Microgrants/Wikinews: Video and more

Application

I am attempting to combine a work-related trip from Edinburgh to my employer’s offices in Maidenhead, with a long-weekend (14th to 16th September) where my primary goal will be to carry out a video-recorded Wikinews interview with UK politician Tony Benn.

Overview

This microgrant application is for:

1. Financial support in travelling from Maidenhead to London

   Plus, returning to a point where my work-provided open-return may be used to return to Edinburgh late September 16th

   • Expected simply single off-peak Maidenhead—London with employer-provided open return being valid via London
   • Worst-case is a single off-peak Kings Cross—Birmingham New Street

2. Accommodation assistance whilst in London

   I may have a business Travelodge account by that time (5% discount)

   I smoke, drink, cuss, and — fortunately — don't sleepwalk (just in-case anyone is offering their hospitality)

   Too old to sleep on small couches — plus snore, loudly (I'm told)

3. Travel costs/assistance whilst in London

   I will have a substantial amount of equipment when I arrive, with only personal belongings from prior week being able to deposited at accommodation

4. Additional (non-core) objectives from the trip to London are (in no particular order):
   1. Donate two large hardback volumes obtained from press previews at the National Gallery of Scotland to the Wikimedia UK library (Lusieri exhibition, Peter Doig exhibition)
   2. Request, from Tony Benn, and his care assistant/PA Ruth, any assistance they can provide — or leverage they may have — which leads to older photographs relating to key UK political figures being gifted to Commons

      Tony likely has the influence to get the issue brought to the attentions of the staff in the Commons library

   3. Attempt follow-up with the cinematography team behind Benn’s forthcoming 'audio-biographical' documentary
      • Have verbal, in-principle agreement, they release/provide the films trailer to Commons
   4. Expand my circle of journalistic contacts for Wikinews
   5. In-person run through the technical back-end (used for Laura Hale's Paralympics reporting) with Wikimedia UK staff and interested volunteers
   6. Provide relevant contacts to Jon Davies, et-al, to progress discussions on a possible partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC)

      Initial goals are:

      1. Pursue in-principle agreement to 'donate' all recorded public council meetings, Q&A sessions

         Already received with some-interest from two friendly local councillors, to be brought up with council leader

      2. Start discussion on collaboration which gives Council-employed (or volunteer) library staff permission to register, and edit, on Wikimedia projects

         Guidance/workshops to-follow; council has specific goals to reach on IT education

      3. Look to encourage council to adopt more-liberal licensing on their publications
      4. Utilise council distribution channels to try and increase Edinburgh contributor-base with targeted literature
      5. If-possible, and sufficient interest, run a Wikinews workshop (in London) on the Saturday, or Sunday

         This could-well be brainstorming on lines of questioning for Tony Benn

   7. I collect additional literature, discuss possible targeted literature, to distribute in Edinburgh

 

Budget

1. Travel costs:
   • Single, off-peak: Maidenhead to London (TBD)
   • Return to a point where my work-provided, open, Edinburgh-Maidenhead return ticket is valid (TBD; likely worst-case off-peak single, Birmingham New Street)
   • Cost of use of public transport in London (with caveats, mentioned previously, on amount of AV and IT kit to move around)
   • Cost of several Lothian Regional Transport (LRT) day-saver tickets (£3.50 ea - call it a year's back-dues, plus this years', for Wikimedia UK)
2. Accommodation
   • London (Maidenhead, or in-between): Friday evening
   • London, Friday, Saturday evenings

Timeline

1. Initial period:
   • The initial period of use for the grant is the four days: Friday, September 13 2013 to Monday, September 16, 2013
2. Follow-on use:
   • This would be distribution of literature around points where potential new Wikimedians may pick them up

   September, being of special-interest when it's Freshers', would be an ideal point to leave leaflet stacks in Student Unions, and local bars.

   • On ongoing basis (at least through October), distribute bundles of Wikimedia-UK literature to public libraries, cafes, bars, independent bookstores, council offices, community resource centres

Expected outcomes

1. Short: 2-3 minute, direct-to-camera, self-introduction from Tony Benn (without mention of Wikimedia project(s)
   • This to be captured at highest-possible quality

   Progressively downscaled versions would be added to Commons until such time as a version appropriate to embed in the Infobox officeholder was produced

   This, equally, can have the audio split off for really low-bandwidth connections

2. Full-length: 15 minutes+, Wikinews video interview with Tony Benn (Check audio on 2007 interview
   • Process as-per for the Short
3. Likelihood of additional, older, photographs from Tony Benn’s collection
4. Extended list of UK political contacts for Wikinews
5. possible mainstream coverage/syndication
6. Progression of early-stage interest from City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) on possible partnering work for outreach/educational purposes
7. I would report on number of copies, and locations deposited, when it comes to literature provided by Wikimedia UK
   • By means of a plain inset with QR code, or tinyurl, it may be possible to translate that into uptake data

General interest

1. For those who may have a particular interest in the questions to be asked of Tony, there is a newly-started discussion on the English-language Wikinews project’s Water Cooler. (See here).

We wouldn’t usually discuss interview questions in such an open manner, but if I can keep some of what I’ve got "under embargo" (Audio from his Fringe session), Wikimedia UK people are most-welcome to constructively engage in this discussion.

Who I am

• "Trouble in Telecoms"
  • More-than-a-few years in IT, I'm one of the support people your ISPs, and telephony service-providers come to with their problems.
  • Please read my Brian McNeil Wikinews user-page with a British sense of humour.
  • And, don't believe all my bad press! ;-)

Your prompt consideration is appreciated. --Brian McNeil / ^talk 18:07, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Discussion

• The open discussion prior to the interview may be found here on Wikinews.
• Some 'embargoed' background material (not for publication) may be available.
• Likely another volunteer required — depending on equipment borrowed from Wikimedia UK.
• Anyone who, through involvement in this project, may become aware of Tony's private residence or other contact details is to keep such in the strictest confidence. --Brian McNeil / ^talk 18:44, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

• The grants review panel have reviewed and recommended the application to be approved. The Chief Executive has accepted this recommendation and approved the application, both as a microgrant, and as a macrogrant if the combined cost of the budgeted items goes above £250. -- Katie Chan (WMUK) (talk) 10:31, 6 September 2013 (UTC)