HOME launch new digital platform for online art, Homescreen

HOME has launched a new platform for online culture, Homescreen.

The new platform will host live and on-demand work across all three of HOME’s artforms – film, theatre and visual art.

The first livestreams to appear on the platform will be from the Ripples of Hope Festival and include Baroness Helena Kennedy in conversation with Hillary Clinton, the PEN HG Wells Lecture with Elif Shafak, and three Poetry Declaration events convened by Simon Armitage, the Poet Laureate.

There is also a host of free content hosted on the platform, including a selection of works from HOME’s annual celebration of artist film, Spit That Out, storytime sessions celebrating Black History Month and A Call to Care, a creative documentary-style film exploring nurses’ experience during the pandemic and their hopes for the best future of care.

Online exhibitions on the platform include Our Plague Year, the weekly webcomic by illustrator Nick Burton, highlights from Kenneth Noir’s photography series for House of Noir and a retrospective of the Manchester Open 2020, including video interviews with artists and images from the exhibition.

In November, the site will host a specially-created version of Human Measure, a brand-new piece of contemporary dance by Cassils, accompanying the exhibition and live performance of the same name.

Dave Moutrey, Director and CEO of HOME, said: “We strongly believe that presenting work digitally can help provide access to art for more people who would otherwise be excluded from venues, and in doing so reduce the inequality that affects these audiences. Alongside a strong engagement programme designed to bring down the barriers to people visiting venues, our new dedicated platform for digital work, Homescreen, will allow many more people to experience the work we present across all artforms – wherever and whenever they want.

“As shown by our hugely successful Homemakers series, digital work also provides new ways for us to work with the many artists we commission, and I look forward to seeing the shows, films and exhibitions that are showcased on Homescreen in the coming years.”

The site was created by digital design agency Cog.

Michael Smith, Founding Director, Cog, said: “We are lucky to work with many wonderful arts organisations but is rare to work with an organisation as progressive and pioneering as HOME.

“They’ve been truly collaborative partners as together we’ve created this user-focused digital platform.

“On the surface the site is an efficient, engaging and intuitive way to democratise the huge, varied portfolio of digital content, produced, commissioned or available through HOME.

“Behind the scenes, the platform is using integrations and innovations not seen anywhere else, utilising the ticketing platform Spektrix to provide the smoothest experience to both audiences and to the marketing, fundraising and artistic teams at HOME.

“We’ve loved working on this project and look forward to continuing to work with the HOME team to innovate and evolve the platform.”

To explore Homescreen, visit screen.homemcr.org.