Collaborative Storymapping – a tool to resist mainstream narratives

Session 1: Using collaborative storymapping with marginalised communities (in presence and online, 3-4 PM)

How can marginalised communities use digital maps to reflect on their identity and promote counter-narratives about their past, present and future to be shared within and beyond local borders? This hands-on interactive event, led by Prof Isabella Rega (Bournemouth University, UK) will explore the potential of digital storymapping as a participatory method mobilising storytelling and reflexivity. The event is composed of two sessions:

The first hybrid session will introduce two StoryMaps developed within the International Network, “Local heritage and sustainability: Promoting reflection and sharing within and across international communities,” funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council. It will delve into the participatory process which led to the production of the maps, and will include contributions by several members of the International Network.

Speakers:

Dr Innocent Abubakar, Universidade Lurio (Mozambique) will introduce (Un)told stories of colonial history in Mozambique, a journey through the Ilha de Moçambique corridor, touching the Ilha de Moçambique district and Municipality, Monapo District and Municipality and Mossuril District, in the province of Nampula. The StoryMap gathers local narratives of colonial heritage spoken in the oral tradition of the communities. Local stakeholders – including authorities, artists, and decision-makers – came together and agreed on the content of the StoryMap, produced by Universidade Lurio.

Dr Camila Moraes, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Bernardo de la Vega, Oxford Brooks University (United Kingdom) will present Favela Virtual Tour, a virtual tour across some favelas of Rio de Janeiro. The storytellers are local guides and activists from Rocinha, Providência, Pavão, Pavãozinho, Cantagalo, Babilônia, Chapéu Mangueira, and Santa Marta. They present themselves, their favelas, and local projects. All the videos were filmed by the local guides using their mobile phones. The production of the map was coordinated by Observatório do Turismo em Favelas (UNIRIO).

Finally, Dr Juliana Mainard-Sardon, Nottingham Trent University (United Kingdom) and Dr Fabian Frenzel, Oxford Brookes University (United Kingdom), will show a toolkit for practitioners to use Storymapping as a tool to unpack sustainability, local heritage, and identities and promote reflection among rural and urban disadvantaged communities, gathering their experience gained working with communities.

Session 2: How to create a collaborative storymapping as part of your research project (in presence , 4-5 PM)

The second session is a hands-on workshop aiming at creating a collective storymap, to allow participants to experience the creative process, from the selection of the points of interest to the identification and production of the multimedia content. This will lead to a group discussion on the methodological implications of integrating this tool/method into the workshop participants’ research projects.