1. Geeks-In Residence 2012
A guide for host organisations

2. What is the Geeks-In-Residence programme?
•5 Scottish cultural organisations are chosen as hosts
•A pair of geeks with skills spanning design and web development
is matched against each host
•Each matching is allocated £6k to spend on geek time
•Allocations are to be spent developing a project prototype for the
host which has been defined in collaboration with the geeks
•Allocations must be spent by December 15th 2012
•How the allocations are spent time-wise is to be determined by
the host and the geeks
This opportunity is for those who want to explore new ways of
working and new ways of thinking. You don’t have to be “digitally
advanced”: just interested in how digital can enable valuable change

3. Why is this different?
What if alongside basic digital organisational development and
high value innovation funding, there were more ways for us to
explore practically the more progressive side of innovation in a
relatively low risk and low cost fashion? Sync explictly targets this
missing rung of cultural innovation, with an explicit focus on
making rather than talking.
The Geeks-In-Residence element of Sync is designed to help
practitioners and organisations who want to stretch themselves to
engage in new practical conversations. This programme is for
people who don’t want to relate to digital innovation and design in
a transactional way that reduces the space for experimentation
and mutual learning.

4. What you get out of it
•Up to £6k of developer/designer time
•A working prototype of an innovation project that allows you to
explore & test a new way of doing things or a new line of thinking
•Awareness & understanding of development & design processes
•Access to new thinking and new networks
•Dedicated Sync producer support to guide and optimise the
opportunity
The project prototype could be creative, organisational or about your
audiences... A focus will emerge from initial conversations between
you and the geeks

5. What you must be able to give to be eligible
•Director or equivalent senior level to own the geek relationship
•Clear framing of the challenges and opportunities you face as an
organisation
•Recognition that this is an exploratory, collaborative and
progressive innovation process: not traditional commissioning
•The time and energy to work with the geeks on project
identification and to support ongoing delivery and learning
•A narrative report of your experience for publication in SyncTank,
our online magazine
Being a Geeks-in-Residence host is a unique opportunity. To respect
that, only those who are ready to learn, be challenged and be
experimental will be invited to take part.

6. Timelines
•Organisations register their interest in participation (asap)
•Interview w/Sync producer to assess interest & eligibility (asap)
•Host organisations to be confirmed by March 31st
•Geek recruitment to close May 15th
•Sync team match Hosts with Geeks by June 15th
•Kick off, prototype development & delivery (June 15th-Dec 15th)
•Narrative reports submitted by November 31st
•Allocations spent by December 15th

7. What makes an eligible-in-Res host?
.Director or equivalent prepared to champion the residency
.You understand this is collaboration not commissioning
.You’ll make the time to support the geeks and learn from them
.You’re ready to have your thinking and practice challenged
.You know the difference between a prototype & a full project
.You recognise that what gets made might fail
.You’re ready to be open about what you know & what you don’t
This opportunity is for those who want to explore new ways of
working and new ways of thinking. You don’t have to be “digitally
advanced”: just interested in how digital can enable valuable change

8. If you would like to be considered as a
Geeks-in-Residence host please email
Sync’s rohan.gunatillake@gmail.com
to schedule a conversation to discuss
the opportunity in more detail
Thank you

10. SYNC is a new two-year programme for the
cultural sector in Scotland – all about making,
prototyping and innovation in the space where
culture, technology and design meet.
SYNC consists of the landmark Culture Hack
Scotland event, a Geeks-in-Residence
programme and SyncTank the future-facing
online magazine.
SYNC is supported by Creative Scotland and you
can find out more at www.welcometosync.com