_sanman is developing its network with local and international projects in partnership with individuals, festivals, organisations, companies and institutions that are involved or interested in new media art.

The products of these projects range from exhibitions, archives, audience development programmes, exposure platforms and discussion and workshops to coupling of artists with new media experts for collaborative production.

informed process strategy by the trinity session:

_sanman’s current strategy is based on research conducted by Marcus Neustetter in the field of digital art and the trinity session in the field of contemporary art practice and the visual arts and crafts industries in the SADC region.

The network that is being expanded is modeled on the successful strategies employed by the trinity session through its network neighborhood (engaging with conceptual and regional partners in strategic methods to engage them in a vision) and MO methodologies (Modus Operandi - strategic working processes that develop a network).

The context of the transforming South Africa and Johannesburg has afforded the trinity session the opportunity to explore the uses of new technology as it is introduced to a diverse public; from the conservative and to the new, positioning itself to the technologically advanced,current mix of educational levels and exposure in the first/third world contradiction of South Africa.

Experiments, experience, anecdotes and research through trinity session projects have inspired the partners to further develop _sanman and its vision to pursue the development of creative interventions and its platforms into contemporary technology on a context specific level.

An active local and international consultation process with peers, industries and the public is informing a dynamic development process of _sanman.

process keywords:

_experiment
Currently some artists are showing interest in new media by experimenting with cameras, computers and websites. Harnessing interest by supporting experimentation can promote local new media development. Experimentation should become the process by which the artists/ persons involved experience and learn about the medium and its implications.

_question
In the South African context there are obstacles such as accessibility to technology and the web, questions of validity and importance of new technology access being promoted, and negotiation relationships with First World counterparts. These need to be considered when promoting art and technology and the hurdles need to be approached constructively by considering ways and means of finding practical and theoretical solutions, which will contribute to easier interaction.
New media enables and also requires multi-disciplinary interaction, which inevitably questions conventions of art making and the end product of the artwork. Such multi-disciplinary approaches to art making may result in a product that resembles neither a solution nor an artwork, but rather a productive culmination of ideas in the form of creative options to solving or approaching a problem.

_facilitate
Assistance in producing artworks that require expensive tools and specialised knowledge is a major obstacle facing artists in this field. Setting up a consultation facility for artists and supplying new media ideas/ concepts might be the first step in accommodating artists' needs. This facility might be expanded on to include a full range of tools - either at a nominal rate or at no charge. This would be optimally embodied in a venue offering a full range of facilities, resources and assistance.
Another process of facilitating would be the 'coupling' of artists and professionals in new media by promoting relationships between corporate and private creative schemes. Such 'coupling' would also facilitate teamwork on various international competitions and initiatives. This facilitation process can expand to support any ideas or issues that need addressing, be it through networking various people of similar interest or workshop programs with children to instill the interest and mindset of using the medium of technology for alternative approaches and creative problem solving.

_educate
The audience and the artist need to be educated in what new media art is, how it is being dealt with internationally and how one uses or interacts with it. More than just a marketing campaign, a strong educational component is required that would focus on offering input in educational institutions as well as presenting opportunities for discussions, workshops, exhibitions and lectures. Part of this material would also be disseminated via popular media as well as online. Such education focuses not only on the new art forms resulting from art and technology interaction, but also contributes to a broader understanding of technology and its uses.

_collect
In order to provide examples of work and experiments, a collection of works and documentation needs to be developed. Facilities ad resources for this collecting process would need to be shared and logged and disseminated by small resource entrees and platforms to allow exposure to a range of audiences and producers. A major element to this collection process would be the documenting of what is happening within South Africa in the field of new media in order to establish a library that will serve as valuable documentation for the future.

_promote/inform
Not only should the network and affiliates, supporters, sponsors, educators, students and artists working in it be promoted, but its multi-disciplinary functions should be addressed at a wide audience to popularise the new media discipline and formalise the art/ technology interface. In promoting international interaction and presenting a scene of new media art emanating from South Africa to the rest of the world, opportunities such as competitions, exhibitions, calls for contributions, etc. would need to be made public via the network. Promoting and supporting local resources becomes an integral part of this endeavour.

_preserve
With the impermanence of the web, web sites appearing and disappearing, net artworks are often not retrievable after some time. Preserving artworks such as these becomes an important feature in developing a local history and archive. Also with shifts occurring in servers and browsers certain works are no longer seen the way they were intended to be seen via the web and preservation would thus maintain their original format for future reference. A standard of quality in image and set-up determined by the artist should also be maintained as this is easily compromised over a period of time due to differences in computer screens and settings etc. Since the medium also lends itself to documenting and capturing progress in the development and education these would form an important role to preserving a history that will prove valuable for future applications, reworking possibilities, discourses and criticism.