The future of Theatre Words

What's New > The future of Theatre Words

May 24, 2017

-"the very short version" / "the TL;DR version"

Karlskoga and Lund, May 2017

Dear TheatreWords friend,

We’ve done more than we ever hoped for with Theatre Words. We’ve been doing it for almost 30 years! It’s time for us, Olle and Tony, to pass on this project to someone else.

We won’t do this in a hurry and we’ll keep delivering books as they are ordered. So rest assured you are still able to order custom print-on-demand books in any of 28 different versions.

And there are other big things happening here

1. The Theatre Words app for iOS has gotten a big update (rolling out very soon!)

2. Some of you have asked to be able to download printable Theatre Words books. It will finally happen! Very soon you will be able to order any of 28 editions as a PDF!

But, we are looking in the further future.

And we’d love your feedback on what you think would be the best (see below for a couple of general aspects and questions).

Please share this and please send your thoughts about this in the google form https://goo.gl/forms/HiV1bkUma9ohIMsl1 or to

All the best

Olle and Tony -

The future of Theatre Words – the longer version :-)

Karlskoga and Lund in May 2017

Dear TheatreWords friend,

Thanks for your ongoing support of the Theatre Words project. It is time for Theatre Words to move on.

We have a couple of suggestions on how it could be done and we would very much appreciate your feedback on which way would be best for you.

Background

In the year of 1990, Theatre technician and actor Olle Söderberg from the Swedish OISTAT centre Sttf got together with computer geek and graphic designer Tony Helinsky from Helitera.

From that day there were a couple of ideas we found among the community that we dreamed of pursuing.

The first idea was of course to revise the 1975 and 1980 Theatre Words project with edited words, more words, more languages and doing it all with modern desktop computer technology

This was accomplished due to some major contributions from editors all over the world that sent the edited words in digital form, but using discs sent by physical mail.

It sounds crazy today, but it was super hi tech then and it worked out so that in 1995 a first completely revised version was printed and in 1998 two more language editions were printed.

Early on there were dreams of having customized print-on-demand books with different combinations of books as well as something digital in your pocket.

The result is that we have fulfilled the ideas as well as the dreams and in fact produced more than we ever did dream of:

There are now 24 languages that are completely cross translated for ALL 1258 words and a supplement of illustrations.

They have been produced and distributed in

- digital versions for iOS as well as Android devices and

- a read and edit version for the web as well as

- a total of sixty (60) different editions with all sorts of combinations of languages as print-on-demand ready pdf files (currently it is possible to order 28 of these).

Currently there is ongoing demand for the books that are regularly being printed and produced from Sweden as orders come in on TheatreWords.com

It is a great service that is very much appreciated all around the world.

But as we have been doing this for almost 30 years, it is time to move on for us and to make sure that it is passed over in a way that can serve the community in the best possible way.

A couple of suggestions for the future of Theatre Words:

As we see it there are basically the following alternatives.

Alternative 1

would be to transfer the digital pdf-files of all 60 books and the rights to print them in any quantities to those national OISTAT centers that are interested in printing them.

Alternative 2

would be to transfer the digital pdf-files of all 60 books and the rights to print them in any quantities to OISTAT. PLUS, as it would be a transfer to only one organisation the entire rights to the name ”Theatre Words” as well as to the compilation of words as well to the actual words and translations could also be transferred to OISTAT together with the domain and website TheatreWords.com. If this would be possible this might be valuable for future work.

Alternative 3

would be the same as alternative 2 but instead of a transfer to the international OISTAT, it would be a full transfer to ONE national OISTAT organisation, other that the Swedish.

Alternative 4

would be a combination of alternative 1 and 2.

What do you think?

Now, we would like to know what would you as a Theatre Words friend and contributor find most valuable for you?

And of course, if you are on board of an organisation that would be interested in one option please let us know.

Lastly, we will of course not abandon this ship right now.

We’ve been here for almost 30 years so will of course stick around for a couple of more years. Since there still is ongoing demand the books can be ordered and they will be printed in the same super high quality, in batches about every 3 months. Just as they have always been.

We are only thinking a bit ahead.

We want to express our thanks for having been able to fulfil the dreams of this project and to you for having contributed to this project !

We value your feedback very much.

Our most sincere thanks to you.

Please share this and please send your thoughts about this in the google form https://goo.gl/forms/HiV1bkUma9ohIMsl1 or to

Olle Söderberg, Swedish OISTAT centre Sttf

Tony Helinsky, computer geek and graphic designer at Helitera

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