WIKIDATA IN DANCE

Currently, much of the information about the performing arts sector (including dancers, choreographers, and dance organizations) is not properly formatted to be found, read, and processed by search engines and other discovery technologies. As a result, it’s too often being ignored or underutilized.

The Wikidata in Dance Project aims to make performing arts information findable to help build better connections in our sector – between arts workers and audiences – in the digital age. This can be achieved by converting publicly available text information dispersed all over the web into data accessible for reuse in open databases such as Wikidata and the Artsdata knowledge graph.

This project is the continuation of the work undertaken as part of CDA’s digital strategy: to promote a healthy, sustainable environment in which professional dance practice can grow and thrive. CDA is working to interconnect CDA member data with: the Artsdata knowledge graph and Wikidata. 

The Participating Service Organizations are inviting members, clients and affiliates to give their consent – or not – to participating in this linked open data project. If you consent to include your basic information, it will be added to Wikidata and the Artsdata knowledge graph so that dance artists, and organizations, can be more easily accessed online.

There are many benefits to making member information linked and open by adding it to the Artsdata knowledge graph and Wikidata. 

• We want you to be able to control what information about you is made available as open data. This can be achieved by providing quality, up-to-date info about you when you renew your membership to the CDA or any of the Participating Service Organizations.
• Make information about you and your work findable and accessible. Linked open data is like a jigsaw puzzle that self-assembles. When you allow your member information to be published as linked open data, it can be automatically assembled with other open data about the productions that you contributed to or the upcoming performance that you are performing in. 

• When information about the performing arts is turned into linked open data, it can more easily be found and processed by applications such as search engines. This means people who look you up over Google Search or Alexa will be delivered more accurate and detailed results (also known as rich results), highlighting your latest work, and inviting users to check your streaming platform or social media accounts. 
• This linked open data can be reused by other performing arts sector stakeholders. For example, it could be automatically populated into event listings to provide full production credits including your name and a link to your website.

The scope of Wikidata in Dance includes any information describing dance artists, dance professionals or dance organizations as it relates to their professional activities. Wikidata in Dance will only release information of a public nature, such as one would expect to find in a public biography. No personal information – other than the first name and last name of dance artists/professionals – will ever be released.

TYPES OF INFORMATION TO BE PUBLISH AS LINKED OPEN DATA

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS:

First Name, Last Name 

Occupation (based on membership category)

Current work location (city, province)

Official website link (if applicable)

Links to external database: Wikidata, Wikipedia

ORGANIZATION MEMBERS:

Company Name

Organization type (for example, dance company, performing arts organization etc.)

Location (city, province)

Official website link

Publishing this information as linked open data under a Creative Commons CC0 License means the data can be read and used by anyone, for any purpose. While this can be seen as a risk and a loss of control, it can actually be a means of exercising control and agency. The potential benefits can outweigh the potential negative consequences arising from possible intentional or unintentional misuse.

Here are examples of Wikidata entries that were created as a result of open data publications by other associations:

• Canadian Dance Assembly
• CAPACOA
• RUBBERBANDance Group
• Quebec Dance Association

You will have the opportunity to explicitly opt-into Wikidata in Dance over the course of your membership renewal at CDA or at any participating dance affiliate.

Consent provided via a Participating Service Orgnization will be communicated to CDA for the purpose of determining which data records should be released as linked open data.

If you have any questions about Wikidata in Dance or if you wish to remove your consent, you may contact the Director of Membership and Engagement.

Canadian Dance Assembly (CDA), Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists – West Chapter (CADA-West), Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists – Est Chapter (CADA-East) and Dance Umbrella Ontario (DUO)

This is version 1.0 of the Wikidata in Dance policy.

Last modification: January 15, 2024