Innovation and Cultural e-Government

A well-known art critic stands on a Brusselsʼ railway station platform, waiting to take the
train to Paris to attend an international art fair; suddenly thereʼs an announcement that
due to a malfunction, the train will be delayed for more than 2 hours. So there he is - stuck in a train station with nothing to do but wait. Or is that all he can do?

CultuurNet Flanders is currently implementing some brand new technology called ICIS - the Infrastructure and Culture Information System.

Itʼs motto is ʻAnytime, anywhere, anyhowʼ so that wherever you are, ICIS will be able to help you. All you need is a PC, an information-pillar, a smartphone or a digital television. ICIS will then give you an overview of cultural and leisure activities located close by and adapted to your personal interests.

So all the art critic needs to do is consult his smartphone or walk to an information-pillar
and thanks to ICIS heʼll know which nearby galleries he can visit to pass the time. ICIS is not only for last minute decisions like art critic at the train station, but this innovative project also helps people plan their activities in advance, as well as giving them personalised recommendations.

Rich event information guarantees that your event is noticed!

How does ICIS work? Where does all the information come from?

The basis of this ambitious project is the OuTdatabase. CultuurNet Flanders launched this database in 2005 and it is the central point for all the information on leisure and culture in Flanders: 7.000 local contacts input 75.000 activities every year. The OuTdatabase has become the most important source of information for leisure activity calendars in most Flemish newspapers, magazines and television channels. There are over 350 different communication channels relying on the OuTdatabase for data.

The OuTdatabase is a traffic highway of event data

The information appears on the website UiTinVlaanderen.be displaying the full range of
cultural and leisure activities in Flanders and Brussels. ICIS gathers its information by
merging data from the OuTdatabase with several cultural heritage databases. The new
technology offers users the opportunity to add their own content: expert opinions, visitors comments and suggestions for other social cultural activities.

This makes the OuTdatabase a lot more than just a collection of cultural and leisure
activities. The information is not only used by the media in Flanders, but it also initiates
new and visionary ICIS-like projects that have the potential to fundamentally change the way audiences are introduced to and experience art and culture.