Community #3: press & documentation

Goal: plan documentation and press activities.

These resources outline a lightweight approach to press outreach and photo/video documentation for events produced by small or unresourced teams.

We don’t prioritize media any more than any other event participant. But grantors often see press mentions as a sign of legitimacy. So we’ve learned pieces of it to better understand artistic systems of value.

But documentation usually matters for artists and communities. Artists rely on photos and videos for portfolios, grants, and future opportunities. Communities rely on documentation to remember what happened and why it mattered.

Press plan

Many grassroots teams don’t have the staff to manage press outreach, real-time press requests, on-site interviews, or last-minute coverage changes. A press plan can prioritize just a few aligned outlets and clear purposes over trying to reach everyone. For example:

• Write one strong blurb and reuse it

• Try creating a 1 page press release. Even if you don't use it at first, it's a good exercise in stepping out of your shoes.

• Send to a small list of relevant outlets.

• If press attends, have a point person, pre-identified spokespersons, and shared documentation guidelines.

• Set clear boundaries around availability and access

Documentation Strategy

To document, focus first on capturing art and the overall context of the site and audience. Assign clear roles, like a photographer for still images, a videographer for motion and sound, and a documentation lead to coordinate coverage, check consent boundaries, and manage files. Use a simple shot list to guide what must be captured, label and back up files consistently, and share them promptly with artists and collaborators.

• Decide what to capture: Artists and their work, context shots, and key moments like performances, talks, interactions.

• Assign roles based on who can support: photographer, videographer, documentation Lead: coordinates coverage, collects and backs up files.

• Create a shot list: important compositions or moments.

• Establish systems

  • File naming: event_artist_date or similar.

  • Backups: store files on-site if possible; one secure location afterward.

  • Sharing: plan how files go to artists, collaborators, and leads.

• Clarify boundaries

  • Identify people, moments or areas that cannot be documented.

  • Be especially careful with children, sensitive interactions, or private spaces.