Cultural Communication and Information

Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

Credits: 3

Code: 10663

Course: 1

Term: Second term

Type: OB

Module:

Matter:

Main language of instruction: Spanish

Other languages of instruction: Catalan

Teaching staff

Head instructor:
Dra. VILLANUEVA BENITO, Isabel - ivillanueva@uic.es

Introduction

Implementing the correct communication strategy is crucial for the success of a cultural project. A communication campaign ensures visibility, as well as the understanding and engagement of the audience. Since the implementation of the Internet, communication tools are evolving in an exponential way, significantly changing the format, speed and relationship between the institution or the creator and the audience. At the same time, print formats and more traditional ways of interacting with the audience are still effective in communication campaigns.

Identifying which are the most suitable among the overwhelming number of communication tools is one of the challenges of this course, which combines practical training with a series of talks given by an outstanding expert in the fields of art and photography, the lecturer will discuss his experience in communication campaigns and exchange ideas with the alumni.

FACULTY

MAIN LECTURER

Inés Martínez Ribas (Barcelona 1968). Communication consultant. Journalist and Sociologist. Master’s in Journalism (1996, El País-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid). One-year course in Research Techniques (1996, University of East London). Bachelor of Political Science & Sociology (1996, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona). Bachelor of Information & Media Studies (1995, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona). She has worked for the Spanish newspapers El País, La Vanguardia, and El Periódico de Catalunya; Head of Cultural Press at ”la Caixa” Foundation (2001-2008); Head of Press and Public Relations at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona, MACBA (2008-2012). Author of the novel Caribdis. En mar de nadie (Distrito 93, 2020). More information: www.inesmartinezribas.com

GUEST LECTURERS

Alphabetical order.

Montse Blanco. Director of Marketing at ”la Caixa” Banking Foundation.
Manolo Laguillo. Spanish artist. University Professor 1996-2024. Main exhibitions: Museum of Contemporary Art, MACBA (Barcelona); Patio Herreriano (Valladolid), Museo Universidad de Navarra, MUM (Pamplona), Museo ICO (Madrid).
Xavi Menós. Expert in social media and digital content, photography, and video. MA in Media Studies at The New School (New York).

Pre-course requirements

Same as for the Master's.

Objectives

To understand and have a good command of the essential communication tools in cultural activities.
To be able to design and organise a communication strategy for a cultural project.
To develop a critical approach to social media and digital communication.
To examine and identify specific communication strategies for each of the cultural sectors (Design, Heritage, Debates and Publishing).

Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme

Basic competencies
Knowing how to communicate their conclusions and the knowledge and ultimate reasons that support them to specialized and non-specialized audiences in a clear and unambiguous way.

General competencies
Lead, coordinate and work interdisciplinary teams.
Ability to communicate, share and mediate in relation to different agents who participate in a project, program or cultural service.

Transversal competencies
Design, direct, produce and evaluate projects, programs, strategies, policies or cultural activities where various professional profiles, actors and institutions are involved.

Specific competencies

Understand and know cultural communication in all its areas.
Learn the basics, methodology and application of communication techniques in different cultural sectors.
Establish and maintain a smooth and effective communication relation with the media through the development of dossiers and press releases and organizing press conferences. Recognizing which are the essential and most performative communication tools.
Being able to design and organize a basic communication strategy for a cultural project.
Developing a critical approach and a practical knowledge of social media and digital communication in culture

CB9 - Students should be able to communicate their conclusions and the knowledge and arguments supporting these conclusions to specialised and non-specialised audiences in a clear and unambiguous manner.
CE7 - To analyse, apply and assess marketing strategies in different cultural sectors, institutions and projects and develop a basic communication strategy for a cultural institution or project.
CG2 - To lead, coordinate and form part of interdisciplinary work teams.
CG4 - To know how to communicate, encourage and mediate between the various agents involved in a cultural project, programme or service.
CT1 - To design, direct, produce and assess cultural projects, programmes, strategies, policies or actions that involve a number of different numerous professional profiles, agents and institutions.

Learning outcomes of the subject

The students knows:

It communicates its conclusions and the ultimate knowledge and reasons that support them to specialized and non-specialized audiences in a clear and unambiguous way.
He leads, coordinates and is part of interdisciplinary work teams.
It communicates, stimulates and mediates between the different agents involved in a cultural project, program or service.
Designs, directs, produces and evaluates projects, programs, strategies, policies or cultural actions in which varied profiles of professionals, agents and institutions are involved
Analyzes, applies and evaluates marketing strategies in different sectors, institutions and cultural projects and organizes a basic communication strategy for a cultural institution or project.

Syllabus

PART I. INTRODUCTION

Two sessions. The Methodology of the Course: Program, methodology, bibliography, guest lecturers and evaluation. Communication tools: The different Departments of Cultural Communication & Information according to the personality of each institution. Communication versus Information.

PART II. VISUAL AND WRITTEN CULTURE

Three Sessions. Which kind of language and images can we use? Objective or subjective? Visual or textual? How can we compose a text and an image? Does visual Illiteracy exist? The audience… matters? When is it appropriate to use print formats or online formats? The importance of images: photographs, audiovisuals. Books, flyers, invitations, projections, wall texts.

PART III. PRESS DEPARTMENTS

Seven Sessions. How to build news. Relation with the Medias. Press Kits and Press Releases. Press Announcements. Press Conferences. Exclusives. Communication Crisis. Success and failure cases. Press Clipping. The importance of language and translations. Public Relations. Openings. The medium is the message. The emergence of social media networks and peer to peer communication. Organizing and broadcasting conferences and debates. Fostering critical thinking today. The importance of content.

PART IV. COMMUNICATION PLANS

Six Sessions. How to develop a strong and compelling strategic communication plan.

Session	Day	Month	Time	Lecturer	Hours
PART I				INTRODUCTION
Session 1	Tuesday	7 January	6:30	Inés Martínez Ribas	2
Session 2	Thursday	9 January	6:30	Inés Martínez Ribas	2
PART II				VISUAL AND WRITTEN CULTURE
Session 3	Tuesday	14 January	6:30	Inés Martínez Ribas	2
Session 4	Thursday	16 January	6:30	Manolo Laguillo – Artist (session 1)	2
Session 5	Tuesday	21 January	6:30	Inés Martínez Ribas *Flyer (1 hour class time to work on the exercise, 7:30-8:25 pm)	2
PART III				PRESS DEPARTMENTS
Session 6	Thursday	23 January	6:30	Inés Martínez Ribas	2
Session 7	Tuesday	28 January	6:30	Xavi Menós	2
Session 8	Thursday	30 January	6:30	Inés Martínez Ribas	2
Session 9	Tuesday	4 February	6:30	Inés Martínez Ribas **Press Release (1 hour class time to work on the exercise, 7:30-8:25 pm)	2
Session 10	Thursday	6 February	6:30	Inés Martínez Ribas	2
Session 11	Tuesday	11 February	6:30	Manolo Laguillo – Artist (session 2)	2
Session 12	Thursday	13 February	6:30	Inés Martínez Ribas ***Press Conference attendance in class + 1 hour class to work on the exercise.	2
PART IV				COMMUNICATION PLANS
Session 13	Tuesday	18 February	6:30	Inés Martínez Ribas	2
Session 14	Thursday	20 February	6:30	Inés Martínez Ribas	2
Session 15	Tuesday	25 February	6:30	Montse Blanco – Marketing Director	2
Session 16	Thursday	27 February	6:30	Inés Martínez Ribas	2
Session 17	Tuesday	4 March	6:30	Inés Martínez Ribas	2
Exam (+ Session 18)	Tuesday	18 March	4:30 - 8:30	Oral Presentations by groups - Communication Plan	4

Teaching and learning activities

In person

Evaluation systems and criteria

In person

EVALUATION SYSTEM

Class attendance and participation. 34% of the final grade.
Class individual short exercises. 33%. Three exercises: (i) Flyer, (ii) Press Release and (iii) Press Conference. Students will have one hour of class to complete each short exercise (more explanations in page 4 of this document).
Exam-Group Oral Presentation-Communication Plan-By Group. 33%.

SUBMISSION DATES

Students will have one hour of class to complete each short exercise.

*Flyer. Completion of the exercise in class: 1 hour (21 January, 7:30 to 8:25 pm). Submission: 27 January before 2 pm by email (imartinezr@uic.es). Subject: the old chimneys of Barcelona (industrial cultural heritage).

**Press Release. Completion of the exercise in class: 1 hour (4 February, 7:30 to 8:25 pm). Submission: 10 February before 2 pm by email (imartinezr@uic.es). Subject: the old chimneys of Barcelona (industrial cultural heritage).

***Press Conference. Press Conference attendance in class + 1 hour class time to work on the exercise (13 February, 6:30 to 8:25 pm). Submission: 21 February before 2 pm by email (imartinezr@uic.es). The subject will be the same for all students.

EXCERCISES

1. Design a flyer + distribution strategy

Completion of the exercise in class: 1 hour (21 January, 7:30 to 8:25 pm). Submission: 27 January before 2 pm by email (imartinezr@uic.es). Subject: the old chimneys of Barcelona (industrial cultural heritage).

Individual exercise. Subject: a specific cultural activity (e.g., launch, activity, event, new season, pilot plan…) taking place in one or more old chimneys of Barcelona. Definition of a flyer: a small handbill advertising an event or product. Explain shortly the distribution strategy: Social Media? Tourism offices? Digital or paper? Issues? Print or Online format or both. Try to be creative.

2. Write a Press Release

Completion of the exercise in class: 1 hour (4 February, 7:30 to 8:25 pm). Submission: 10 February before 2 pm by email (imartinezr@uic.es). Subject: the old chimneys of Barcelona (industrial cultural heritage).

Individual exercise. Subject: the same as in the first exercise (flyer). Keep it under 500-700 words. Choose the proper format (font, size, logos…). Important elements: headline, date, city, state, location, press contact, additional press images… Hierarchize the information. Include useful quotes. Add other details in descending order of importance. Find the angle of your institution. Do not forget facts and data. Remember the 5 W: Who is the story about? What is happening? Where is it going on? When will it occur? Why is it important? Try to be original.

3. Press Conference

Press Conference attendance in class + 1 hour class time to work on the exercise (13 February, 6:30 to 8:25 pm). Submission: 21 February before 2 pm by email (imartinezr@uic.es). The subject will be the same for all students.

Individual exercise. You will have to attend a press conference in class. Analyze and explain in 600 words maximum the press conference strategy. The opportunity of the press conference, the angle of the institution, the facilities in the press room, the speeches, the reactions of the journalists, the impact in the medias the next hours and days, the information and material of the press kit, the press clipping and if the results were as expected.

Bibliography and resources

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND RESOURCES.

AZOULAY, Ariella (2012) Civil Imagination. A Political Ontology of Photography. Translated from Hebrew by Louise Bethlehem. London / New York: Verso.
BARTHES, Roland (1957) Mythologies. Paris: Editions du Seuil.
COLEMAN, Kevin + JAMES, Daniel, edit. (2021) Capitalism and the Camera. Essays on Photography and Extraction. London / New York: Verso. Especially the text by Christopher Stolarski Marketing the Socialist Experiment: Soviet Photo-Reportage between the World Wars.
EAGLETON, Terry (2000) The idea of Culture. London: Blackwell Manifestos.
JENKINS, Henry + FORD, Sam + GREEN, Joshua (2013) Spreadable Media: Creating value and Meaning in a Networked Culture. New York: New York University Press.
SENNET, Richard (2005) The Culture of the New Capitalism. New Heaven: Yale University Press.
WILLIAMS, Raymond (1976) Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society. London: Fontana.

Teaching and learning material

Material

Print version