User-Centric Services Repository

OCULTO.TV – local culture streaming platform - Murcia

City / Region

Murcia (Spain)

In a nutshell

OCULTO.TV is an audiovisual streaming platform launched by Murcia city hall, exhibiting original productions online. It's cultural thematic channels, e.g. “Medieval Murcia”, “Murcian Gastronomy”, IBAFF Film Festival, etc., offer local culture especially in times of physical restrictions and limitations. 

The objective of the platform is to give visibility to local artists and creatives, and simultaneously bring culture to all homes. Murcia has hence become the first Spanish city to have a tool that allows direct access to cultural content that cannot be found on other commercial platforms. Additionally, there will be content that will be available for a specific timespan (a year, a few days or even a few hours), as well as live broadcasts and streamed content. 

OCULTO.TV seeks to be a benchmark in three areas: for the public, as all cultural content will be accessible and will be organised thematically, with remote access from anywhere in the world with internet access; for the cultural sector, as it will be the place to shine a light on hidden or underrepresented talent; and to share and divulge Murcia’s cultural identity, as the platform will promote the creation of new content related to our culture, our history, festivals and traditions, municipal projects, current affairs, etc.

As part of the urban agenda for the European Union 2030 Partnership on Culture and Cultural Heritage, specifically action 2 “street invasion, atomisation and cultural reactivation”, one of the thematic channels is “Cultural Reactives” dedicated to promoting and disseminating all cultural projects commissioned through a municipal procurement process (call), where a technical team studies proposed projects.

Launched on 18 February 2021, the platform has 508 registered users (registration is optional), and to date (March 2022) has received 80,194 visits from 67 counties, totalling over 500.000 views of the 750 elements available.

What makes the service user-centric?
The streaming platform provides local artists and creators a unique opportunity to display their work, as well as it provides citizens with an alternative to global mass-consumption entertainment, as it focusses on the local identity, local projects and local artists, being a pillar for local culture consumption especially in times of reduced mobility and limitations (COVID-19).
This online initiative is in accordance with the following Tallinn Principles
3.1 Digital Interaction: To have the option to digitally interact with their administrations, which the platform gives both to users seen as culture consumers (bulk) as well as the content creators (artists).
3.2 & 3.7 Accessible, non-discriminatory, easy and intuitive, assistance available, city logo clearly visible at the bottom of the page, as are the disclaimer, legal and privacy details as well as secure http webpage.
3.3 Reduction of administrative burden doesn’t apply, also, creating a personal profile is optional.
3.4 & 3.6 Platform fully online, also for the content creators to exhibit their productions, they supply them though digital means.
3.5 & 3.8 Citizen feedback was used in the design of the streaming platform and are still being taken into account on a continuous improvement bases, users can interact, both among themselves, as with creators in live sessions. Complaints can be filed directly and anonymously if users want, or they can contact city hall through other procedures.
What impact has the service had?
The streaming platform has enabled local culture producers and creators to maintain active in these difficult times of restrictions, limitations, etc. derived from the pandemic, whilst offering citizens with an alternative to mass-entertainment on a global scale (e.g. Netflix, HBO, etc.) where the local cultural offering and production is put under the spotlight.

Launched on 18 February 2021, the platform has 508 registered users (registration is optional), and to date (March 2022) has received 80,194 visits from 67 counties, totalling over 500.000 views of the 750 elements available currently.
How was the service co-created?
In the beta-phase citizens as well as creators were involved in the process of creating a user-friendly and intuitive platform, to facilitate the use for citizens of all ages and levels of know-how.
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Average: 4.9 (45 votes)