Six steps to a sustainable digital storytelling project

If you’re planning a digital storytelling project, and you want it to be a sustainable one, here are six steps to consider:

1. write an outline of the ethos your project will employ, encompassing:

* fair dealing with contributors and participants,
* contracting,
* intellectual property and  third-party rights,
* licensing-on the products your participants make,
* capturing and storing consents by parents/guardians/carers of minors and vulnerable people,
* diversity policy
* disclosure policy
* how to keep participants’ personal data safe,
* etc.

2. write a summary of all your storyteller recruitment methods. The difficulty of this isn’t to be underestimated, as this was an element that turned out to be one of the most challenging to us at Capture Wales

3. list ways of helping participants to express and capture their story as best as possible

4. outline  a number of possible production scenarios, either devised from scratch or drawing on models used by CDS, Capture Wales, etc.

5. develop exhibition plans – i.e. where will your finished stories be shown?

6. plans to share your methodologies, training and supporting trainers, forming and maintaining partnerships, ensuring other projects will benefit from your lead. Outline plans for robust governance, e.g. how a steering group for your project can develop this project even after you have moved on and left…

I hope that including these six elements within your work will help you plan your digital storytelling project so you can leave a sustainable legacy so other projects can benefit from your work.
Full credit is due to Gilly Adams  and Karen Lewis for stressing the importance of a stated ethos.

Written and first published by Gareth Morlais on 8 January 2011, with some edits on 2 December 2017