Making digital heritage about people’s life stories

Purkis, Harriet

doi:10.1080/13527258.2016.1190392

Cited by 20 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…The visitor is now often understood as very much an embodied and active agent, whether online, offline, or moving between the two (Drotner and Schrøder 2013; Parry 2013; Kidd 2014). 5 We have seen the very notion of the museum embracing 'plasticity' and 'flexibility' (Woodward 2012, 15), not least in the many manifestations of the online museum, and beyond institutions also in what has been termed the 'virtual contact zone' (Purkis 2016).…”

Section: Digital Cultural Heritage Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

With New Eyes I See: embodiment, empathy and silence in digital heritage interpretation

Kidd

2017

International Journal of Heritage Studies

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With New Eyes I See (WNEIS) was an immersive and itinerant digital heritage encounter exploring the exploitation of empathy made possible in such emergent formats. Located 'in the wild' , and timed to coincide with the 2014 Centenary of the First World War, WNEIS transformed Cardiff's civic centre as previously inaccessible stories and archival materials were projected onto, and playfully manipulated by, buildings and the natural environment. The research that underpinned the project unearthed a hitherto untold story about the experiences and fates of those who left their posts at Amgueddfa Cymru-National Museum Wales to go and fight in WW1. Focusing on the story of Botanist Cyril Mortimer Green, and moving between past and present, known and unknown, presence and absence, participants encountered a re-scripting and multiple layering of the cityscape, and an uneasy archaeology of the museological endeavour. WNEIS foregrounded opportunities for touching, listening and feeling; as such it was a multimodal form of investigation for participants. This article uses focus group materials to explore the intersecting themes of 'embodiment' , 'empathy' and 'silence' that emerged in reflections. It reveals an audience ready for digital cultural heritage that embraces ambiguity in the examination and negotiation of meaning.

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Section: Digital Cultural Heritage Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

With New Eyes I See: embodiment, empathy and silence in digital heritage interpretation

Kidd

2017

International Journal of Heritage Studies

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“…Creating digital storytelling about people's past lives as part of digital heritage facilitates the engagement of local people and enhance their sense of identity [5] . Specifically, digital storytelling is a narrative manifestation that integrates multi-media and the internet, primarily using modern audio-visual technologies to record people's life stories or oral histories and present them on the internet through websites or applications [6] .…”

Section: Digital Storytelling and Local Peoplementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The digital stories in this exhibition illustrate how the history of a region can be viewed differently from the perspective of individual community members. Because those telling their stories did not have to limit their content to the official themes of war and conflict, they were freer to express their identities and their own historical memories of the period [5] . Therefore, most of the stories contain anecdotes of everyday life, which also combat the stereotype of constant tension between local Catholics and Protestants.…”

Section: Digital Storytelling and Local Peoplementioning

confidence: 99%

How can Digital Technologies Inform or Disrupt Traditional Engagements with Heritage Sites?

2022

ssr

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The use of digital technology in traditional museums and heritage sites has changed the way people experience and understand culture over the past decade [1]. Some scholars asserted that digital technologies could facilitate more individuals’ engagement with cultural heritage [2,3]. However, others expressed concern that digital heritage could misrepresent and distort the truth of real heritage [1,4]. This essay uses three case studies to discuss how digital technologies can both help and undermine the participation of locals and tourists in learning about cultural heritage.

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“…In increasing access to heritage content through combining digitisation of artefacts with online platforms, it could be considered that heritage is being democratised (Henninger and Scifleet 2016;Blackburn 2013). Purkis (2017) suggests that in allowing for a greater number of points of access to heritage content and that basing narratives on "ordinary people's life histories is an important part of the democratisation of heritage" (p. 434). However, despite it arguably leading to the creation of narratives which are "more polyvocal...and less dependent on experts" (Taylor and Gibson 2017 p. 408), thus leading to a greater lever of democratisation of content, there could also be considered a "disconnection between increased access and increased democracy" (p. 409).…”

Section: Digital Heritage Engagement: Increasing Accessmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One of the primary desires of all heritage projects is to actively encourage engagement with members of the public (Nicholson 2017). Purkis (2017) suggests that in creating narratives which reflect the stories of ordinary people and allowing the presentation of and interaction with information that is "linked intrinsically to people's own lives" (p. 435) that a sense of place can be created and engagement fostered. The idea is further explored by Cassidy (2012) when analysing the Retracing Salford project which used collections of digitised audiovisual materials held in private collections to "rejuvenate a sense of place, despite the eradication of the built and social environment" (p. 166).…”

Section: Community Engagementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digital storytelling and participatory local heritage through the creation of an online moving image archive: a case-study of Fraserburgh on Film

Davidson

Reid

2021

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PurposeThe aim of the research was to create a site which could host an archive of moving image associated with the town of Fraserburgh in Scotland, but could also include other digital artefacts to support and enhance the narratives contained within the films. Elements of digital storytelling were utilised, and a purposely designed section, “behind the film”, was included within the site which saw stories presented and supported with the use of archive newspaper clippings, photography and a series of reflective audio clips recorded for the research.Design/methodology/approach“Fraserburgh on Film” is an online platform created for the purpose of collating digital heritage film from the communities situated in the corner of North East Scotland. The research adopted an ethnographic approach working within the community, with James Taylor and other contributors to collect and curate moving images associated with the town. Archival research then supplemented these films. A digital platform was then constructed, tested and launched as the archival repository for the materials collected.FindingsThe research highlights the importance of having a close association with the community in question and provides details about the creation of the platform and framing it in the context of a vehicle for digital storytelling and participatory heritage. The article demonstrates how archive film should be gathered, edited and remastered for long-term preservation and access. Practical aspects such as video hosting, searchability, metadata are explored as are subsequent methods of dissemination and engagement.Practical implicationsThe research highlights a number of practical decisions which must be made when considering similar projects. These include gaining access to the moving images in the first place but also significant infrastructural issues around the creation, organisation and dissemination of an online digital repository. These lessons are transferable to other small community-based cultural and heritage organisations.Social implicationsThe archive has been very positively received in the community as an important repository for preserving community heritage and identity. High levels of public engagement have been demonstrated since its launch, which has led to new material being discovered. The archive has a wider cultural legacy across the North East of Scotland because of both the nature of the films and the widespread use of the Doric dialect.Originality/valueThe originality lies in the distinctive amount of moving image (and oral history) collected by local historian, James Taylor and his willingness to allow his materials to be edited and repurposed to ensure their long-term survival. The lessons learnt in this project are transferable to other locations in terms of both collecting material, the creation of the hosting platform and in crowdsourcing background information. The crucial importance of working with community partners in digital heritage work is reinforced. The research affords practical illustrations of steps to be taken and factors to be considered. It demonstrates how a well-crafted digital heritage product can genuinely engage with the community.

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Making digital heritage about people’s life stories

Cited by 20 publications

References 23 publications

With New Eyes I See: embodiment, empathy and silence in digital heritage interpretation

With New Eyes I See: embodiment, empathy and silence in digital heritage interpretation

How can Digital Technologies Inform or Disrupt Traditional Engagements with Heritage Sites?

Digital storytelling and participatory local heritage through the creation of an online moving image archive: a case-study of Fraserburgh on Film

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