Springwise is an online platform which scans the globe for the most promising business ventures, ideas and concepts that are ready for regional or international adaptation, expansion, partnering, investments or cooperation.The network of 8,000 spotters in over 70 countries worldwide delivers innovative business ideas in all areas, including: entertainment, education, media and publishing, nonprofit and social causes.

Here are several sparkling business ideas, posted recently on Springwise, related to arts and culture. Some of them contain elements in line with the LabforCulture research in-focus on social entrepreneurship:

Partnership promotes Sony Reader for library e-books

With more and more aspects of daily life abandoning their physical form and appearing electronically, why should libraries be any different? That’s why Sony has partnered up with software firm OverDrive, offering bookworms an easier way to borrow e-books.

OverDrive works with over 9,000 libraries worldwide, letting lenders use their library card to get new, free digital content. To protect the rights of authors, the digital service works as closely to a normal library as possible. Only a certain amount of digital licences are bought by the libraries, and once these are all out on loan, users must wait for a ‘return’ before they can borrow it. Of course, borrowers don't really have to return books: once borrowed for a set period of time, the e-book is no longer accessible, and the user can delete the file. No more late fees ;-)

The partnership with Sony means that both companies will cross-market OverDrive's library network and Sony's Reader, which—unlike Amazon's Kindle—is compatible with industry standard e-book formats offered by libraries.

Website: www.overdrive.com

Booking system lets everyone screen a film for profit

Attempting to revolutionize the traditional movie screening business, IndieScreenings lets anyone hire a film, show it and keep the cash. The venture's online booking process calculates a licence fee based on where someone plans to screen, how many people will watch and various other factors. A few days after ordering a license, a DVD is sent by post. IndieScreenings includes a profit calculator and also offers an instructional guide, including tips on how to advertise and which technical issues to be aware of.

IndieScreenings was conceived as a way for the makers of The Age of Stupid (a feature about climate change) to spread their own crowdsourced film in a legal and controlled manner. But after realizing its potential for amplifying independent voices, the system opened up to other filmmakers. Upcoming films include "The Yes Men Fix The World", "McLibel" and "Drowned Out". IndieScreenings is currently available for screeners in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, with an international rollout following soon.

Will movie studios catch on and experiment with a similar grassroots distribution method, appealing to movie-loving sellsumers who'd be more than happy to drum up new audiences for profits? One to watch!

Website: www.indiescreenings.net
Contact: hello@indiescreenings.net

Whether it's a consumer product or a piece of music, there's much to be said for allowing fans to have a say in how it's designed and marketed. Just as Dutch media entrepreneur John de Mol turned to the crowds last year for help creating the next reality-show hit, so brand-new site Genero.tv is relying on music fans to create the next winning videos for a variety of participating bands.

Music fans paid to create videos for favourite bands

Currently on the verge of kicking off its first contest, startup Genero.tv has signed on a number of artists interested in getting fans to create the official videos for their music. Sixteen songs are featured in the current contest, which opens Sept. 12. To create a video for one of them, fans begin by registering with Genero.tv and downloading the track they're interested in. No artist footage is provided, but otherwise fans can go to town expressing their feelings about the song in a video and submit it in a variety of formats up to 1GB in size. Uploading a video to Genero.tv grants exclusive license to the site; it also opens the video up for voting. Four finalists will be chosen for each artist/song competition—two based on user voting and two by the judging panel. From there, one winner is ultimately chosen for each song by its judging panel—typically some combination of Genero.tv staff and artist representatives—as well as one overall winner across the 16 song contests. Individual contest prizes include tickets, backstage passes and music workshops, while the overall winner gets the not-unsubstantial prize of USD 4,000. Fans can submit videos for the current contest any time before Oct. 23. Winners will be announced on Nov. 13.

In the music industry alone, fans are now playing key roles in funding, marketing and creating music videos, giving bands not just valuable help but also a way to engage the consumers they care most about. How has *your* brand reached out to involve, benefit from and reward its biggest fans...? (Related: Agency for customer-made ads.)

Website: www.genero.tv
Contact: www.genero.tv/Contact-us

Opera house uses Twitter to crowdsource a libretto

Micro-blogging service Twitter and London's Royal Opera House may not be seen as birds of a feather. Founded hundreds of years apart, one represents a stronghold of traditional high culture, the other the fizzing surface of contemporary communication. But the tendency of culture to respond to new technology should never be underestimated—over the past three weeks the ROH has been using Twitter to crowdsource the libretto for a new "people's opera".

"The Twitter Opera" is to be performed as part of the ROH's Deloitte Ignite Festival at the beginning of September. The libretto will consist entirely of 140-character tweets that the ROH has received from members of the public since the project was launched. It will be set to original music composed by Helen Porter, along with some more familiar classics. Simply put, the goal is to help attract a wider audience. Alison Duthie of the ROH summed this up: "It's the people's opera and the perfect way for everyone to become involved with the inventiveness of opera as the ultimate form of storytelling." The plot, which is now complete, begins—fittingly—with a man being kidnapped by a flock of birds.

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Image: Source: http://dickieaguado.multiply.com/journal/item/32