The document summarizes research findings from a case study of creativity and art engagement on Twitch.tv. Key findings include that engagement provides emotional impacts and opportunities for identity development and community. However, building an audience presents challenges around time, technology requirements, and criticism. Implications suggest opportunities for creative organizations to leverage these online spaces to better understand audiences and support equitable participation. New questions are raised around pathways for involvement in online communities and modeling future educational platforms.

1. Creativity & Art Engagement on Twitch.tv
Research Findings, Implications & Next Questions
following my Fall 2015 Case Study

2. NEA Findings
Recent
studies
from
the
Na2onal
Endowment
for
the
Arts
(NEA):
Only
33.4
%
of
adults
surveyed
a4ended
at
least
one
core
art
event
in
2011/2012
• Decline
from
39.4%
a
decade
earlier

3. Background

4. Background

5. Research Question
What
are
the
affordances
&
limita2ons
of
engaging
with
art
on
Twitch.tv?

6. Research Design
Conducted
alongside
two
other
descrip2ve
case
studies
• K-­‐12
Public
School
• Spiritual
Community
Center
My
role
as
a
par2cipant
researcher:
• Observa2ons
• Google
Forms
Survey
• Semi-­‐formal
Interviews

7. Findings & Themes
Types
of
Crea2ve
Engagement
• What,
why,
and
how
people
create
Emo2onal
Impacts
of
Engagement
Iden2ty
Development
Community
Aspects
Professional
&
Economic
Opportunity

8. How are people engaged?
Of
survey
respondents
said
they
had
created
a
meme,
gif
or
imgur.
41%

9. Tools & Practices
Interview
Par2cipants
men2oned
using
Adobe
Photoshop
when
discussing
their
creaBve
acBviBes
on
Twitch.
8/10
Wide
Variety
of
Mediums
Observed
Graphic
Design/Digital
Art
was
most
common

10. Emotional Impacts of Engagement

12. Why do people create?
Of
survey
respondents
said
when
they
create
something
they
make
it
for
themselves.
78%

13. Digital Identity
Interview
Par2cipants
said
they
use
the
same
username
across
mulBple
online
plaForms.
8/10
5/10
Interview
Par2cipants
said
their
username
was
either
derived
from
their
real
name
or
it
had
personal
meaning
for
them.

14. Importance of Community
• Importance
of
Community

15. Importance of Community
• Importance
of
Community

17. Affordances
• Highly
social
online
environment
with
a
huge
user
base
• Supports
personal
&
community
iden2ty
development
• Twitch’s
organiza2onal
support
of
crea2ve
community
• Poten2al
for
Learning

18. Limitations
Building
&
Growing
a
Channel
• Growing
your
“brand”
• Pressure
to
have
good
content
• Tech
requirements
• Time
Trolls
&
Cri2cism

19. Back to the NEA
“Childhood
experience
in
the
arts
is
significantly
associated
with
educaBonal
level
obtained
in
adulthood.
Over
70%
of
college
graduates
said
they
visited
an
art
museum
or
gallery
as
a
child,
compared
with
42%
of
adults
who
have
only
a
high
school
diploma.”

20. Implications for Practice
Within
the
context
of
the
gaming
industry:
• Projected
to
grow
30%
by
2019
in
US
alone
• Opportunity
to
develop
an
understanding
of
games
and
gamers
influence
on
youth
across
mul2ple
plagorms
• Crea2ng
spaces
that
promote
crea2ve
ac2vi2es
for
future
game
industry
professionals

21. Implications for Practice
Crea2ve
Organiza2ons:
• Opportunity
for
a
pulse
on
community
• Mee2ng
demands
of
upcoming
market
• New
media
format:
Live
stream
is
the
new
TV
• Poten2al
for
leveraging
resources
to
par2cipate
in
and
support
these
environments

22. New Questions
Study
of
pathways/trajectories
of
becoming
involved
with
social,
online
communi2es
like
Twitch:
• Exploring
rela2onships
between
crea2ve
prac2ces
&
use
of
new
tools/movement
to
new
online
spaces
• Development
of
a
set
of
user
profiles
to
begin
to
understand
types
of
content
producers
&
consumers

23. How
can
crea2ve
organiza2ons:
• Create
and
encourage
plagorms
that
are
safe
spaces
for
people
to
crea2vely
grow
• Be
brokers
of
equitable
par2cipa2on
&
make
an
impact
on
agency
for
youth
• Natural
connec2on
to
interest
driven
learning
trends
Equitable Participation

24. Educational Platforms
What
is
the
poten2al
for
modeling
future
educa2onal
plagorms?
• Crea2ve
educa2on
for
students
with
less
access
to
resources
• On-­‐demand,
social
learning
space
• Promotes
student
agency
and
rewards
par2cipa2on

25. User Experience
From
a
UX
perspec2ve:
• Designing
for
the
user
• Developing
a
beker
understanding
of
the
needs
of
the
community
through
an
ethnographic
approach
• Con2nue
embedded
observa2ons
of
new
media
plagorms