Christian Hill shares his online favourites.
I use this site to look for new music. Users scrobble their tracks to the server helping to collectively build the worlds largest social music platform. Last.fm claim to tap into the wisdom of the crowds, leveraging each users musical profile to make personal recommendations. Its very easy to share your taste and discover new music. Despite the hype, it really is a social music revolution, honest!
Forty-two million movie lovers every month cant be wrong! The Internet Movie Database claims to be the biggest, best, most award-winning movie site on the web. It features photos, reviews, trailers and ratings. We use the site to help us programme the regular film night we run called cine blah, where we screen blockbusters, foreign and independent films and short films from emerging talent in Yorkshire. Imdb is a straight version of www.rottentomatoes.com, which is also one of my regular web film haunts. Beware, both the sites are very American in tone and language but, in their mitigation, Id argue that film is the American artform.
3. http://www.publicartonline.org.uk
If you believe David Lammys statement that better places make happy people, as I do, then this is a site worth browsing. It provides a wealth of information on how artists and creative activity can contribute to the built and natural environment, regeneration initiatives, sustainable development, architecture and urban design. Theres lots of case studies and reports on how art can be an active agent for regeneration, and theres help if you are working with architects, developers and artists on public art projects.
Forget the BBC and Sky News sites, this is the real deal, offering a hard-hitting opinionated alternative worldview. The Independent Media Organisation site brings browsers news posted by environmentalists, all kinds of activists, and journalists in many languages from everywhere in the world. Issue- and news-driven the stories, live radio link, images, audio and video files are generated by individuals and communities. A reflection of its power and anti-state and establishment position is that it is regularly closed down by the US authorities. This site reflects an alternative view of the world. Cue applause!
Im a keen cycle road racer and this is the site which gives results, stories, interviews and all the latest reviews of kit and equipment for all racing cyclists. So if you race on the road, off-road, mountain bike, downhill, cross country, even from the sofa its the place to browse. All the top races are covered with the Tours of France, Spain and Italy covered live. Its great to view and drawl over Italian carbon bike-frame sets and dream of the day you can buy the bike that Colnago, the Italian frame builder made for Michael Schumacher and Ferrari!
Corridor Arts is an arts programming and commissioning organisation based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Our mission is to invigorate Barnsley and provide a wide variety of quality arts and cultural events for all.
w: http://www.corridorarts.co.uk