Top 5 Websites

http://www.ted.com
Without doubt this has been the most influential site on my work at Pilot Theatre over the past three years. Since discovering this site, which has hundreds of talks, I applied to attend the TED conference in Monterey and was accepted. It not only provides great ideas, but allows thinking and creative connections to be made. Since returning from TED in 2007 I was inspired to set up and develop our Shift Happens conferences, which again look at the places and space in between arts and technology and allow room for discussion, debate and dialogue.
 

http://www.number27.org
This is the site that looks at the work of Jonathan Harris, digital storyteller. Again, I wanted to find out more about his work after seeing and being inspired by the great site www.wefeelfine.org, which Jonathan created in 2006. He is a great artist who is leading the way in how technology and the arts can interface to create new cultural connections.

http://www.posterous.com
This is something you will be hearing a lot more about in the coming months. It is quite simply the easiest way to blog and share information. It is so easy to set up, and you can mail links and web stuff, and your digital footprint will be there for all to see and share. I will share this article on posterous, which will automatically send it straight to Twitter and Facebook. The possibilities for dissemination and sharing are greatly enhanced with intuitive usability.

http://www.spotify.com
I love this site. You can pay monthly for a premium account or have a free basic account. It is a way to hear music and to keep connected with the shifting platforms of delivery. It is an exciting and great site that just works. Give your ears a treat and listen to some new stuff. What is the worst thing that can happen?

http://www.audioboo.fm
This is an awesome app that creates podcasts on the fly. It’s a start-up funded by 4IP (Channel 4’s £50m investment programme in arts and technology). The integration from the iPhone to Facebook and Twitter is a real-time news gathering tool and information-sharing device that has the capacity to change the way we tell and communicate stories and ideas. This is direct communication that came into its own during the G20 protests, which happened during its launch week.

The great thing about all these sites and their content and functionality? They are all free. As you can see I am pretty passionate about sharing ideas and information across all sectors and am keen to look for new ways we can tell and share stories. New thought – give away 80% and people will pay for the remaining 20%.