This room needs to be very quiet indeed. Switch off any noisy lights, air conditioning, fans, clocks, computers, etc. The fewer echoes in the room the better;  safe clutter is good. The voice-recording room needs to be available throughout the production workshop. It can be small – just big enough to accommodate three people,  recording equipment and microphone. May need to have power points, even if only to re-charge batteries / portable voice recorders. This is the third in a mini-series of four articles on www.aberth.com/blog about the ideal spaces for your digital storytelling workshop.  Written and first published by Gareth Morlais on 5 July 2009

This is where the digital stories will be made.  There needs to be enough space, tables, chairs to accommodate all the equipment and people. Power points along two sides of the room makes safe rigging easier. It’s good if it has natural light and ventilation but’s essential it can be made dark enough for images from the data projector to have impact. E.g. some kind of blinds or curtains for blackout. If you’re running a workshop – as opposed to one-to-one – set the furniture out classroom style, in rows, facing the screen. Allow adequate space for the data projector to show from the back of the room. There also…

This is the first in a mini-series of four articles on www.aberth.com/blog about the ideal spaces for your digital storytelling workshop. Easy access for people with disabilities to all rooms is essential, including toilets and eating-places. Also – there needs to be reasonable access and parking for the vehicle you’ll be get-in and get-out equipment. Ideally, parking close by for people driving to the workshop. If this is not possible, then people need to be informed of the nearest public car park. The venue should be accessible by public transport. Here’s a cribsheet, a checklist of things to look out for when choosing your venue: Nearby parking and public transport…