Revised on 12 October 2026. This guide offers general information and does not replace legal advice or the role of the data protection officer. If you find an error, write to me.
A workshop for digital drawing, video, electronic music or image generation must be planned before the first session. The tool introduces technical and contractual conditions; the project must decide which ones it accepts.
The article Apps for classroom creation explains why an application may incorporate accounts, data and dependencies. This guide converts that analysis into a workflow.
1. Define the objective and the ages
Specify which operation the group must be able to perform: observe, record, edit, code, compose, collaborate, publish or analyse a system. Indicate ages, duration, size and available support.
Do not choose the platform first. A collective demonstration, a local tool or pre-prepared materials can achieve the objective without individual accounts.
2. Identify who is organising and responding
Clarify whether the workshop is organised by a centre, museum, association, artist or external provider. Identify the data controller and, if third parties are involved, their role.
The person delivering the session must not assume institutional decisions regarding services, data or publication alone. Consult the data protection officer when appropriate.
3. Compare tools by function and dependency
Review:
- local or cloud-based operation;
- individual, institutional or no account;
- input and output formats;
- export capability;
- accessibility;
- required connection;
- support and continuity;
- content conditions;
- archiving and closure.
Choose the least intrusive option that meets the objective, not necessarily the one with the fewest features.
4. Review age, conditions and legal basis
The minimum contractual age of a service is not equivalent to the Spanish age for consenting to certain data processing. Check both and do not use a family or fake account to circumvent them.
If the activity involves processing by the organisation, identify the legal basis. Consent is not the only possibility and should not be requested as an automatic solution when it cannot be freely refused.
5. Minimise input materials
Do not upload faces, voices, names, unpublished work or third-party data if they are not necessary. Prepare test materials when the objective is to learn a function.
If third-party work is used, review the licence and purpose. If participant material is used, explain where it is processed and what copy remains.
6. Test before opening the workshop
Conduct an internal session with the specific version of the tool. Check registration, permissions, filters, export, moderation, accessibility and deletion.
Save the date and the conditions consulted. A technical test does not certify compliance, but it avoids discovering during the session that the tool requires unforeseen data or functions.
7. If generative AI is involved
Explain what the system does, what materials it receives and what decisions the participant retains. UNESCO recommends institutional validation, data protection, age-appropriate use and the preservation of human agency.
The AILit framework allows you to check whether the group only uses AI or also learns to create, manage and question its configuration. The article AI in the art classroom develops this analysis.
Retain the instructions and outputs necessary to understand the process, without converting personal data or confidential materials into public documentation. Consult How to declare the use of AI.
8. Plan for moderation and conduct
If there is communication between participants, define who moderates, how a problem is reported and which behaviours are not permitted. Avoid unnecessary social functions.
Do not assume that a private account eliminates the risk of copying, contact or exposure. Explain the real possibilities of the tool.
9. Design accessible alternatives
Offer a path for those who cannot or do not want to use an account, camera, voice or their own device. Review keyboard navigation, contrast, subtitles, instructions and timing.
The alternative must allow participation in the artistic objective, not relegate the user to a secondary task.
10. Separate creation, recording and publication
Creating a work, documenting the session and publishing the result are distinct decisions. Do not make publication an implicit condition of the workshop.
To exhibit or disseminate the work, use the guide How to exhibit or publish the work of children and adolescents. Decide on names, images, channels, duration and removal separately.
11. Decide on archiving before production
Define what you will keep, for what purpose, where, who will access it and for how long. Separate the project archive, public record and working copies.
Do not promise that closing an account immediately deletes all provider records. Check export, deletion requests and stated deadlines.
12. Close the workshop
Upon completion:
- hand over or export the work;
- revoke temporary access;
- close accounts created only for the project;
- delete unnecessary materials;
- record incidents and versions;
- communicate what will be kept;
- check authorised links and publications.
The guide Preserving digital work can provide guidance on archiving results that must remain executable.
Checklist
Before: objective, ages, person responsible, tool, conditions, accessibility, authorisations and internal test.
During: understandable explanation, minimal data collection, moderation, alternatives and incident logging.
After: export, separate publication, delimited archive, closed accounts and communication to the group.
Further reading
- AEPD, Guide for educational centres.
- AEPD and regional authorities, principles for digital educational platforms.
- UNESCO, Guidance for generative AI in education and research.
- OECD and European Union, AILit framework.
- General comment No. 25 (2021) on children’s rights in relation to the digital environment.