Is mobile technology the new world stage?

Prior to the invention of the phonograph in 1877, the only exposure people had to music was live. The evolution of the phonograph into the record player, cassette player, CD player, and music streaming technologies - and similar developments in sharing visual arts - has irrevocably changed how, and who, can engage both in artmaking and art appreciation. Take Sergei Polunin's, the renowned dancer, performance of "Take Me to Church" in 2015 as a emblematic case study. Where once dance performances were seen by an audience of a few thousand at most, nearly 13 million people have viewed Polunin's performance on their smartphones, computers, and tablets. This panel will discuss the opportunities and challenges that come with the reality that, for the rising generation born with a smartphone in their hands, the smartphone screen is a millennial's first proscenium.
Speakers:
Elizabeth Ridgeway
Journalist/News Media Editor at various news outlet: First Round Capital, Los Altos Town Crier, KZSU Stanford Radio 90.1FM; MPhil Modern Society and Global Transformations (2009)
Steven Connor
Chair, Faculty of English and Grace 2 Professor of English, University of Cambridge and fellow of Peterhouse
Barney Brown
Head of Digital Communications, Office of External Affairs and Communications, University of Cambridge