What is Open Plaques?

Open Plaques is an open source digital service which connects online and offline by documenting, cataloguing and promoting commemorative plaques (often blue and round) installed on buildings and other public landmarks in the UK and beyond.

The project aims to bring the people-powered history the plaques encapsulate to life - and to a larger audience - by making its website and database the definitive and most comprehensive resource about these historical markers. In turn, the data and resources produced by the project aim for wide distribution and re-use, and are available for free to all under a Public Domain declaration. More info.

Aims of the event

Our first Open Day event is geared to improving and developing the website. Activity on the day will be focused on making www.openplaques.org better enabled to take contributions from and be used by the public and organisations who want to contribute plaque data and biographical content, and in turn to to make it easier for others to use that data for their own websites, mobile applications and other services.

Join us to help take Open Plaques forward!

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EVENT TIMINGS & PROGRAMME:

** NB! ** Please check the TFL website in advance to see what tube / rail lines are closed this weekend so you can make alternative travel arrangements if required.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/livetravelnews/realtime/tube/default.html

The plans for the day are still evolving (and we welcome your suggestions) but the broad outline is as follows:

09:00 - Registration and tea / coffee

09:45 - Introduction

Presentations reviewing the project and where we are so far, related projects, and Q&A discussion.

09:50 – 10:05 – Frankie Roberto, ‘The Story So Far’
10:05 – 10:20 – Ian Ozsvald, ‘The OCR Challenge’
10:20 – 10:35 – Richard Vahrman, ‘Games based on Open Plaques data’
10:35 – 10:50 – Emily Toop, ‘Open Plaques the iPhone app’

10:50 - Short break

11:05 - Break into working groups

Group A: Information Architecture / User Interface

Group B: Design

Group C: Content

Group D: Development

[Please note: Space will be limited to 35 places, and we have 2 rooms, so we require estimates on the size of each group so we can scope venue / space requirements. While there may be some flexibility on the day, please indicate which group you would like to join now when registering using the relevant letter A, B, C or D]

13:00 - 14:00 Lunch

Please state dietary requirements when registering. We can cater for: standard or vegetarian

14:00 - 17:00 - Groups A, B, C & D resume (10 minute break at 15.30)

17:00 - 17:45 - Presentations and closing discussion.

17:45 - 18.15 - Thanks and closing remarks

18:15 - 20:00 - Social

Join us for a drink at The Fellow, 24 York Way, London, N1 9AA.

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Event Support:

This event has been made possible with the kind support of the RSA, under their new Catalyst Fund scheme, and is being held in partnership with the Centre for Creative Collaboration (C4CC). More info.

Twitter & event hashtag:

If you use Twitter, you can follow us on @openplaques and post updates related to the event using the hashtag  #openplaques

Keep in touch!

You can also get updates and make suggestions on the Open Plaques Blog or contact us directly by email on feedback (AT) openplaques (DOT) org . More info here.