Over the last 9 months, I've had the privilege of being the Digital Storyteller in Residence for Inverclyde Libraries. The project was supported by the Scottish Book Trust and the Scottish Governments Digital Inclusion strategy.
So what is a Digital Storyteller? It's certainly been fun to enjoy the many polite smiles and blank nods over the last year as I've told people what I do. But it's actually really simple. A digital story, is usually an audio recording of a personal story or memory, told in the person's own voice, accompanied by pictures they have selected. It's all edited together by the person involved and then, sometimes, shared with others, My job has been to enable people to tell and share those stories, helping people discover new digital skills along the way. And it's been one of the best jobs I have ever had in my life.
What a joy, to have the luxury of time, to listen to people, to be there as people find their voice or reclaim their own story. We tell stories to ourselves all the time, reworking and redrafting our own history and memories as time moves on - we are all made of stories, and it's been wonderful to hear so many.
The Scottish Book Trust supported five digital storytellers across Scotland, and you can see all the stories collected on the project website. You can also view all the Inverclyde stories on Vimeo.
Here are a few of Inverclyde stories to give you a better idea of what a Digital Story is...
Alistair's Story from Digital Storytelling Residencies on Vimeo.
Falling in Music from Digital Storytelling Residencies on Vimeo.
The Weeping Animal and the Ugly Wee Snowman from Digital Storytelling Residencies on Vimeo.
