Grants:IEG/ZARZUELA: The Hispanic Musical Theater in Wikipedia

statusnot selected

Individual Engagement Grants

ZARZUELA: The Hispanic Musical Theater in Wikipedia

summaryZarzuela: Hispanic Musical Theater (s.XVII-XX): Classification and Organization of the "Archivo Sonoro e Iconográfico" for edition & publication by Volunteers in Wikipedia.

targetSpanish, English and Catalan Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata and Wikisource.

strategic priorityimproving quality (better quality and quantity of content on wikimedia projects)

amount(18.300,00) USD

grantee• Jorge Vicedo• Belén Boville• Joaco Alegre

advisor• César Casares• Jesús Tramullas

contact• belenbovilleltyahoo.com

volunteer• César Casares• Jorge Errando

created on12:23, 21 March 2016 (UTC)

round 2 2015

Friendly space expectations

Project idea

What is the problem you're trying to solve?

Zarzuela is the hispanic genuine musical theater, a mass spectacle -dramatic, lyrical, musical and choreographic combination- for more than three centuries. As a result we find composers, librettists and scripts of La Zarzuela in the Iberian Peninsula, Argentina, Paraguay, Cuba, Mexico... There are also written Zarzuelas in the various languages of the Iberian Peninsula and America (castillian, basque, galician, catalan, majorcan, yopará, etc.)
The effects of globalization, changing habits of cultural consumption, and the decline of people attending performances of musical theater are threats that Zarzuela must face, in order to keep alive this hispanic musical theater.

Fundación de la Zarzuela began four years ago an ongoing project “Archivo Sonoro de la Zarzuela” (Zarzuela Sound Archive) an innovative project for the recovery and preservation (Mr. Arturo Gil Pérez-Andújar Collection) of this intangible heritage, applying the best sound treatment technology at our disposal, for making it available through online platforms.
The highlight of this collection -in process of digitization by spanish government funds- is that it brings to light and put focus on a common cultural heritage to all Spanish-speaking countries. Thus arises, from each of the recordings, a huge list of musicians, playwrights and performers who were famous at the time, but have now been forgotten. All these musicians and artists were Spaniards, Argentines, Mexicans, Colombians, Peruvians... Every year they were doing "The Americas": each year a zarzuela debuted in Buenos Aires, Madrid o Ciudad de México; these zarzuelas were released in the big national theaters, and there is news of these artistic tours in most newspapers and cultural magazines of that time at these countries. It is thus a great heritage, common to all Hispanic countries, and that allows cooperation / collaboration between various national chapters, associations of Wikipedians of each of these countries.

The interesting thing is to channel these contents to the various projects of the Wikimedia Foundation. At present there are 6000 records digitized and sorted in a database that is not functional for Wikipedians. We want to take that database to be usable in Wiki Data, Wiki Source and Commons, and create an educational project (research / action in Wikipedia) that allows recruit and train many volunteers for content creation in Wikipedia. Such research training and editing can be expandable to many other cultural and artistic projects of Wikipedia. It can also be systematized for cooperation between different chapters of volunteer Wikipedians in different countries.

Then Wikipedia is the best platform for collective creation, through volunteers, of all content associated with that audio and iconographic files. Not only the sound files (which require special treatment due to copyright), but all the encyclopedic and hemerographic information associated with those files.The main problem to be solved is that of copyright regarding the sound files, that is, the old recordings. To publish any musical work freely licensed it is necessary that all creators and performers have died 80 years earlier. So it is essential to check the dates of death of all creators, very slow and painstaking process, but necessary to offer these recordings in public domain. Even so, the file is so broad that it allows the creation of a database with a lot of information that can be overturned in Wikipedia by applicants and volunteers.

What is your solution?

There is a huge amount of information about the Zarzuela requiring pre-treatment:

1. Classification and management in a Database explicitly made for functionality in Wikipedia (since articles and links will be created by volunteer editors).
2. Organization of sound files that are subject to copyright: It is necessary to investigate and establish the date of death of participants in each of the recordings (composers, lyricists, performers, orchestras) to see when they pass into the public domain (80 years after their death) and when they can be downloaded in Wikipedia.
3. Processing the database of Fundación de la Zarzuela Española, cataloging, describing, categorizing and subsequent upload to Wikimedia Commons, Wikisource and Wikidata, making the collection fully available on the Wikimedia projects.

Once this information is organized:
Strategic Plan to Recruit Volunteers and Train them in the historical /artistical and musical research and editing Wikipedia.

Disco de pizarra Zarzuela “La tierra de la alegría” estrenada en inglés como “The land of joy” de Quinito Valverde. Canción: “Torerito, torerazo” interpretada por Luisita Puchol. Columbia Graphopone, 1917.

Project goals

Improve the catalogue of the collection (applicants)

1. Improving the catalogue of the collection to calculate the time that each file can become public domain. This enables to establish a feasible calendar for uploading the whole collection (30,000 files) into Wikimedia Commons, making them available for the first time on the Internet.
2. Processing its database into something workable by a bot (already created) and the volunteers. Reprocess the actual 6,000 recordings (Zarzuela, sainete, revista and opera highlights, songs, couplés and other recordings) of the collection archives digitized in the last three campaigns, into free software formats.
3. Organising all the material to make it available for volunteers during the wiki workshops, edithatons and webinarios: classify, sort, describe and categorize the files.
4. Publishing those recordings with transcripts on Spanish Wikisource.

Recruitment and training of volunteers

The recruiting system need the logistical support and experience of the local Wikipedia Community (spanish chapter, another hispanic countries chapters), the educational community, the local government (municipalities, cultural institutions) and the novel resources offered by the social and collaborative economy (PROCOMUN).

The Volunteer Recruitment and Training of new Editors will be developed in two areas that complement each other: the digital area (through social networks and digital tools), and the classroom area.
After recruitment and training, we want to get at least 20 volunteers who regularly edit.

Edition by volunteers

By a suitable strategy in selection and training of volunteers (workshops, webinars ...) we want the volunteers learn to investigate, use the data base, use the Wiki Data, the Wikimedia Commons and the Wiki Sources to create new articles and links, or extend others about Zarzuela.

Project plan

Activities

Improving the catalogue (BBDD)

• Creating the "Zarzuela Database" selecting all the information about Zarzuela.
• Reordering Database: only one data per column, so they can be relatable.
• Research on the dates of death of musicians, librettists, interpreters.
• Creating new columns: dates of death / Step-date public domain / Songs and musical pieces/ Zarzuela or Main Musical Work / Associated images (posters, pictures, brochures) and sources / Bibliography / Digital Resources (Libraries) / Inventory in: Wiki Data /Wiki Source / Commons / Wikipedia.
• Research on the use and operation of a bot that allows downloading all data in the public domain and Wikimedia Projects.

Volunteer Managament and Training

Classroom Area

Need the assistance of the educational community (teachers), municipalities (area of culture and voluntary) and sections of volunteers in sponsorship companies.

1. List of schools of Arts/Music/History in Spain: beginning Madrid and Alicante (Email, Phone, name of Director /professors).
2. Design and creation of a Workshop Classroom about arts&music&history research and Wikipedia editing: objectives/student body/ methodology/lective hours /digital hours/ results/ evaluation/ budget/ equipment: laptops or PC, wifi, video projector, board/ consumables: folder and 5 pages about methodology/per alumn.
3. Teaching 3 Workshops in Madrid, Alicante and Villena during October, November, December.
   

Digital Area

1. Through the Digital Area we try to get volunteers across the digital environment of the Spanish language (Spain, Latin America, North America...) This is developed by using digital tools (webinars, podcasts, social networks like Facebook (Groups), the Wiki System and others used in the Social and Collaborative Economy.
2. Creating a Digital Strategy for recruitment and training of volunteers: edition the Zarzuela in Wikipedia.
3. Creation of Digital resource for training volunteers (Power point on Slide Share / Webinar /New Tools or Wiki System).
   
4. Creating a System of communication and relationship in social networks through Facebook Groups.
   
5. Digital Campaign to participate in the project in the next year (January- June 2017): emailing, social networks: Schools of Arts/Music/History // Communication with Wikimedia chapters in different countries.
   

Editing in Wikipedia

• Creating "The Zarzuela Project".
• Organising "Tasks of Edition".
• List of Volunteers.
• Establishing priorities and Calendar.
• Helping Volunteers and doubts.

Enquiry results and assessment

• Assessment of the functionality and usability of the database.
• Assessment of functionality and ease of use of bot.
• Feedback of Wikimedia Community (how to develop and improve the plan).
• Feedback of the Applicants.
• Feedback of Volunteers, pupils and teachers.
• Wikimedia Projects Edition by Volunteers.
• Assessment estimated time and budget allocated to different tasks.

Calendar

The proposal provided herein, a pilot project format, marks the beginning of a long-range project (at least 3 years or 6 semesters). Once completed this first pilot project (January 2017), and after performing the assessment tasks, we would like to continue throughout 2017, beginning in January. In this proposal we try to design an approximate schedule from June to December 2016, and afterwars from June to December 2017: it is not possible to know the actions that we will perform until the work of this pilot project does not develop. If the objectives are achieved, we would like to continue the work in a natural way, in January, 2017.

2016 june-december (pilot project)

• Tue 5/31: 7-9pm UTC. Pre meeting with Wikimedia Foundation (Marti Johnson) by hangout (participants: Belén Boville, Jorge Vicedo, Joaco Alegre and counsellor, César Casares).
• Thurs 6/2Meeting in Madrid Organising documents required by W.F; and the whole team to have a global perspective of the project and to programme the work (if we succeed): Belén, Joaco, César, Jorge.
• Week 6/ 6-11: Visit to Mr. Arturo Gil Pérez-Andújar, the Zarzuela Collection Owner, who lives 100km from Madrid, in Sacedón (Guadalajara).

Afterwards we will programme the different tasks:

• Creating, Researching and Improving Database (june, july, august).
• Processing the information and reprocess of the actual 6.000 recordings (Zarzuela, sainete, revista and opera highlights, songs, coupléts and other recordings) of the collection archives digitized in the last three campaigns (june-december).
• Management of Volunteers (september to december).
• Creating and developing the Classroom Works (october to december).
• Creating the Digital Strategy (Recruitment and Training Volunteers): november-december.
• Developing the Digital Strategy (january-june 2017).

2017 january-june

• Developing the Digital Strategy (january-june 2017).
• Placing possibly 300 files freely available (intellectual property rights) in Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects.
• Processing the information and reprocess of the next 2000 recordings (Zarzuela, sainete, revista and opera highlights, songs, coupléts and other recordings) of the collection archives, into free software formats.
• Organization of I Editaton La Zarzuela (october 2017) as an International Editaton in Spanish, with participation of Wikimedia Associations in Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay, Colombia...

Budget

The estimated number of hours of paid work is 850 h. It has been estimated the cost of working time to 18 €/h (20,4588 USD).
The number of volunteer hours estimated for the project is 2,748 h: Volunteer work of Jorge Vicedo (digitization) and hours of extra dedication of Caesar; in addition to the hours of work estimated at least 20 volunteers.

• Project manager, coordination and historical research (Belén Boville through Divert Non profit Cultural Association ): including taxes, from June to December (partial dedication): (5.610,00) USD
• Database Creator (Jorge Vicedo): including taxes, for partial dedication from June to December 2016: (5.610,00)USD
• Business project administration (Joaco Alegre through Divert Non profit Cultural Association): including taxes, for partial dedication from June to December = /(5.610,00) USD
• Travel spending: (1050,00) USD The meeting once a month in Madrid and conducting workshops justifies spending on travel and subsistence between Madrid, Villena and Sacedón.

1. 8 trips planned to Sacedon from Madrid (personal interviews with the archive team, etc.): (192,00) USD
2. 7 trips planned from Villena to Madrid (1 meeting per month (2 days in Madrid, in Fundación de la Zarzuela to work Jorge, Cesar, Belén and Joaco): (804,00) USD
3. Public transport in Madrid (4 Metro tickets, (54) USD

• Subsistence allowance (2 days x 7 trips): 14 days x 30 $: (420,00) USD.
• Total Budget: (18.300,00) USD.'

Final Budget

Budget: Work Force

Budget: Volunteers Work

Community engagement

We will create a communication strategy to groups related to theater and music to encourage them to edit in Wikipedia: students of arts, writers, descendants of the authors... To do this we seek the support and guidance of the SGAE (Spanish entity for the management of intellectual property rights). In 2017 we want to make an Edithaton inviting these groups. Initially our strategy will be aimed at students, using social media networks. .

Sustainability

This is a long-range project (at least 3 years or 6 semesters).The current situation of Spanish institutions devoted to value our genuine Musical Theater expressions as an intangible heritage, is quite difficult and most of this recordings keep being unknown for the general public. Zarzuela is the backbon of our musical and theatrical culture, part of our collective imaginery, and therefore constitute a cultural asset that must be preserved. Present and future generations should have the opportunity to know the evolution of the performing arts, representing the total spectacle that Zarzuela is, and its contribution to the evolution of musical theater worldwide. Therefore, we expect that this project will bring Zarzuela and Wikimedia projects to a new status among Spanish archives so they can be more interested in releasing contents under a free license if that means that they would be available on the Internet.

Furthermore, the Fundación de la Zarzuela Española is planning to change its own website so they can link the contents hosted in the Wikimedia projects. Then visitors will find the contents in both ways: if they come from the Fundación Zarzuela website or if they are surfing the Wikimedia projects.

Archivo Sonoro de la Zarzuela. Colección Arturo Gil Pérez-Andújar, Sacedón, Guadalajara.

Measures of success

• Using Pattybot to process the database: through this pilot project, stablish an upload calendar of the sound records to be uploaded automatically, in the moment the files pass into the public domain.
• Placing 300 files freely available (intellectual property rights) in Wikisource, Wikidata and Wikipedia by volunteers.
• Describing, linking and connecting 100 articles already created with this 300 new files (spanish, english) by volunteers.
• Creating 20 new articles (spanish, english) by volunteers.
• Researching and finding photographs, partitures etc to upload to Wikimedia Commons by volunteers and aplicants.
• Creating "The Zarzuela project" in Wikipedia Spanish, organising the whole project and all the tasks related (encouraging people and editors through social networks to participate).
• Creating a planning calendar for future digitization campaigns.
• Geolocated the 6,000 records that today are digitized.

Need target-setting tips? Note: in addition to your project-specific measures of success, you will also be asked to report on some Global Metrics at the end of your final report. Please keep this in mind as you plan, and we'll support you as you begin your project.

Get involved

Participants

• Jorge Vicedo (Fundación de la Zarzuela): Spanish Wikipedia user since 2007. Specialist in handling and restoration of historical records, gramophones luthier and other historical recording equipment and sound reproduction. Chorus singer and exdancer, one of my areas of interest is zarzuela and musical theater, so I will be delighted to work in this project. I am a new member of the Spanish chapter.
• Belén Boville (Divert Non Profit Cultural Association): Spanish Wikipedia user since 2006. Editor since 2012. Member of Wikimedia España. PhD in Geography and History, Master in Education, researcher, writer, historian, journalist and high school teacher. Divert Cultural NP Association and Fundación de la Zarzuela contacted in July 2014 to collaborate in different projects to spread out and create new audiences. Divert proposed Fundación de la Zarzuela to set a GLAM partnership with Wikimedia Foundation to develop the project Archivo Sonoro de la Zarzuela. Belén (through Divert) is the contact person with the Fundación de la Zarzuela so will participate as reasercher, advisor and coordinator between them and the Spanish Chapter, and will manage in the future the communication plan of this pilot project to enhance all the project communication. The dissemination goals of Zarzuela will allow continuity /sustainability of the project through fundraising.
• Joaco Alegre (Divert Cultural Association): Spanish Wikipedia User since 2008, Editor since 2012. Researcher, Master in Business Administration (Expert in Collaborative Economy) and Community manager. He will help us with digital tools, social networks and the management and administration of the project to gain support from other institutions and to consolidate the proposal into a solid project that can be developed over three years.
• César Casares (Fundación de la Zarzuela): Spanish Wikipedia user since 2006, Deputy Manager of Fundación de la Zarzuela, and creator of the project Archivo Sonoro de la Zarzuela. He will collaborate in the development of the whole plan, initially as a volunteer.
• Jesús Tramullas: Spanish Wikipedia Editor and member of the Board of Wikimedia España. Associate Professor in Library & Information Science at University of Zaragoza. He has contributed to the project as consellor.

Madrid 1 meeting proyecto Zarzuela Team

Community Notification

Please paste links below to where relevant communities have been notified of your proposal, and to any other relevant community discussions. Need notification tips?

• Musicology Students in Universidad Complutense, Facebook, Twitter
• SGAE, Twitter Facebook.
• Zarzuela, patrimonio de la humanidad. Facebook
• RESAD (Real Escuela Superior de Arte Dramático). Página web, Facebook
• Asociación J. Estruch para fomento de la cultura teatral. Pag. Web
• Instituto Nacional de Musicología Carlos Vega (Argentina), pag. web.
• UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México), Posgrado en Musicología
• Belén Boville Blog: "La Zarzuela en Wikipedia" y comunicación pública en Facebook:
• Asociacion Pro Género Lírico: comunicación en Facebook
• Fundación Autor (SGAE): mensaje por Facebook.
• Twitter comunicando selección.

Endorsements

Do you think this project should be selected for an Individual Engagement Grant? Please add your name and rationale for endorsing this project in the list below. (Other constructive feedback is welcome on the talk page of this proposal).

• Community member: add your name and rationale here.
• The zarzuela is one of the most important musical genres in Spain. Popular interest is declining dramatically over the last forty years. Any initiative to preserve this cultural heritage is highly desirable. -PePeEfe (talk) 11:25, 14 April 2016 (UTC)
• I endorse this project because I concur with PePeEfe: zarzuela is an endangered musical genre. Hispalois (talk) 00:02, 15 April 2016 (UTC)
• A cultural heritage that must be preserved and most well known. Wikipedia could be a very good oportunity to show it to the world. Wikimedia Spain can help working in collaboration with people involved in this application. Millars (talk) 23:09, 26 May 2016 (UTC)
• It's a great opportunity to rescue invaluable cultural heritage from oblivion, showing how such differents projects as Wikidata, Commons, Wikisource or Wikipedia are able to interact between themselves, in a sinergic manner. Leaving a mark and giving example to future Wikimedia iniciatives, too. Project is in best hands and its results are gonna be awesome. I fully endorse it. Strakhov (talk) 14:28, 27 May 2016 (UTC)
• This project is an opportunity to rescue the cultural heritage. It's going to contribute to the cultural studies like the cultural history or the history of arts. The zarzuela is an important element in the cultural history of Spain and this initiative will preserve and spread it. So I endorse this project. Good luck! Ivanhercaz (talk) 17:41, 27 May 2016 (UTC)
• I support this project because I believe it will help to preserve the history of this important musical and theatrical genre.--Rosymonterrey (talk) 20:13, 27 May 2016 (UTC)
• I endorse this project. Lourdes Cardenal (talk) 22:26, 27 May 2016 (UTC)
• I support this project. It's a great experience "OPEN GLAM". The contents of the archive are emblematic. The project can serve as a model for similar jobs.Jaramberri (talk) 08:31, 28 May 2016 (UTC)
• I support this project. Es importante apoyar el rescate y clasificación de este material para que este al alcance de todos. Laura Fiorucci (talk) 21:01, 28 May 2016 (UTC)
• Excellent initiative. Fully support. Maragm (talk) 17:59, 29 May 2016 (UTC)
• Of course it is, I support this initiative and I'm sure they'll do a great job. Kordas (sínome!) 22:18, 29 May 2016 (UTC)
• I support the project, great preservation and access initiative. Seeris (talk) 14:00, 31 May 2016 (UTC)
• --ProtoplasmaKid (WM-MX) (talk) 21:11, 1 June 2016 (UTC)
• Great project. Zarzuela is certainly underrepresented in Wikipedia/Wikimedia projects, as it is a cultural phenomenon restricted to Hispanic countries, but, at the same time, highly influential and diverse, with texts in several languages, including some aboriginal american ones. It would be great to have more information and sources. Ecelan (talk) 20:10, 2 June 2016 (UTC)
• I support this project because it's very important for the cultural heritage and diversity. We can participate through donations of Zarzuelas on 78 rpm gramophone records from our collections. --Pdproject (talk) 12:14, 10 June 2016 (UTC)