Wikidata:WikiProject Performing arts/Typologies/Artefacts Documenting Activities Related to the Performing Arts

The table below contains an overview of artefacts related to the performing arts, which are often collected and preserved in order to document activities and the works of this ephemeral art form.

The table contains a tentative typology of such artefacts. We thereby differentiate between the following types of artefacts:

• Artefacts documenting the creative process and its results:
  • Artefacts documenting the creative process ahead of the first official representation (premiere) of a given work
  • Artefacts documenting the representations and the immediate reception of a given work
  • Artefacts documenting the "afterlife", i.e. the long-term reception and impact, of a given work
• Artefacts documenting administrative processes
• Artefacts documenting the infrastructure used

The table also indicates the preferred properties to be used to point to respective entries in archival finding aids and collection catalogues. See Estermann (2020) for an example implementation of such references on Wikidata. Thus, the table, along with the practices proposed in the referenced report provide the basis for the creation of a "WorldCat" of the performing arts, i.e. a comprehensive catalogue of artefacts documenting the performing arts. Wikidata provides the possibility to add such references to various types of Wikidata items, such as items describing performing arts productions; individual performances; people and organizations involved in the performing arts; cultural venues; literary, musical, and choreographic works, etc. Given the richness of the performing arts domain, the approach proposed here can eventually be used to create similar catalogues of artefacts for a variety of other domains. Note, however, that the implementation of the approach is (as of 2023) still at an experimental stage.

We currently (as of 2023) suggest the use of the following properties to point to said artefacts:

• archives at (P485) – to point to archival fonds, typically consisting of two-dimensional artefacts that have been gathered and organized according to the principle of provenance
• documentation files at (P10527) – to point to documentation, typcally consisting of two-dimensional artefacts that have been gathered and organized according to the principle of pertinence (see also its subproperty artist files at (P9493))
• oral history at (P9600) – to point to oral history recordings or transcripts of interviews with contemporary witnesses
• personal library at (P9419) – to point to the personal library of the respective person
• object collection at (property to be created) – to point to an object collection, typcially consisting of three-dimensional artefacts
• video recording(s) at (property to be created) – to point to a video recording of a given subject (event, performing arts production, place, person, etc.)
• audio recording(s) at (property to be created) – to point to an audio recording of a given subject (event, performing arts production, person, etc.)
• photograph collection at (property to be created? - or can this be covered by documentation files at (P10527) with a has part(s) of the class (P2670) qualifier?) – to point to a photograph collection documenting a given subject (event, performing arts production, person, place, etc.)

To further specify the types of artefacts that are included in an archive, a documentation file, or an object collection, a has part(s) of the class (P2670) qualifier is to be used.

WD item	Definition	Documentation of ... aspects	de	en	es	fr	it	ru	Preferred Properties	Comments
advertising material (Q1554180)	objectified form of an advertising message	artistic	Werbemittel	advertising material (promotional material)	material publicitario	matériel publicitaire	materiale promozionale		archives at (P485)documentation files at (P10527)
annual report (Q699735)	yearly report on a company's or other organization's activities	administrative	Geschäftsbericht	annual report		rapport annuel	relazione annuale		archives at (P485)
association magazine (Q2514037)	magazine published by a membership organization and distributed to its members	administrative; artistic; infrastructural	Vereinszeitschrift	association magazine		magazine associatif			archives at (P485)
audio recording (Q3302947)	single object representing recorded audio data in the form of audio signals on analogue or digital media	artistic	Tonaufnahme	audio recording		enregistrement audio	registrazione audio		audio recoding(s) at
autograph (Q9026959)	document written by hand	administrative; artistic	Autograph	autograph		autographe	autografo		archives at (P485)documentation files at (P10527)
bulletin (Q88163834)	short report, especially one released through official channels to be broadcast or publicized	administrative; artistic; infrastructural	Bulletin	bulletin		bulletin			archives at (P485)documentation files at (P10527)
costume (Q1410477)	clothes used by performers on stage; particular style of clothing worn to portray the wearer as a character or type of character at a social event in a theatrical performance on the stage or in film or television	artistic	Kostüm	costume		costume	costumi teatrali		object collection at
costume sketch (Q29642784)	rough drawing of a theatrical, film, or television costume	artistic	Kostümskizze (Kostümdesign)	costume sketch					archives at (P485)	Terminology and definitions should be aligned across languages (the Italian and French concepts refer to the design of clothes in general; not specific to the performing arts or film).
dance notation [item to be created]		artistic	Tanznotation	dance notation		Notation du mouvement	notazione della danza		archives at (P485)	dance notation (Q34175) refers to the technique, not to an artefact.
documentary film (Q93204)	type of non-fictional motion picture	artistic; infrastructural	Dokumentationssendung	documentary film		film documentaire	documentario		object collection at
doll (Q168658)	model of a character or a human beings, often used as a toy for children or an artistic hobby for adults	artistic	Puppe	doll		poupée	bambola		archives at (P485)
Finger puppet (Q26799112)	A puppet worn on a person's finger	artistic	Fingerpuppe	Finger puppet		marionnette à doigt			object collection at
hand puppet (Q14875)	Puppet put over the hand	artistic	Handpuppe	hand puppet		marionnette à gaine	burattino		object collection at
libretto (Q131084)	text used for an extended musical work		Libretto	libretto		livret	libretto		documentation files at (P10527)
lighting instructions, lighting design [item to be created]		infrastructural	Lichttechnik	lighting technic		éclairagisme	illuminotecnica		object collection at	lighthing technic (Q17177506) refers to the technique, and not to the artefact. lighting design (Q1823302) refers to the activity, and not to the artefact.
magazine article (Q30070590)	written piece, published in a magazine, or on a magazine-style website		Magazinartikel	magazine article		article de magazine	articolo di rivista		documentation files at (P10527)
marionette (Q189888)	puppet controlled from above using wires or strings	artistic	Marionette	marionette		marionnette à fils	marionetta		object collection at
mask (Q161524)	any full or partial face covering, whether ceremonial, protective, decorative, or used as disguise	artistic	Maske	mask		masque	maschera		object collection at
minutes (Q2085515)	written details of a meeting	administrative	Ergebnisprotokoll	minutes		compte-rendu de réunion	verbale di riunione		documentation files at (P10527)
negative (Q595597)	image on photographic film in which color and brightness are inverted		Negativfilm	negative		film négatif	pellicola per negativi		archives at (P485)
newspaper clipping (Q14552560)	an excerpt cut from a newspaper or magazine		Zeitungsausschnitt	newspaper clipping		coupure de presse	ritaglio di giornale		documentation files at (P10527)
Leporello book (Q361880)	booklet comprised of alternately folded pages	artistic	Leporello	orihon	leporello	leporello			documentation files at (P10527)
periodical (Q1002697)	serial publication that appears in a new edition on a regular schedule		Periodikum	periodical		périodique	periodico		documentation files at (P10527)
photograph (Q125191)	image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface		Fotografie	photograph		photographie	foto		archives at (P485)
playbill (Q2416316)	program or poster announcing a theatrical performance		Theaterzettel	playbill		affiche	locandina del teatro		documentation files at (P10527)
poster (Q429785)	type of graphic advertisement		Plakat	poster		affiche	manifesto		archives at (P485)
programme (Q1508646)	booklet available for patrons attending a live event		Programmheft	programme		programme			documentation files at (P10527)
puppet (Q1913135)	inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer	artistic	Theaterpuppe	puppet			pupazzo		object collection at
rag doll (Q2918349)	doll with a stuffed cloth body and head	artistic	Stoffpuppe	rag doll		Poupée de chiffon			object collection at
review (Q265158)	evaluation of a publication, service, company, piece of hardware, event, exhibition, or performance		Rezension	review		critique	recensione		documentation files at (P10527)
rod puppet (Q2325433)	puppet constructed around a central rod secured to the head	artistic	Stabfigur	Rod puppet		marionnette à tige			object collection at
schedule (Q7271585)	time management tool listing times when events are intended to take place		Zeitplan						documentation files at (P10527)
screenplay (Q103076)	written work by screenwriters for a film or television program		Drehbuch	screenplay		scénario	sceneggiatura		documentation files at (P10527)
seasonal programme (Q51176294)	programme of a performing arts company, venue, or troupe featuring all the performances and casts of a given season		Saisonprogramm	seasonal programme		programme de la saison	stagione teatrale		documentation files at (P10527)
stage curtain (Q945148)	large piece of cloth designed to mask backstage areas of a theater from spectators	infrastructural	Vorhang	stage curtain		rideau de théâtre			object collection at
stage design (Q55619117)	design of the stage setup of a performing arts production		Bühnenbildentwurf	stage design		Modèle de décor de théâtre	regia		archives at (P485)
statement of accounts (Q55892549)	A statement of accounts is a document that reflects all transactions that took place between you and a particular customer for a given period of time	administrative	Rechenschaftsbericht	statement of accounts		rapport d'activité			documentation files at (P10527)
statutes (Q55892549)	a law that has been formally approved and written down	administrative	Statuten	statutes		statuts			documentation files at (P10527)	Terminology and definitions should be aligned across languages (e.g. the English term does not correspond to the terms in German and French).
storyboard (Q334667)	graphic organizer in the form of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a story		Storyboard	storyboard		storyboard			archives at (P485)
text (Q234460)	object that can be "read" by reader; result of writing		Text	text		texte	testo		archives at (P485)
theatrical property(Q942297)	movable physical object used on a motion picture, television, or stage set that are not costume	artistic	Requisite	theatrical property		accessoire	materiale di scena		object collection at
toy theatre (Q1751712)	miniature theatre	artistic	Papiertheater	toy theatre		théâtre de papier			object collection at
video recording(Q30070675)	single work, or take, made using the medium of video	artistic	Videoaufnahme	video recording		enregistrement vidéo			archives at (P485)
yearbook (Q10283140)	publication documenting events of a year		Jahrbuch	yearbook		album de finissants			documentation files at (P10527)