StoryWorks has been established to support public service organisations interested in using people’s stories to improve what they do. It’s based at the University of Glamorgan’s Welsh Institute for Health and Social Care and led by Karen Lewis, former Capture Wales project producer, who says: “Stories offer huge potential to reveal what people really experience from service providers, and what they actually want. First hand accounts, in people’s own words, can be a uniquely powerful way of ‘hearing it like it is’.” Here are the details of the the workshop from the website: StoryWorks is running a three-day digital storytelling workshop in Cardiff, Wales, from 6-9 May 2009. This is…
-
-
Aberystwyth DS4 Festival advance details
Here are the latest details about the fourth annual festival of digital storytelling in Aberystwyth, Wales, on Wednesday 17 June 2009, from a press release from Aberystwyth Arts Centre: Following on from the success of DS3 the fourth festival of Digital Storytelling DS4 aims to inspire and encourage and show the exciting possibilities of Digital Storytelling and brings you up to date with what is happening in the world of Digital Storytelling. Whether you work in education, the community or as an artist, it is your opportunity to share experiences, explore new creative ideas, see the latest technological developments, look at examples of best practice in the U.K. and worldwide…
-
Two ages of media literacy
Reinforcement of the importance of creation* in media literacy today by Jason Ohler: Media Literacy 1.0 – the era of mass media – concerns the ability to identify and evaluate the techniques of media persuasion. Media Literacy 2.0 – the era of digital participation – the ability to identify, evaluate and apply the techniques of media persuasion. * OFCOM defines media literacy as: “the ability to access, understand and CREATE communications in a variety of contexts”.
-
Papurau Bro: coming together to fold
Papurau Bro are Welsh-language local newspapers written by, edited by, folded & stapled and distributed by community members. They’ve thrived for three decades or more and I’d say that digital storytelling in Wales has drawn inspiration from the spirit of Papurau Bro. In my current (2009) role as executive producer of www.bbc.co.uk/cymru I was interviewed by Rhodri ap Dyfrig for his tech blog metastwnsh. I’ve long been a fan of Rhodri’s work in screening short films via Pictiwrs yn y Pyb. Before the interview began we discussed our shared admiration of the way Papurau Bro are made in concert by the people featured in the stories and wondered what might…
-
Early announcement of DS4 Digital Storytelling Festival
DS4, Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Wednesday 17 June 2009. Updates to follow.
-
Penyrenglyn screening
Fantastic screening at Penyrenglyn Primary School yesterday afternoon. This was the final screening of the Rhondda Lives! project and it’s amazing what a legacy of digital stories remains after Katrina Kirkwood’s time leading this project for Valleys Kids. More than 75 have been made in 2007-9. One of the films, ‘Libraries in the Miners’ Lives’ by Margaret Thomas shows how these stories can give a fresh perspective and challenge assumptions. Margaret says it’s wrong to heap praise on mineowners by giving them labels as ‘philanthropists’. Mineowner David Davies may have helped fund Aberystwyth University but he sat back and watched his workers having to fund their own education by contributing…
-
Five ways to make your digital storytelling project more sustainable
1. move away from the ‘once in a lifetime experience’ approach. Make it feel like a process that can become more of a ‘routine’ than a ‘treat’ event. 2. get people making stories using accessible tools. E.g. free web-based editing tools they’ll be able to continue using after you’ve moved on. 3.reduce the resources participants need to take part. If people don’t have an archive of their own photos, help them take bespoke contemporary ones; if people don’t have much time, offer a form they can create in less time; meet people where they already gather; etc. 4. scale up activities. E.g. hold training the trainers workshops so you get…
-
Evidence of benefits to support funding bid
I was asked earlier today for links to reports outlining benefits of digital storytelling to communities by someone drafting a funding bid. I thought it might be useful to share these links with you. Many of these link to PowerPoint and PDF files: Case studies about DS and older people ssrg.org.uk – scotland victas.unitingcare.org.au Case study about working with second-generation immigrants: http://www.mediabiotope.com/ English at bottom of page Health therapeutic-effects-of-digital-storytelling where I posted a blog entry urging people to feed into Arts in Health Strategy Unfortunately, there’s no mention of DS in the strategy. Young people: you may be able to pull out a quote from ELI7021.pdf Education/public service archimuse.com ……
-
What a museum is
Museums used to be buildings that housed artefacts. The experts contextualised these objects by writing historically-accurate interpretations of their meaning. Visitors used to enter museums to absorb this. How often have you looked at objects in museums and thought that the meaning an object has to you is different to the one conveyed by the museum’s card, plaque, kiosk, etc.? New technology and ways of working mean that can change. Some museum managers are excited about the possibilities opened up by enabling visitors to share their own interpretations and are asking their staff to work in new ways. I did once hear one museum worker say “But that isn’t what…
-
New Wales Media Literacy blog
Wales Literacy Network launched a new blog at the annual Eisteddfod meet last night: http://walesmedialiteracy.org.uk/blog/ Other highlights of the night included an update about NIACE Cymru’s work by Essex Harvard; an insight into user testing and user participation in the Welsh youth TV programme Mosgito by its web executive producer Nia M. Davies and examples of clay animation and Welsh web terms standardisation.