Create, Act, Change

Posted by angel on 10 May, 2013

Even as I write this, Digital Storytelling (DS) practitioners and academics around the world are meeting CREATE, ACT, CHANGE: 5th International Digital Storytelling Conference and Exhibition hosted by Hacettepe University, Faculty of Communication, in Ankara, Turkey from 8-10 May, 2013.

The conference includes paper presentation sessions, digital story screenings and exhibition that touch on topics such as:

• Gender, Identity
• Activism, Inclusion, Participation, Democracy
• Community building, Intercultural encounters
• Belief stories
• Sustainability
• Resilience, Health
• Heritage
• Voice
• Social media
• Online DS workshops

DS was first introduced in Singapore in 2007. Singapore hosted Asian Digital Storytelling Conferences in 2008 and 2010.

Greek philosopher Plato said, “Those who tell the stories rule the world.” Digital storytelling is a powerhouse that is yet to be tapped. It is my dream to see it become a movement in Asia.

The conference programme can be downloaded here.
Archive of conference tweets here.

Powerful Storytelling in Bandung

Posted by angel on 23 April, 2013

About 85 educators, church workers, and staff of NGOs created their first digital story at the “Powerful Storytelling Workshop” in Bandung. The workshop held from 12-13 April 2013 was organised by Henriette Mamesah-Pontororing of Bunga Meparti with translation assistance from Ellen Patricia of Busur Emas.

In a country where oral storytelling is still the predominant mode of telling stories, it was exciting to see the adventurous step into the digital jungle. 85 participants came from many parts of Indonesia. Many used old or borrowed laptops. Some which crashed on them.

Despite the technological and logistical challenges, 43 digital stories were showcased at the end of the workshop. A good number of the stories were in Bahasa Indonesia.

A good mix of digital natives and digital immigrants came. It was wonderful to see them coming alongside each other to help since I was the only facilitator. Normally I run workshops for less than 20. I always have trained assistant facilitators with me.

Everywhere I go, time, budget, venue, and equipment are some of the major hurdles. I still love the smaller workshops but I’ve learned that with managed expectations and careful planning, this can be a happy alternative. It’s adapt, adjust, or nothing.

It is possible to run large scale workshops.

Kudos to the organising team and participants. The next workshop in Bandung is tentatively scheduled in September 2013.

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Build Bonds. Initiate Conversations.

Posted by angel on 28 March, 2013

I was delighted to receive an email from journalist Sunanda Asthana, a new friend that I met at the Singapore Memory Project Appreciation Dinner on 21 March 2013.

Dear Angeline,

I went through your website with interest and read your blog. I find it interesting that while a large number of people point towards digital media as a cause of reduced face to face and personal interaction, you are using it to build bonds and initiate conversations – with the self and beyond…

Kind regards,
Sunanda

Sunanda has been in the media for over a decade. As a member of the ProCube core team, she launched two twenty-four hour news and current affairs channels and produced numerous live shows. She also worked as a one man unit and shot, written, edited and produced news capsules and documentaries. Her eight-minute documentary on adoption was awarded the best documentary of the year at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication.

Thank you Sunanda. Coming from someone from main stream media, that is very affirming

A digital immigrant’s journey

Posted by angel on 14 March, 2013

DSA is part of a network of more than 300 practitioners, educators, researchers, companies, and social workers around the world who are using digital storytelling as a way to reflect on our work, stimulate communication, and generate social change.

I intend to highlight some of the interesting ways practitioners are using (digital) Storytelling in A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H.

• Arts
• Business
• Communities
• Distribution (Media)
• Education
• Families
• Government
• Health

I will also scour through the Internet to highlight tips, tools, and useful resources for (digital) storytelling.

Along the way, I will share the “stories after the stories.” That is, the after effects and impact that storytelling had on storytellers and story listeners.

I hope you will join this digital immigrant in her learning journey towards becoming a better (digital) storyteller.

Digital Storytelling Around the World

Posted by angel on 25 February, 2013

Here’s a Google map I put together showing some of the on-going digital storytelling (DS) work around the world.

View Digital Storytelling Around the World in a larger map

Editors John Hartley and Kelly McWilliam wrote:

“Since first emerging in the 1990s, DS has grown exponentially…

However, DS has not been taken up evenly ‘around the world.’ For example, while DS is widely used across North America, Europe, Australasia, it is less developed in Asia, Africa, and South America. Most of the workshops held on those continents have been run or led by Western organizations or Western workshop facilitators and, by and large have not resulted in ongoing local programs…”
– Story Circle: Digital Storytelling Around the World, 2009

DS was first introduced in Singapore in 2007 when the National Book Development Council of Singapore brought Denise Atchley to run a workshop. Since 2009, Digital Storytelling Asia has been quietly keeping the Story Circle going. Besides Singapore, workshops have also been run in the Philippines and Indonesia.