Wiki lubi audio/opis projektu/en

Wiki loves audio

Organizers

Wikimedia Poland Association, team of experts supported by the the Wiki community, CEE HUB and other NGOs with which the project experts cooperate. Goals, background and justification

Goals

The project aims to provide current and potential Wikimedians, including Wikipedians with competences in creating illustrations with audio. This is intended to contribute to the collection of the knowledge contained in sounds, on Wikimedia Commons. There is a need to create a new space for Wikimedians, equip them with the skills and competences in recording and processing of sound, and motivate them to create audio content under free licenses. The project will result in creation of a universal model for creating “sound illustrations”. The model will be tested on the Polish Wiki market, so that in the next stage it can be implemented around the world. By “sound illustrations” we mean a wide range of audio data - from the sound effects of nature and civilization, music, songs, the sound of instruments and monuments, regional languages, local dialects - to interviews, field recordings, stories and podcasts (see list below). In this way, we create a repository of free knowledge contained in sounds in Wikimedia Commons, available to everyone. What's more - through “sound illustrations” - we preserve the present, which will one day be history. In that way we save it from oblivion. We believe in the power of listening and learning, and in the importance of equality in sharing knowledge and stories. Collecting audio content also preserves the intangible oral heritage of local communities around the world and adds value to the Wiki world and its world-wide community. Let sounds be part of humanity's knowledge!

Background

The dream of the project's idea maker - Borys Kozielski, Polish Wikipedian, Wikimedian and podcaster - was to attract new volunteers to Wikimedia and open the Wikipedia community to new people making their own, unique contributions. There are already Wikimedians on Wikipedia who like to write and code, and thanks to competitions such as “Wiki loves monuments”, users dedicated to photography are joining the community. Borys noticed that more audio files were needed to make Wikipedia fully multimedia. We believe that in order to attract creators of audio recordings, it is necessary to go beyond the most obvious proposition, which would be adding simple, short sounds illustrating articles. Through the project and the “Wiki loves audio” competition, we aim to obtain different, more complex audio files than before, which will enrich both existing and future articles. We also want the acquired sounds to go beyond Wikimedia. We hope that as many people as possible, encouraged by the opportunity to hone their skills under the supervision of experienced audio creators and familiar with the secrets of editing Wiki pages, will join the community and stay in it for a longer time. The project will also raise general awareness of Wikipedia and how it is edited, highlighting its multimedia ambitions.

Examples of sound illustrations:

Interviews, reportages, oral history, podcasts, events Voices: voice samples of famous people on Wikipedia, dialects, ethnic languages, accents in languages, pronunciation of difficult names/words Nature sounds: e.g. birds and other animals, nature sounds Sounds of civilization: cities, factories, means of transport, machines, devices The sounds of characteristic monuments: bugle calls, the sound of monuments, e.g. clock, historic organ, Music: traditional songs, chants, sounds of instruments, rhythm in musical pieces, hymns.

Justification

Audio accounts for only three percent of the files available on Wikipedia Commons (see the graph below), while due to the relatively low cost of its preparation and the ability to record literally everything that surrounds us, Wikimedia Commons, including Wikipedia could be filled with sound! Wikipedians know how to create the written content as well as document it with pictures, but they also need to learn and gain competences on how to create audio and start thinking with sound. Sensitivity to sound not only teaches mindfulness but also gives new tools to transfer of knowledge and information to the Wikimedia community and users. This project fills a gap in the multimedia character of Wikimedia, giving it a new dimension and new interactive, colorful sound-based character. By implementing the project, we are creating and enriching a repository of audio knowledge under free licenses, not only for Wikipedia, but more broadly for Wikimedia Commons. We thus want to increase the importance of Wikimedia Commons itself so that it can be perceived as a diverse repository of good quality files under open licenses, and not - as so far - only as an auxiliary platform for Wikipedia. We want common audio resources to also be accessed by people from outside Wiki projects - podcasters, radio journalists, video creators, activists of local NGOs, museums, community centers, teachers, students, etc. This will ultimately expand Wikimedia's audience and the community itself. In addition, files sent to Wikimedia Commons will be integrated with Wikidata, making them easier to find and search in the long term. This is especially important due to the use of AI to develop the entire Wiki universe in the future.

Statistics of all files available on Wikimedia Commons (access: 16-04-2024)

Images [Obrazy] Audio [Dźwięki] Films [Filmy] 3D Drawings [Rysunki] Office [Biuro] 93 322 863 3 366 554 297 778 9 569 2 616 031 5 180 190

In the first stage, we plan to test this model on the Polish market by preparing a series of online training courses for the Wikimedia community in order to provide practical tools and know-how on creating sound and audio illustrations. The trainings will be accompanied by the audio contest “Wiki loves audio” in order to receive as much as possible of the new content to be a part of the Polish Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons and create the new Wikimedia community of sound creators and organizing an international competition following the example of projects such as “Wiki loves monuments”. Finally the Polish model can be implemented within the whole Wikipedia community in the world by creating a series of trainings for local/state coordinators of such projects. Promotion of the model can be organized during the international meetings of Wikipedians, such as: Wikimania but also during the meetings in individual countries and online and in places where Wikipedians are active online (Village pump, Facebook groups, Discord). We are a group of experienced sound and content creators, journalists and writers specializing in reportages and documentaries with numerous awards and thousands of radio reports and publications, supported by the Polish Wikimedia community and the Wikimedia Poland Association (see the bios below).

Main WP project’s activities

The model assumes the organization of four project activities - "work packages", which will be implemented over 12 months in 2025. Project activities will be preceded by the development of project concept, creation of an application and a marketing strategy. Preparation of the project also includes discussing activities in the Polish Wikimedians community - during the meeting of Wikipedians in Opole (16-17/03/2024), online on the Wikimedia PL discussion site: https://pl.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wiki_lubi_audio, and also during Wikimania Conference in Katowice (7-10/08/2024: Hearing the Unheard: Bridging the Multimedia Gap with Audio on Wikipedia, https://wikimania.eventyay.com/2024/talk/ATBVSA/).

WP 1: Recording of video training on basic topics related to editing and placing audio data on Wikimedia Commons and working with sound 3 main training topics: 1/. Basics of audio editing, including recording equipment, use of metadata 2/. How to edit Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, how to annotate audio files to make them easily searchable - basics for new users, including how to integrate content with Wikidata 3/. Basics of copyright in Wikimedia Commons and Wikipedia, including licenses, copyright traps, etc. The videos will remain on Wikimedia Commons forever.

WP 2: Organization of a series of online training courses for authors/creators who want to create audio content and place it on Wikimedia Commons Goal: Teaching and providing tools for creating audio content to the Wikipedians/Wikimedians and potential Wikipedians. The training will be recorded and made available to a wide group of recipients in the community of Wikipedians/Wikimedians. Target group: Wikipedians/Wikimedians, local activists, oral history collectors, NGO activists.

1. training series: THE ART OF CONVERSATION (2 online meetings, 3 hours each, on 2 Saturdays in March)
   • How to talk to strangers?
   • How to check whether our interlocutor tells an interesting story?
   • How to invite a stranger to a recording or talk to him on the street? How to make people agree to be recorded?
   • How to prepare for an interview?
   • How to tame a hero with a microphone?
   • How to ask questions and in what order?
   • When to be silent?
   • How to deal with a difficult interlocutor: digressive, taciturn, or who speaks monotonously?
   • How to overcome stage fright in yourself and your interlocutor?
   • How to ask interesting questions so that the conversation is not boring and banal?
2. training series: CREATING SOUND ILLUSTRATIONS (2 online meetings, 3 hours each on 2nd Saturdays in June)
   • How to look for good places to record?
   • How to hold the equipment to avoid noise, wind and unnecessary knocks?
   • How to record sounds so that they are recognizable to listeners?
   • How to record the voices of people, animals, sound signals and singing in various acoustic spaces and using various equipment?
   • How to talk about places, events and people with sound?
   • How to modify a statement knowing that the recipient will not see us but only listen?
3. training series: RECORDING OF EVENTS (2 online meetings, 3 hours each, on 2 Saturdays in October)

How to make audio from political, social events and concerts? (elections, protests, demonstrations, concerts). If it is available on Wikimedia Commons, it will be available to everyone. Currently, such recordings are mainly in media such as radio and television and you have to pay for them.

1. • How to record in a crowd?
   • How to record in noisy places?
   • What should we record so that we know what event we are at? So that after many years it will be clear what we are listening to.
   • How can you tell yourself what you see and hear? The role of narrative.
   • A few simple ways to train your voice. How to make your voice sound good in recordings.

WP 3: Wiki loves audio - competition for the best audio in memory of Borys Kozielski Goal: Creating and sharing audio content for Wikimedia Commons, obtaining materials under an open license Announcement of a "Wiki loves audio" competition. In January 2025, we will begin preparations to announce a competition for the best audio under the slogan "Wiki loves audio". Regulations and description of the competition, competition logo/banner and promotional materials will be developed. The regulations will be consulted with a lawyer specializing in copyright. Since the idea maker of the project was Borysław Kozielski, a Wikimedian who passed away in 2023, the competition will be named in memory of him (see Bios). “Wiki loves audio” competition will be announced in February/March 2025 in 3 categories: Conversation/interview (conversation with an interesting person, e.g. with an notable person or on an article covering a notable topic, with reference to entries in Wikipedia). Sound illustration (various types of sounds, e.g. sounds of nature, instruments, sounds of the city/monuments, folk songs/folk music/folklore, folk tales, ethnic languages, etc.) Event (e.g. a sample of a concert, performance, conference, outdoor event, match, etc., which shows the atmosphere of the event). (sound files: max. 10 minutes) and in the bonus category: Wikipedia article illustration - a sound that best illustrates the Wikipedia article. Before the competition, we will ask the Wiki community which articles are worth illustrating with sound [additional points for combining and adding audio that integrate with Wikimedia and Wikidata]. Those interested will be able to ask questions online (email, village pump) about the competition throughout the duration of the competition. Target group: Wikipedians/Wikimedians, local activists/enthusiasts, oral history collectors, activists of NGOs, local museums and cultural centers Jury: Competition jury - 5 people: 1 person delegated from the project team + 4 external participants: journalists/NGOs + we allow audience voting. Prizes: main prizes (3 main prizes + 6 distinctions = 9 finalists): recording equipment (recorders or microphones) + vouchers for a bookstore/audio store + Wikimedia gadgets (t-shirts, pens, etc.).

WP 4: Organization and coordination of the project, implementation of the marketing strategy, international promotion of the project and the pilot model in cooperation with CEE HUB Goal: Implementation of the principles of the Wikipedia Movement Strategy. As part of testing the model on the Polish market, we plan to share experience and consult on the implementation of the project with partners from the Central and Eastern European region, represented within the Wikimedia CEE HUB - a network of Wikimedia communities and affiliates, which since 2011 have been organized in the Wikimedia CEE group (Central and Eastern Europe). The sound illustration model will be described based on the experience of the project in Poland, so that ultimately the model will be universal and can be used in the CEE region and then globally in the entire international Wiki community. The project's marketing strategy will include the following activities: Creation of databases to reach target groups and the media Wikipedians/Wikimedians podcasters local activists library and community center non-governmental organizations museums and cultural institutions students media Analyzing social media channels for each target group and selecting the best ways to reach them Writing information, posts, creation of reels, advertisements in social media Constant analysis of the effectiveness of activities carried out Cooperation with the media to promote the training and competition: selecting media (local and national portals, online and traditional media) preparing information and stories that will be interesting for the media sending promotional materials and phone contact to increase the chance of being featured in the media shooting reels and videos together with the media placing information in FB groups related to e.g. audio, media finding influencers and bloggers related to audio and journalism, establishing terms of cooperation Marketing and publicity of the project: the banner appears every time the user enters any Wikipedia entry. The banner contains information about our project Wiki likes audio. Rules for obtaining a banner: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/CentralNotice/Request promotion in social media (conducted by professionals), database of libraries, NGOs, cultural centers, press releases, audio notes Audio of the quarter media partner: local media and nationwide portals such as: onet.pl, Agora, Wirtualna Polska, Polskapresse Target groups Direct audience of the project:

1. Wikimedia community, Wiki content creators - Wikimedians and Wikipedians who will be interested in creating audio content and audio knowledge - developing an audio repository on Wikimedia Commons.
2. New content creators for Wikimedia Commons brought into the community - including: local activists, enthusiasts, representatives of non-governmental organizations, museums, cultural centers, etc., as well as high school students and students who will take part in training and competitions and will ultimately become part of the Wiki community.

Indirect beneficiaries who will benefit from sound knowledge:

1. Wikipedia and Wikimedia users – audiences who will benefit from the new audio content, including excluded minorities, e.g. visually impaired, seniors.

1. Podcast creators, radio reporters, media working in the production of broadcasts, reports, podcasts, etc.

1. Educational staff - teachers and lecturers who will be able to use audio content during lessons, lectures and workshops.

1. People and institutions dealing with education, interpretation and promotion of heritage, etc.

Contribution to the Movement Strategy: Our project fulfills all of the principles of the Wikipedia Movement Strategy, especially 4 of them in a direct form. We believe in the power of listening and learning as well as the importance of equity in sharing knowledge and stories. Collecting audio content for Wikipedia is also related to preservation of the intangible, oral heritage of local communities around the world and brings added value to the Wiki world.

1. People-Centeredness:

The project concentrates on the people and their stories using the audio as the best tool to collect narratives and sounds illustrating the Wikipedia entries and content. It also focuses on linking generations and documenting the oldest memories from the past of local communities. Also actively engages women in content creation.

1. Inclusivity & Participatory Decision Making:

Project is based on the need for diversity of perspectives and strengthens local communities by presenting the uniqueness of each story, place and the society. It also enables accessibility for different groups by involving different generations in the process, including senior citizens and also the excluded members of the society (such as visually impaired people) and - in this way - broadens the Wiki community.

1. Equity and empowerment

Project empowers local community leaders to become active actors of the Wikimedia Commons content. It creates a practical tool that may be used by all communities around the world, also in the regions with disadvantages, such as remote, rural areas. Everyone can create simple audio content using their smartphones that enables recording in good quality. Creating the audio content for Wiki world doesn’t require any special equipment. The process of collecting the audio is easy and equal for all creators and what is needed are the guidelines and practical knowledge sharing on how to edit Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons regarding audio and basics of sound editing.

1. Collaboration & Cooperation

Project creates a universal, innovative tool that may be easily applicable anywhere in the globe. It proposes the development of the model to share collective knowledge, stories, memories and oral heritage of the communities around the world. Through gaining new competences it brings contribution and involvement, at the same time expands the Wikipedia/Wikimedia community. Proposed timing

1. Preparation of the project and marketing strategy and discussion with the Wiki community and CEE HUB: March-July 2024, promotion of the project during Wikimania in Katowice in August.

1. Submitting the proposal to the Wikimedia Foundation: September 2024

1. Project implementation (pilot model tested on the Polish market and cooperation with CEE HUB): January/February 2025-December 2025.

1. Implementation of the PR marketing strategy - January-December 2025.

1. Continuation: multiplication of the model in other countries in the Wiki community - from 2025 with the participation of Polish experts.

Team of experts / bios

Borysław Kozielski - the idea maker of the project, who passed away in 2023 He was a podcaster, Wikipedian and president of the "Otworz się" Foundation (otworzsie.org.pl), an active member of the Wikimedia Polska Association. At Wikipedia, he dealt with audio content. He completed several projects, including: "Polish Christmas Carols", "Baczyński 2015", produces podcasts for Wikipedia "Lighthouses in Poland", "Warsaw Forests", "Wawel Royal Castle". From 2005, he created podcasts and helped others start this adventure by conducting training, workshops and webinars. He was the only podcaster in Poland to receive two European Podcast Awards: in 2010 in the non-profit category and in 2012 in the professional category. He also received the main prize "Kreatura 2021". He created the first online course on podcasting in Poland. His dream was to illustrate Wikipedia entries with sound. We dedicate the “Wiki likes audio” competition to Borys Kozielski.

Hanna Bogoryja-Zakrzewska

She worked for national radio in the Reportage and Documentary Studio. For over 30 years, she made over a thousand radio reports and wrote the book “It really happened. Reporter's Tales" (together with Katarzyna Błaszczyk) published by Znak in 2019. She won all important radio awards in Poland, her works represented Polish radio on the international arena. For her work, she received the Golden Microphone and two state awards: the Bronze Cross of Merit from the President of the Republic of Poland, and the medal "Meritorious for Polish Culture" from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. She was a member of the international Feature Group, which prepares the most important international conference for reporters, the International Feature Conference. She believes that a well-constructed story sinks into the heart and memory of the recipient. It can teach, convince, inspire. Now she helps others create such engaging stories and conversations (Reporter's and Podcaster’s Bag project: torbareportera.pl) . So that everyone who has something interesting to say can appear in the media.

Katarzyna Błaszczyk

She worked in the largest editorial office of radio reportage in Poland. For 15 years of work, she has made over 500 reports. She was a member of the committee organizing the International Feature Conference, the world's largest documentary and podcasting conference. She is the co-author (together with Hanna, as part of the TR project) of the unique reporter book “It Happened Really. Reporters' stories. She has won about 20 awards for radio reporting. Her productions have represented Polish Radio abroad. She believes in the power of stories. The story frees, heals, gives meaning. This applies equally to the narrator and the listener. She also supports others, teaching the difficult art of conversation and storytelling. So that everyone can tell their own story in an interesting way, or be a narrator of other people's stories. Co-author of the only textbook on the market "The Art of Conversation in a Podcast and More". She believes that podcasts are a great medium to support a brand.

Dominika Zaręba

Author of Poland’s first book dedicated to ecotourism (“Ekoturystyka”, PWN, 4th ed. 2020), member of the European and Global Ecotourism Network. Writer, freelance columnist & traveler, author of tour guides and books (over 30). Co-founder of the Bezdroża Publishing House. She laid the foundations for the greenways program in Central and Eastern Europe. She is active with many environmental NGOs in Poland and world-wide, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Partnership Fund (funduszpartnerstwa.pl) and the international expert of the Environmental Partnership Association which brings together 6 foundations from Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria (environmentalpartnership.org). She initiated dozens of community-based initiatives in Poland, Ukraine, Belarus and other countries, mostly projects related to natural and cultural heritage protection, storytelling, enhancing women and civil society development in rural and urban areas. She was a speaker at over 50 events and international conferences in Europe, the US, Africa and South-America (dominikazareba.academia.edu, atitlan.pl). She coordinated the creation and writing of the “Wiki loves audio” project.

Marek Mazurkiewicz

Wikimedian since 2006. Involved in the Wikipedia community and sister projects, a big fan of Wikidata, Wikinews administrator. Together with Borys Kozielski, he created “Nowiny Wikiradia” - a podcast about what's on Wikimedia. Participant in breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest edition. Użytkownik:Marek_Mazurkiewicz

Anna Karpińska

An activist fighting food waste, a member of Foodsharing Warsaw since 2018. In 2020, she fell in love both with Wikipedia and Marek Mazurkiewicz. Together with Marek, she engages in volunteering for Wikimedia. Participant and winner of prizes in Wikipedia competitions (WikiWalentynki, Unknown Women of Wikipedia - polish version of Women in red competition). Participant in breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest edition. Użytkownik:AnnaPruszkowianka

On behalf of the Wikimedia Poland Association: Grzegorz Kopaczewski Operations Director of Wikimedia Polska

Metrics

The data is estimated for 1st pilot year of Wiki Loves Audio edition in Poland. The project can be repeated each year (specially the contest) and can be scaling worldwide. The data is estimated while taking into account the applicants' previous experience (both from Wiki events and competitions and from experience in organizing audio training and activities outside the Wiki environment). Projects organized by Wikimedia Poland aimed at the general public have a 1-2% retention rate. We intend to reach out with the project right away to communities interested in audio and knowledge sharing, so we estimate that our retention will be a bit higher.

1. Number of participants we are expecting during the project: 100 (online and live meetings, workshops)
2. Number of all editors involved in activities funded by the grant: 60
3. Number of new editors: 25
4. Number of Retained editors: 8
5. International promotion target: 500 Wikimedians (e.g. Diff readers) + directly 20-30 participants of the CEE meeting 2025, 20 participants of the Learning Clinics online

Budget

The budget of the project is: 179 770 PLN

Link to the budget.