CultureBase Maintenance is aimed in particular at participants in the network who, through their financial participation, ensure the smooth running and thus the prerequisite for the expansion as well as the further development of the content of CultureBase. Unlike First Level Support, this contract does not refer to a specific website, but to the CultureBase network infrastructure in which the respective institution or partner is embedded.

FAQs

• For what reason should you suddenly pay money.
  

  Running, maintaining and developing the CultureBase infrastructure costs money. Together with a smaller group of representatives of the stage networks, Kulturserver has therefore been discussing for about five years how to jointly maintain what has been created and increase its efficiency. This includes, for example, care and maintenance work to ensure the ongoing operation of the technological infrastructure. However, no solidarity-based financing model has yet been created. Therefore, the discussion was taken to a broad level. Now it has finally been possible to develop a viable proposal.

• What is CultureBase-Maintenance (CB-M)?
  

  CultureBase-Maintenance is a care, maintenance and upkeep contribution for institutions in the Culture Server Network that takes into account their different capabilities. This is not a budget for the construction and maintenance of homepages and project pages, but for the servers, the administrator, the project support, the developer or the helpdesk for the network. Costs that make long-term and efficient cooperation in the network possible in the first place. Since these things are used by many highly diverse network members, CB-M follows a cooperative approach in terms of thinking.

• Who does CultureBase-Maintenance concern?
  

  CB-M is aimed at all institutions in the Culture Server Network that have a budget that can be planned. Small, financially weak institutions and cultural workers are primarily not meant by this, but are of course not excluded from participation.

• What is the Kulturserver network?
  

  Hundreds of cultural institutions, including many large and small theatres, film associations and museums, as well as thousands of freelance cultural workers use the services of Kulturserver. They all enter event data, schedules, information on institutions, artist biographies or media into the common CultureBase data pool and use it for their own websites and portals. In the background, Kulturserver takes care of the further dissemination of this data by media partners.  
  o Kulturserver makes transparent where culture takes place.
  o Kulturserver encourages the presentation of culture to a wider audience. o Kulturserver gives users sovereignty over their data.

• Does CultureBase-Maintenance only concern institutions?
  

  Individual cultural practitioners or small institutions and sponsors are still the focus of Kulturserver's funding, because it is precisely these that need the most support. This is the statutory purpose of the kulturserver.de gGmbH foundation and the wish of funding bodies and the network. Therefore, CB-M primarily addresses larger and correspondingly more efficient institutions and multipliers with a plannable budget.

• Can't cultural practitioners also support the network financially?
  

  Individual cultural practitioners already support the network in the form of funding partnerships, which are in principle also open to institutions. Kulturserver will continue to solicit support here as well. The CB-M format was developed especially for institutions that, due to their structure, cannot enter into a funding partnership because they receive funding themselves.

• Why has no money been asked for basic funding so far?
  

  We have been addressing the concern about funding the grassroots structure for several years. It is obvious to everyone that the existing budget is not sufficient to keep up with the growing demands on the internet. So far, these causal basic costs of the network have been borne by changing grants and the support that Kulturserver has brought in. This is because, according to the statutes, all surpluses of the non-profit GmbH flow back into the project. Until now, there has been no viable approach to a new common path. This has now been initiated.

• How many network participants need to participate?.
  

  The new era has already begun. Through close contacts with politicians, public funding has now been made possible for the autumn, which will allow us to renew the outdated technological basis and consolidate the project. However, the imperative requirement of all those involved in this new beginning is to create a sound supporting structure for the future as well. . In the calculation, a kind of minimum approach was initially chosen, which should allow for a secure future operation and continuous further growth. With around 100 participants and an average monthly contribution of 30-40 euros, we believe that this goal has already been achieved in the first step. Further development measures can be jointly agreed with additional participants.

• How is the scale or the amount to be paid arrived at?
  

  For the assessment of contributions, the expenses in the network for care, maintenance and repair measures were determined. With 30-50% of the current potential partners, the model was calculated. The calculated proposals were discussed with a number of network participants, who, however, argued for an upward correction of the figures presented in order to create a really solid basis. . Kulturserver can look forward to various scenarios depending on how the coming months unfold. First of all, the aim is to win the majority of partners in the stage sector for the idea or to find the first 100 participants there. The fact that the first 50 partners have already been won gives us reason for optimism and confirms the approach.

• What happens with the money for CB-M?
  

  To this end, CB-M states: .
  o Provision of the technological infrastructure (hardware)
  o Installation and operation of all software areas that form the basis of the system (databases, script languages, operating systems) including updates
  o Provision of the CultureBase databases and the basic editorial systems
  o Installation and operation of additional control and analysis tools in connection with notification systems
  o Testing and checking data integrity
  o Installation and operation of appropriate security and backup structures o Hosting and traffic costs for the storage and distribution of the data
  o Regular security updates of operating system components
  o Checking and maintenance of essential equipment functions and wear parts o Replacement of defective or no longer fully functional wear parts
  o Establishment or expansion of systems that enable real-time control of system status. In summary, therefore, it can be said that all work must be covered that arises beyond all individual home and project website costs and that makes long-term and efficient cooperation in the network possible in the first place.

• What do you get out of participation?.
  

  The unique joint project not only remains intact, but finally receives its full radiance. Through regular, thoroughly financed care, maintenance and upkeep measures, the overall structure of the CultureBase remains stable, efficient and comfortable. The idea of offering culture and event information via a common distribution system on the net can continue to be realised.

• Who guarantees that everything will be more stable?
  

  The plan is for Kulturserver to report semi-annually on the status of the network and make proposals for the use of funds. The network partners now have more of a say in the decision-making process. This is part of the new strategy, which has its starting point in the Düsseldorf Declaration

• Who controls this?
  

  The inner circle initially consists of partners who had agreed to take responsibility at the meeting on the Düsseldorf Declaration at the beginning of May 2013. As the participants in CB-M grow, Kulturserver will accompany the further development of a kind of steering group. Our aim is to offer maximum transparency about the project status and options for the use of funds / further development with as little additional effort as possible for the participants. Certainly also an area of responsibility that will only become possible to this extent with the help of CB-M!

• Is there no innovation with the income?
  

  The first priority is to consolidate the basic technical as well as organisational structure through public funding. These results must then be taken up and continued seamlessly with the help of CB-M's contributions. If we can jointly win over further participants, further developments and innovations are quickly conceivable. . In our conservative planning, however, we deliberately put these aspects on the back burner for the time being. In any case, we offer to develop such decisions together, because we too would like to have tools for further work, such as a more comprehensive administration of image rights, a new user interface for cb-stage or even more efficient import modules.

• What if I don't want to pay the money.
  

  Kulturserver will work to ensure that it continues to be possible for every cultural institution and cultural worker to publicise the HOW-WHERE-WHEN of art and culture through the CultureBase. That is our task and this is stated in the statutes of the non-profit limited company. At the same time, however, we will not tire of campaigning for each partner to make an appropriate contribution to the costs of the project. Ultimately, through attractive further development and access to the professional solutions within the multitude of functions of CultureBase, we will inspire everyone to the point where they are willing to pay an appropriate share of the costs of this project. In addition, we see ourselves strengthened to continue to talk to the politically responsible people about further support.

• What if I can't pay the money?
  

  We would like other solutions to be worked out beyond the three contribution levels, depending on the specific situation of a partner. No one should be denied participation due to inability to pay. Part of the task is to be able to offer new solutions again and again.

• Why don't funding agencies take over the provision of infrastructure?
  

  They already do. The support of politicians and the willingness of the first participants in CB-M to accompany the further course of the project and to support it with contributions created a new energy. This was a powerful argument for the public sector to agree to co-finance the project. The aim is to use these funds to renew the technological and organisational structure. The important gain is not only more stability, but also much lower running costs. The more and the faster legacy systems of CultureBase technology can be overhauled, the better the network structure can develop positively. The more co-funding for the maintenance of the basic structure can be demonstrated from within the network, the sooner there is a realistic possibility of requesting further new support.

• What if only a part participates?
  

  Even though we have set ourselves the goal of mobilising all forces and reaching out to all partners, the concept is to pursue this new beginning with a small, medium or large group.

• By when do we have to decide on CultureBase-Maintenance?
  

  The reorientation of the network has already begun. There are already a number of institutions that are helping to sustain CultureBase in the form of CB-M. Every day counts to stabilise the base and end the old arduous state. One thing is certain: it is no longer sustainable for anyone involved. And that is as of now.

• What is the timetable for renewal?
  

  We have received news that our funding application for the modernisation of the server infrastructure is in the process of being returned. Planning to implement the work has begun. In the 4th quarter of 2013 and 1st quarter of 2014 the implementations will take place. Depending on the speed, the contribution levels and the action plans of the steering group, the processes will be defined. What is clear is that at the beginning of the chain of measures, one has to "invest" first and the improvements will come gradually.

• Since when does CultureBase-Maintenance exist?
  

  New network participants or those who are expanding their cooperation with CultureBase have been hearing about the ideas for this basic funding of the system through CB-M since winter 2012/2013. Since May 2013, the existing large networks have also been contacted.

• How long was everything prepared?
  

  Since the introduction of the funding partnerships four years ago, it was clear that a form of participation in the network also had to be developed for funded institutions. Various talks and possibilities were discussed. The breakthrough with CB-M and the activist group towards the Düsseldorf Declaration has evolved over the last year and a half.

• Who set all this?
  

  CB-M was developed by supporters and long-time participants of the network. Kulturserver would like to take this opportunity to thank all partners for their commitment and encouragement that it is worthwhile to develop CultureBase together. Without these people it would not have been possible for us to continue and develop all this for so long!