities to design and implement hybrid experiences that are inclusive, accessible and fun’."

The findings will form the basis of a workshop, to be held in the BDFI’s new Neutral Lab, about creative and collaborative methodologies for imagining digital futures. 

Knowle West Media Centre Creative producer Martha King said:

“Everyone deserves continued access to cultural and community activities and events. We want to make sure that the learnings from the pandemic are not forgotten and that we keep experimenting with hybrid engagement to find sustainable accessible solutions.  We shouldn’t and won’t rush to doing things solely online or in-person but hope to find the best mix for everyone.”