Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Wiki Loves Folklore Bangladesh 2024 (ID: 22828556)
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Applicant Details
[edit]- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
Ifteebd10
- Organization
N/A
- If you are a group or organization leader, board member, president, executive director, or staff member at any Wikimedia group, affiliate, or Wikimedia Foundation, you are required to self-identify and present all roles. (required)
N/A
- Describe all relevant roles with the name of the group or organization and description of the role. (required)
Main Proposal
[edit]- 1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.
Wiki Loves Folklore Bangladesh 2024
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2025-02-01 - 2025-03-31
- 4. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
Bangladesh
- 5. Are your activities part of a Wikimedia movement campaign, project, or event? If so, please select the relevant project or campaign. (required)
Wiki Loves Folklore
- 6. What is the change you are trying to bring? What are the main challenges or problems you are trying to solve? Describe this change or challenges, as well as main approaches to achieve it. (required)
Bangladeshi culture is underrepresented in the online world, especially within the open knowledge ecosystem. Wiki Loves Folklore International aims to address this gap at a global scale. We'll organize the 2025 Bangladesh edition of Wiki Loves Folklore, following the success of last year's national campaign (https://w.wiki/8yr3). Our primary goal is to ensure equitable visual representation of Bangladeshi folk culture on Wikimedia Commons. A global photography contest like Wiki Loves Folklore serves as a powerful incentive for photographers to donate their high-quality folklore-related media files under an open license.
Folklore, photography, outreach, and open knowledge are key components in the scenerio. Bangladesh has a strong and large community of professional and amateur photographers who are almost entirely disconnected from the open knowledge ecosystem. We plan to connect these two entities, and to achieve that, we need to demonstrate that the benefits far outweigh the trade-offs when donating media files to the open knowledge ecosystem.
In addition to connecting with the broader photography community, we need to cultivate a dedicated group of Wikimedia photographers to ensure the sustainability of our efforts. Partnering with educational institution based photography groups can help us achieve this goal.
Both professional and amateur photographers will capture photos with the sole aim of ensuring equitable representation of Bangladeshi culture in the open knowledge ecosystem. This shift in perspective aligns perfectly with the goals of our project.
We've analyzed over 60 Wiki Loves grant proposals, with a specific focus on ~13 Wiki Loves Folklore campaigns from around the world. By studying these proposals and their reports, we've gained valuable insights into common challenges and successful approaches. We've also familiarized ourselves with the typical grant allocation sectors and the underlying reasons. We also tried to align our proposal with the recommendations (https://w.wiki/BMSj) provided by the Foundation Programs Team.
There are several challenges we are trying to address:
- The Bangladeshi photography community is largely unfamiliar with Wikimedia Commons. Even those who are aware may hesitate to upload due to uncertainty about the benefits. Given the popularity of Bangladeshi folk genre among photographers, Wiki Loves Folklore Bangladesh 2025 presents an excellent opportunity to attract their participation.
- Wikimedia Commons requires a sustainable flow of contributors, particularly in Bangladesh. The low recruitment and retention rates of photographers in our country pose a significant challenge. If we fail to address this issue, we won't be able to bridge the gap in Wikimedia in the long run.
- In Bangladesh, government offices often lack awareness of the Wikimedia community, leading to missed opportunities for collaboration. Given their interest in preserving folk culture, government agencies could be valuable partners in the Wiki Loves Folklore project. Engaging with these offices not only benefits the project but also strategically supports the local community in the long run.
- While many photographers focus on popular cultural events, numerous lesser-known traditions risk disappearing without documentation. Wiki Loves Folklore aims to address this by encouraging photographers to capture these underrepresented aspects of Bangladeshi culture. By participating, photographers can help preserve these cultural gems under open license for future generations.
- Video content remains a relatively untapped resource on Wikimedia Commons. In today's digital landscape, video is becoming increasingly crucial, but our platform faces challenges due to complex policies, upload processes, and technical requirements. Folklore videos offer a unique opportunity to preserve cultural heritage, and many aspects of folklore cannot be adequately captured through still images.
Main approaches or strategies to achieve this:
- We'll conduct at least three in-person workshops and several online sessions to promote our contest and encourage participation. These events will introduce participants to Wikimedia Commons and the benefits of contributing. We'll leverage existing Facebook and Telegram groups from previous Wiki Loves campaigns to maintain engagement and reach a wider audience. Based on our previous experience with Wikimedia photography outreach, we've found that in-person events are more effective in engaging Bangladeshi photographers. Short online attention spans and distractions are the potential reasons behind less success in online arrangements. This is why we're prioritizing workshops, photowalks, phototours, and an in-person prize-giving ceremony along with online sessions.
- We'll identify key entry points into the photography community and leverage them. By collaborating with photography clubs and groups, we'll reach as many photographers as possible and invite them to participate in Wiki Loves Folklore, encouraging regular contributions to Wikimedia Commons.
- To recruit and retain young photographers through this campaign, we'll focus on outreach to educational institutions. We'll offer incentives in the form of recognition, skill development, and experience to encourage their participation.
- This year, we plan to collaborate with government offices in Bangladesh to enhance our outreach and other activities. By partnering with government agencies, we can leverage their resources and expertise to reach a wider audience and achieve our goals. Government offices working in the folk genre have established networks and resources for reaching marginalized communities. Collaborating with them can help us access these underrepresented areas of Bangladeshi culture.
- We'll organize photowalks and phototours in underrepresented regions to capture the unique cultural and folkloric traditions. By exploring off-the-beaten-path destinations, we aim to document lesser-known aspects of Bangladeshi culture.
- To increase the amount of folk video content on Wikimedia Commons, we’ll offer personalized support and training to contributors. While video equipment is often expensive and complex, participants will use their own gear for this campaign. However, there is one tool that can greatly simplify the process—a gimbal. Handheld videos often suffer from shakiness, which can ruin the footage. This issue becomes more pronounced during cultural events that require dynamic, on-the-move recording. Although shakiness can be reduced in post-processing, it often results in an unacceptable loss of quality. A gimbal can solve this problem during recording, eliminating one of the biggest technical challenges. We've included a budget for an affordable gimbal, as it not only removes this obstacle but also offers significant value at a reasonable cost. The gimbal will be made available to participants for use with their personal cameras upon request. After the campaign, it will continue to be used during regular photowalks of the Bangladeshi Wikimedia photography community.
Last year, we closely examined the activities of participants and stakeholders in Wiki Loves Folklore Bangladesh. Despite operating without funding, we achieved success by implementing several strategies. One key approach was to personally reach out to photographers, understanding their motivations and exploring ways to attract a wider audience. We're confident that these insights will guide us to success this year.
- 7. What are the planned activities? (required) Please provide a list of main activities. You can also add a link to the public page for your project where details about your project can be found. Alternatively, you can upload a timeline document. When the activities include partnerships, include details about your partners and planned partnerships.
- The photography contest, running from February 1st to March 31st, will be the centerpiece of this project. Our goal is to engage both professional (mostly) and amateur photographers in creating open-source media files related to Bangladeshi folklore. February and March are ideal months for this theme, as they coincide with several significant cultural events, including but not limited to the Bangla and indigenous spring festival, International Mother Language Day, Baul festivals, and Valentine's Day.
- To ensure healthy interaction among wikimedia photographers and a lasting impact, we will organize photowalks lasting several hours and phototours spanning multiple days in the locations of the coinciding cultural events. These events will focus on capturing the essence of cultural and folk festivals, aligning their schedules with the major events taking place in February and March. We'll issue open calls for participation, tailoring the events based on our capacity. At least three workshops on WLF and FnF will be conducted at partner institutions, strengthening our network and laying the groundwork for future Wikimedia campaigns.
- Prior to launching the campaign, we will establish partnerships with photography organizations, primarily based in educational institutions. These institutions will then host seminars and workshops on Commons and Wikipedia contributions, tailored to their capacity and program schedules.
- 8. Describe your team. Please provide their roles, Wikimedia Usernames and other details. (required) Include more details of the team, including their roles, usernames, Wikimedia group, and whether they are salaried, volunteers, consultants/contractors, etc. Team members involved in the grant application need to be aware of their involvement in the project.
Mrb Rafi- Chief Organizer Iftee- Grant manager Tanvir Anjum Adib- Documentation and on-wiki support Tahsin Tasnim Talha - Branding and Visual lead Ahnaf Tahmid Manan - Branding and visual associate A.R Tawfique Hasan-Community Support and partnership lead
The team members were selected based on their organizing experience with previous Wiki Loves campaigns and wikimedia outreach events. Many have been involved in organizing Wiki Loves Folklore in Bangladesh 2024 and Wiki Loves Earth in Bangladesh 2024. In addition to the core organizing team, a volunteer group of over 25 members will support the team in their assigned roles.
- 9. Who are the target participants and from which community? How will you engage participants before and during the activities? How will you follow up with participants after the activities? (required)
Our target audience for this photography campaign includes both professional and amateur photographers. We'll engage them through three key phases:
- Partnership and Outreach: Before the campaign starts, we'll partner with photography clubs and groups in educational institutions and professional photography organizations. We'll also conduct media outreach and targeted social media campaigns to generate interest. We’ll follow the tested strategies of the previous wlfbd24 and wlebd24 campaigns to engage the target audience.
- Photowalks, Phototours, and Workshops: These events will be essential for maintaining photographer engagement. As outlined in the budget, we'll organize these events to capture coinciding major cultural events and increase interaction among participants and regular Wikimedians. We'll issue open calls for participation, tailoring the events based on our capacity. At least three workshops on WLF and FnF will be conducted at partner institutions, strengthening our network and laying the groundwork for future Wikimedia campaigns.
- Follow-up and Assimilation: After the campaign, we'll invite participants to join our Wikimedia photography groups. We'll train them to become organizers and mentors, ensuring their continued involvement and contribution to the movement.
Based on our experience with previous Wiki Loves photography campaigns, we know that staying connected with participants on social media is crucial for support and encouragement. We’ll utilize the same facebook and telegram groups from the previous wl campaigns to keep the participants connected, which will also help us to retain photographers from those previous campaigns. We’ll also provide a handbook containing every necessary instruction like we did in the previous year’s wlfbd (https://heyzine.com/flip-book/f5d0106237.html) - this strategy was proved to be very handy as the hosting was extremely user friendly and contains almost all the necessary information.
- 10. Does your project involve work with children or youth? (required)
Yes
- 10.1. Please provide a link to your Youth Safety Policy. (required) If the proposal indicates direct contact with children or youth, you are required to outline compliance with international and local laws for working with children and youth, and provide a youth safety policy aligned with these laws. Read more here.
https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Policy:Friendly_space_policy#Youth_Safety
- 11. How did you discuss the idea of your project with your community members and/or any relevant groups? Please describe steps taken and provide links to any on-wiki community discussion(s) about the proposal. (required) You need to inform the community and/or group, discuss the project with them, and involve them in planning this proposal. You also need to align the activities with other projects happening in the planned area of implementation to ensure collaboration within the community.
We discussed the idea of our project with our community in social media groups, mailing list and village pump. We took feedback from the previous participants and evaluated them accordingly.
- 12. Does your proposal aim to work to bridge any of the content knowledge gaps (Knowledge Inequity)? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Cultural background, ethnicity, religion, racial
- 13. Does your proposal include any of these areas or thematic focus? Select one option that most applies to your work. (required)
Culture, heritage or GLAM
- 14. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Not applicable
- 15. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select one that most applies. (required)
Innovate in Free Knowledge
Learning and metrics
[edit]- 17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)
In the last wlfbd iteration in 2024, we reached the milestone of 5831 images (2251% rise from the previous year), 118 total participants (231% rise), 83 newly registered users (218% rise), 70k+ reach to the target audience through the onwiki landing page and social media campaigns; the whole event was arranged with zero budget and the involved population was consisted of mostly amateur photographers. Our target community - the photographers showed overwhelming response to the previous iteration of the campaign despite knowing the fact that there weren't any local prizes for the lack of funds. Statistics available on the previous year’s landing page: https://w.wiki/8yr3
This year, we plan to put more focus on quality participation than quantity. The growth rate in the target metrics won’t be more than 15% from the 2024 iteration, but the core photography community of the country will be reached. We’ll focus more on partnerships as that ensures a sustainable future for the open source media contributor community like us. Last year, despite having a strong personal network in the extracurricular photography clubs in the country, we weren’t able to secure any. We did make attempts to form partnerships with three photography clubs in the next wlebd2024 but we failed to utilize the full potential of those partnerships for the lack of funds.
From this contest we hope to learn:
- What are places where most of the professional photographers are connected to and how to form partnerships with those entities? How can such partnerships benefit our program both qualitatively and quantitatively?
- What are the thoughts of the Bangladeshi professional photographers about donating media files to wikimedia commons and the wider open source ecosystem? What are the motivating factors and how can those factors be amplified and utilized?
- What are the best methods to reach most of the amateur photographers (who haven’t yet started photography as a profession) in a systematic way? How can we make our outreach process less sparse and more focused for hobbyist photographers?
- What are the thoughts of Bangladeshi hobbyist photographers about open source media file donation? What are the motivating factors and how can they be amplified and utilized?
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 130 | |
| Number of editors | 15 | |
| Number of organizers | 10 |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | |
| Wikimedia Commons | 5000 |
| Wikidata | |
| Wiktionary | |
| Wikisource | |
| Wikimedia Incubator | |
| Translatewiki | |
| MediaWiki | |
| Wikiquote | |
| Wikivoyage | |
| Wikibooks | |
| Wikiversity | |
| Wikinews | |
| Wikispecies | |
| Wikifunctions or Abstract Wikipedia |
- Optional description for content contributions.
N/A
- 19. Do you have any other project targets in numbers (metrics)? (optional)
Yes
| Main Open Metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Partnerships | N/A | 5 |
| Photographer retention number after 6 months of the program | N/A | 20 |
| Media file usage on wikimedia project pages | N/A | 200 |
| Quality images | N/A | 50 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
- 20. What tools would you use to measure each metrics? Please refer to the guide for a list of tools. You can also write that you are not sure and need support. (required)
Photographer retention - we’ll evaluate the upload counts of the participants of wlfbd2025 after six months of the campaign ends. If they have at least a total of 30 uploads after six months of the campaign, they’ll be considered as active.
Media file usage: https://glamtools.toolforge.org/glamorous/
Statistics from the previous wlfbd iteration:
1. https://glamtools.toolforge.org/glamorous/?mode=category&text=Images%20from%20Wiki%20Loves%20Folklore%202024%20in%20Bangladesh&pageviews=1&month=2023-02%7C2024-09
2. https://wikiloves.toolforge.org/folklore/2023/Bangladesh
Quality images: QIs will be added to a separate commons maintenance category like this one (https://w.wiki/6YwH).
Financial proposal
[edit]- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
- 22. and 22.1. What is the amount you are requesting for this proposal? Please provide the amount in your local currency. (required)
327054 BDT
- 22.2. Convert the amount requested into USD using the Oanda converter. This is done only to help you assess the USD equivalent of the requested amount. Your request should be between 500 - 5,000 USD.
2720 USD
- We/I have read the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and Universal Code of Conduct.
Yes
Endorsements and Feedback
[edit]Please add endorsements and feedback to the grant discussion page only. Endorsements added here will be removed automatically.
Community members are invited to share meaningful feedback on the proposal and include reasons why they endorse the proposal. Consider the following:
- Stating why the proposal is important for the communities involved and why they think the strategies chosen will achieve the results that are expected.
- Highlighting any aspects they think are particularly well developed: for instance, the strategies and activities proposed, the levels of community engagement, outreach to underrepresented groups, addressing knowledge gaps, partnerships, the overall budget and learning and evaluation section of the proposal, etc.
- Highlighting if the proposal focuses on any interesting research, learning or innovation, etc. Also if it builds on learning from past proposals developed by the individual or organization, or other Wikimedia communities.
- Analyzing if the proposal is going to contribute in any way to important developments around specific Wikimedia projects or Movement Strategy.
- Analysing if the proposal is coherent in terms of the objectives, strategies, budget, and expected results (metrics).