The Dero project: make sure all the partners are committed and content

As part of the next series of posts for this blog, I’ll be asking some questions of the experts behind the Digital R&D Fund to see how their answers compare and what other, perhaps smaller arts organisations can learn from…

Previously we heard from Jo Johnson, digital marketing manager at the London Symphony Orchestra – next up is Claire Harvey, one of the digital bods behind the Dero project at Sage Gateshead.

Question 1: What do you think the key to success has been with this particular project?

Claire says that for a project like Dero, where so many different partners and organisations are involved, success rests on commitment and a willingness to take the plunge!

“The Dero project has been a very happy and successful project because all of the partners were committed to working together to making it happen.  One of the key risks to this project was the number of partners. We are 11: 3 orchestras, 4 mixed arts venues, 2 tech partners and 2 research partners spread from Berwick upon Tweed, through Northumberland, Yorkshire, Manchester to Cambridge and London. We also had 3 media partners including the Guardian Online, Medici and BBC Classical Music Magazine. We set up a virtual project office immediately and ran the project through fortnightly calls which were well attended. The project was very process driven, and that created a structure for the myriad of issues to be sorted and agreed.

“We were helped by 2 key factors: All the partners were incredibly generous with their time, their expertise, their willingness to take the plunge, and their optimism. And secondly, we were developing a new product out of new processes, but using existing technologies which reduced the risk to manageable proportions.”

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