Digital Story Telling

Introduction

This methodology allows people who are not used to speaking in public spaces to create short autobiographical videos (1 min 30 to 3 min 30). The production of these videos is carried out in a series of simple steps to support participants’ self-confidence in expressing themselves and having their voice acknowledged. More specifically, digital storytelling encourages stigmatized, or even marginalized, people to express themselves in their own words as experts on their realities.

 Photo by Kal Visuals on Unsplash

Description of the method

[1]. In general, the autobiographical stories are produced in a group workshop that is led by a facilitator. The workshop takes place either intensively, over one, three or five consecutive days; or over several days spread over one to three months. The main steps of production are as follows:

1. CREATE A SHARING CIRCLE BRINGING TOGETHER PARTICIPANTS AND FACILITATORS – Each of the participants presents their first thoughts for their history in a sharing circle made up of the other workshop participants and the facilitator. Each person in the sharing circle comments on the others’ stories, highlighting both what they think is interesting and what could be improved.
2. SCRIPT EACH PARTICIPANT’S STORY – Each of the participants writes a script of their story, incorporating or not the suggestions offered during the sharing circle (see the example of an easy-to-use scriptwriting tool).
3. RECORD EACH PARTICIPANT’S STORY– Each of the participants records their story in their own voice. Recordings can be made alone, or with another person or persons. Depending on the budget, you can use a Zoom-type device or a cell phone in a quiet room.
4. EACH PARTICIPANT PRODUCES/RESEARCHES VISUAL AND SOUND ELEMENTS – Each participant produces and/or selects from their personal collection photos, drawings or other collages to illustrate their story. Each participant produces the background sounds and selects the music clips for their story.
5. EACH PARTICIPANT EDITS THEIR STORY – Each participant’s story is assembled using video-editing software, by the participant themselves or by a third-party who has editing expertise. Several free and easy-to-use editing software programs are available for Mac (iMovie), PC (Avidemux, OpenShot and HitFilm Express) and for cell phones (Magisto), among others.
6. GROUP PRESENTATION OF PARTICIPANTS’ STORIES – All participants’ stories are shown as a group in a festive setting. This sharing is often emotional and allows participants to continue to build relationships between themselves, the facilitator and/or people who have an influence on the lives of participants such as social workers, directors, politicians, journalists and others in sensitive and strategic positions in society.
7. DISSEMINATION OF THE PARTICIPANTS’ STORIES – The stories of the participants are shared within different personal, collective, and academic spaces.

[1] Source : https://www.storycenter.org.
Photo by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash

Context of use of the method

Digital storytelling is mainly used by people in marginalized situations to promote their expression and the recognition of their expression in public or private spaces. Sometimes it is used by marginalized groups and people who have an influence on their daily lives to facilitate mutual dialogue.

For example, Karoline Truchon (2016, 2014-chapters 6, 7 and 8) co-facilitated digital storytelling workshops in a centre for youth and their families in a social housing context by including people who had an influence on the daily lives of these families (workers, police officers, directors of community organizations, etc.). Aaron Goodman (2018) worked with heroin users in Vancouver so that they could share their experiences without going through the filter of social workers.

Photo by Stephen Broome on Unsplash

Potential challenges of the method

Listening, respecting, and supporting the people involved in producing and disseminating autobiographical stories are key elements that contribute to the creation of spaces of trust. Listening must be focused on the real needs of the participants.

Respect for the unique voice of participants, as contributors of essential points of view, is essential and must be accompanied by actions that support these differences rather than smoothing them out to resemble the words of other less marginalized people in society.

Ethical issues related to the method

1. The first challenge is to avoid instrumentalizing participants by getting them to say what would be “good” for the organization or collective or group of researchers who are organizing digital storytelling workshops. It is necessary to bring out what the participants really want to share.
2. The second challenge is to strengthen the voices of people who are not used to speaking in the public space without distorting or smoothing out what they have to say.