8 lessons from X Media Lab Perth: Storytelling in a digital age.

I find myself continually drawn to the intersection of history and digital media so jumped at the chance to attend X Media Lab Perth: Storytelling in a Digital Age. Technology has always shaped our relationship with the past and today it offers exciting opportunities to reach new audiences and communicate in more engaging ways.

A range of speakers from various disciplines shared their understandings of this paradigm shift. Their views were inspiring, thought-provoking and, at times, contentious. Though aimed at a broad audience, there were some valuable insights for digital historians:

1. No matter what technology you use, the fundamentals of storytelling remain the same.
Stories are central to mankind and humanity. They teach us about how the world works, how to live in society and how to get along. Both Marshall Vandruff (Artist) and Dominic Knight (The Chaser) spoke about storytelling as a craft. It’s not enough to express yourself. There are rules and they can be learned. While most relevant to those writing non-fiction, it is important for historians to acknowledge the structure and effects of a compelling narrative. Despite all the talk of crowd-sourcing, collaboration and co-creation, Dominic rightly questioned the ability of a committee to write a classic novel or make a TV show like The Wire. It’s all about balance.

2. The most engaging stories reflect our basic human emotions.
Marshall Vandruff has had an extraordinary career as an artist and knows a thing or two about storytelling having worked for clients including Warner Brothers, Hanna-Barbara, Dark Horse Comics and MAD magazine. I was hanging off every word as he gave a lecture about classic storytelling (doing his best to condense 40 hours of lectures into 10 minutes). The most powerful stories are those which connect us with others, take us on a journey (not a tour) and give meaning to our lives. Vandruff’s focus on human empathy resonated with me - I recently read a fascinating article which cited empathy as a ‘universal solvent’ and ‘the world’s most valuable resource’. I believe good history is rarely without it.

3. Good storytelling conveys both the familiar and unfamiliar.
Another gem from Dominic Knight. Powerful storytelling treads a careful tightrope across our comfort zone. It is the tension between the familiar and unfamiliar that can convey realisations about ourselves. I was reminded of a powerful quote by historian William H. McNeil (Mythhistory and Other Essays, 1986)...

“Historians can only expect to be heard if they say what the people around them want to hear—in some degree. They can only be useful if they also tell the people some things they are reluctant to hear—in some degree.”

4. Stories can transcend borders.
Peter Shiao spoke about his work adapting classic Chinese martial arts literature for the Western world. The themes of transformation and spirituality have a powerful ability to transcend borders. His work has a strong cross cultural appeal in USA and China - two countries are most often talked about in terms of differences, rather than similarities.

5. Digital storytelling can give a voice to the voiceless.
Emma Kaye spoke about the ways in which mobile phones are being used in South Africa to empower impoverished communities to tell their own stories. In Africa, oral tradition was central to building and maintaining of community and today digital platforms have allowed a resurgence of personal storytelling. Unlike traditional filmmaking, editing and broadcasting content on mobile phones has low barriers to entry, resulting in a renaissance of content being made by the community for the community.

6. People are already pushing boundaries.
Ana Serrano shared several examples of digital storytellers who are leveraging technology and social media to create more immersive experiences. Some of the results are more engaging than others however all are breaking new ground.

• 'Life In A Day' is a historic global experiment to create the world's largest user-generated feature film: a documentary, shot in a single day.
• Spend a minute in a test tube with David Suzuki.
• The Johnny Cash Project – a crowd-sourced music video project.
• Turtle Talk at Disney/ Epcot uses 3D, voice-activated technology to bring animation into real life.
• The first Facebook Movie, 'Him, Her & Them', offers a new experience that blends interactivity with passive viewing. Filtered by the viewer’s social media graph each ‘version’ of the film is unique.
• An interactive zombie adventure from a NZ Pizza Chain.
• 'Conspiracy For Good' is an augmented reality drama that allowed people to participate in a fictional story.
• 'The Witness' is another blend of gritty drama with augmented reality. If you had a mobile phone, you could take part in the film.

7. Don't fear a shift from sole creator to co-creator.
Social media has changed everything. It’s now possible to interact with a ‘story community’, build relationships and even maintain these over the long term. Just think about all the opportunities to use these tools to connect communities for local history projects! The new remix culture (legitimised by revolutionary new frameworks such as Creative Commons) can also be harnessed to fuel innovation.

8. Interactivity can increase the level of engagement - but tread carefully.
Professor Duane Varan from Murdoch University shared his 10 Commandments for interactive storytelling. His research at the Interactive Television Research Institute has proven that interactive stories can be better than traditional linear narratives – but only if we stick to the rules of structure. Varan noted it does not matter how small the screen is; if it is an iPhone, laptop or wide screen TV. Media platforms do not hold power – content is king and interactivity should be used to complement the story rather drive the narrative.

The future of stories.

I've been thinking a lot lately about the stories we tell about our past. I've written before about the complexities of writing history, and it suddenly occurred to me that the medium is just as important as the message.

Stories we tell about our history that have the power to send men to war, topple governments and empower minorities do not lie in journal articles or a few brilliant minds - they are possessed by the public and expressed through collective memory (popular culture, ceremonies, media etc).

The power of stories cannot be harnessed unless they are shared, and they way we have told stories has always been shaped by technology.

In oral societies people often lived their entire lives in the same place. The historic record was meagre but knowledge of the past was widely shared - factors that ensured the group also shared a common worldview. During the Renaissance the printing press revolutionised the way that ideas could be communicated and the industrial revolution allowed mass production of books for the first time – both facilitating cultural relativism. The development of mass media during the 20th century enabled those in power to broadcast stories to huge audiences.

Today websites, blogs and social media including Twitter & Facebook have democratised storytelling. Millions of individuals broadcast billions of stories on a global scale however, paradoxically, this also enables us to select and consume stories that enforce the world-view we already have, rather than challenge it. As we splinter into homogenous online tribes reminiscent of oral societies, have we come full circle?

Is the quest for historical ‘Truth’ obsolete? In many ways the internet is the embodiment of postmodernism - there is very little shared experience, just competing versions of experience. Perhaps now it is more important for historians to pursue ‘many Truths’. The production of diverse histories from different perspectives reinforces the fact that there is no universal, objective Truth, but many.

Digital technology also offers up exciting new narrative mediums from which to redefine 'Truth' and reconfigure the way in which it is conveyed. For the first time in human history we have an opportunity to escape the narrative. The aptly named ‘World Wide Web’ organises information and social connections in networks as opposed to straight lines; perhaps a more accurate reflection of ‘real life’ than traditional linear storytelling. Faced with countless interpretations of the past it is possible the role of Historians may shift from ‘creator’ to ‘navigator’ – providing essential methodologies and platforms to celebrate the diversity of the human experience.

Lies, damn lies and history.

We have always told stories about the past to make sense of the world and ourselves. Not only does history provide the foundation for shared belief systems vital for social cohesion, it can also facilitate social change. Storytellers who claim the authority of truth over the past hold immense power but how can we be sure the stories they tell are True?

Truth is a fairly recent measure for evaluating the past - many myths and legends were once accepted versions of the human story. In many oral societies The Truth was judged on the reputation of storytellers or what majority thought worthy of belief. It is easy to forget too, that we have only recently become familiar with a multitude of different global belief systems. In a not too distant past individuals nearly always grew up in isolated communities to a more or less homogenous world-view.

Historians have long debated the best ways to turn ‘facts’ into ‘history and the stakes have never been higher, for today we navigate an online world that offers us countless competing interpretations.

19th century historian Leopold von Ranke developed a method of 'scientific history' by which he believed historical truth could be uncovered. His method? Harness historic evidence (documents, records etc) to prove undeniable facts... then arrange these into a readable narrative. That the true story could be accessed in this way remained largely unchallenged until the 1960’s when historian E. H. Carr stood in front of his peers at Cambridge University and proclaimed ‘this clearly will not do!’.

Carr rejected the idea that the facts existed objectively and independently of the historian, noting that in order to create meaning historians must decide which facts are considered important and selected and suggesting it more appropriate to study the historian before you begin to study the facts.

Despite acknowledging the effect that the historian had in ‘creating’ history, Carr was confident that historians could access the past. He believed that historians studying the same event might produce many interpretations - all with the potential to shed light on the past. Postmodern scholars disagreed. If history is as much about the historians world view and beliefs, they asked, how can any one version of the past be more True than another? And if this is the case, how can we possibly tell fact from fiction?

While raising important questions (and perplexing generations of university students) the complexity of post-modern analysis has, at times, risked isolating the general public from their own history. Historian David Lowenthal has noted that ‘the gulf between sophisticated chroniclers and the public seems to widen all the time’ - perhaps the single biggest threat to the quest for Truth.

Today digital technology has democratized the truth and allows storytelling on an unprecedented scale. Is this the greatest threat academic historians have ever encountered... or the biggest opportunity? Can the internet save History? I'm excited about the possibilities.

Horrible Histories - now a cult TV hit

If you know any school aged kids, you have probably heard of Horrible Histories. These are history books with a difference. Designed to enthral – this is history with the unusual, gory and unpleasant bits left in. Phenomenally successful, the series has sold over 20 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 31 languages.

In 2009, the BBC launched a children's TV series based on the books. Based on the insight that “when children go around stately homes all they ever want to know about is how the people went to the loo and how they died” it has quickly become a cult hit with kids and adults alike. And frankly, with sketches like the ‘The 4 Georges’ below, who could possibly resist?

More like an adult sketch show than usual children’s television fare, the creators have acknowledged that part of its success is based on the fact that kids “get that the tone is sophisticated and that it takes children seriously. It doesn't talk down to them."

But is it good history? The wide variety of sketches certainly raise questions of class, gender and power structures. Certainly, before kids can truly begin to question and examine history, they need to fall in love with it. Also - far from restricting the kind of discussions Horrible Histories can provoke, the use of satire is often intelligent and genuinely thought-provoking. Their sketch outlining the causes of World War One (with its comparisons to schoolyard politics) is a powerful representation of complexity and absurdity...

6 events from WA history every child should learn.

Last week British historian Simon Scharma listed 6 events from British history every child should learn and American journalist Michael Tomasky quickly responded with a list of his own. The prospect of distilling the history of a nation into a few key events is daunting but it got me thinking. As a WA history blogger I was inspired to take up the challenge and propose a list of our own.

In keeping with Scharma I wanted to select events that seem particularly relevant to the challenges of our time. Being able to empathise with those in the past is powerful; it is at these moments of 'relatability' that the past is suddenly brought to life.

I also wanted to create a list that might inspire fresh debate and discussion in the classroom. Much of history is about power and while it is impossible to separate history from politics (and if you tried kids could see right through it) - critical thinking can help neutralise this. The point is not to tell kids what to think, but to give them the freedom to think for themselves.

With so many events to choose from where to begin? Perhaps with the advertising campaign that started it all? James Stirling is not generally credited as a PR guru however his promotional campaign for the new colony was so successful that it created 'Swan River Mania' in 1820’s England. The reality for new settlers was very different and in a few short years they were united in a battle for survival. The arrival of convicts in 1850 was another major turning point in our history. They were never part of the plan for this 'genteel' colony - in fact - until the latter half of the 20th century it was common for Western Australians to hide their convict heritage! However without them the future would have been bleak - their labour was used to build many of the first major roads and buildings.

Our isolation had always defined us – even today we are the most isolated capital city in the world. It is revealing that the first settlement in WA was not the Swan River colony in 1829, but a military base at Albany four years prior. Isolation has been a source of pride but also insecurity; perhaps it is from this legacy that sinking of the HMAS Sydney during World War Two resonated so deeply with us then and now.

And what of the current debates surrounding political refugees in WA? Some of the first refugees to arrive on our shores were intellectuals from Central and Eastern Europe fleeing persecution from the Nazis in the 1930s. Their arrival too heralded fiery debate – they looked different, spoke differently and worshiped different religions. Despite facing intolerance they injected new life into the Perth cultural scene founding opera societies, starting modern art movements and introducing new ways of thinking. After considering these events (and many more) I finally arrived at the list below.

6 events every Western Australian child should learn...

1. First Settlement
40,000 – 60,000 years ago
Genetic evidence suggests that all of us are descended from a single group of 10,000 Africans and that humans reached Australia long before they reached Europe - even though Australia is further away from Africa. Indigenous Australians arrived on our north-west coast 40,000 – 60,000 years ago. They possess the world’s oldest continual culture and when faced with today’s environmental challenges there is much they can teach us.

2. European Exploration
Early 17th Century
Rumours of a mythical ‘great south land’ had been circulating Europe for over 2,000 years but despite (or maybe because of) grand expectations - many early visitors were unimpressed. The Dutch of the early 17th century viewed our treacherous waters as an endurance obstacle course on the way to Asia, rather than an attractive destination. The 18th century bought curious French and British explorers who, while happy to visit, were less than enthusiastic about the huge job of setting up a colony and living here! It was the threat that the French might colonise WA that finally prompted Britain to establish a settlement in Albany, then Perth.

3. Yagan’s Peace Talks
1833
When the first settlers arrived at the Swan River they encounted a complex Noongar society. Initial relations were peaceful however miscommunication and battles over scarce resources soon resulted in violent conflicts between settlers and indigenous Australians. During his lifetime, Yagan was not only a respected Aboriginal resistance leader and patriot - but arguably the colony’s first celebrity. In 1833 the Perth Gazette newspaper likened him to a European ressistance hero, reporting that Yagan was ‘now generally known as ‘The (William) Wallace’ . Despite being a wanted man, Yagan met with Lieutenant Governor Frederick Irwin in 1933 and negotiated a short-lived peace between the Noongar and European settlers. In the past, controversy surrounding Yagan’s death has tragically overshadowed his leadership and achievements.

4. Our first mining boom
1890’s
While the nature of any economic ‘boom’ is short-term they can have lasting legacies - our first mining boom changed us forever. The Gold Rush of the 1890’s brought thousands of immigrants from overseas and the Eastern states – in a few short years our population increased by 400%! Individual fortunes were won and lost but the effects can still be seen over 100 years later – not only did it lead to the creation of much needed railways, roads and telegraph communications, it also resulted in new art galleries, zoological gardens, grand hotels and theatres. The boom also saw one of the greatest global engineering feats of its time – C. Y. O’Connor’s ‘golden pipeline’ pushed technology to its limits to provide water to the Kalgoorlie goldfields.

5. Federation
1901
It’s time to look at federation differently. Far from being dull and boring, this event defined us unlike any another. While we joke about secession, it was by no means inevitable that WA would ever join the Commonwealth. The federation debate also indirectly led to WA being a leader in women's rights! We were one of the first places in the world to give women the vote in 1899 - women in Britain and USA waited another 20 years (1918 and 1920 respectively). Though we had an innovative suffragette movement, it was no coincidence the vote was awarded just before the federation referendum. Women were viewed as a conservative influence and less likely to want to join the commonwealth. However - in the end the huge influx of immigrants from the mining boom (especially those from the eastern states) led to a yes vote for federation.

6. The end of World War One
1918
Despite technology allowing us to connect with the world in new and innovative ways, it is easy for us today to feel detached from the reality of war. While the rest of the world commemorates World War One on the day it ended (Armistice Day), we are unique in Australia as we also commemorate Anzac Day – the day we first went into battle. Over 10% of WA's population enlisted to fight in WW1 and the conflict left no family untouched. The end of the war brought joy and optimism however many who returned found it difficult to adjust back to civilian life. Looking back today the causes of this conflict seem heartbreakingly complex however attempts to understand the effects of any war cannot succeed without first learning why we were there.

Does the past have a future?

While taking a break from exam study yesterday I read a thought-provoking article by historian Simon Schama in which he outlined his vision for history in British schools. Insightful and inspiring, it reminded me why I started studying history in the first place (and how neglected this blog has been during exams).

Schama argues that sanitised, spoon-fed history curriculums patronise kids and underestimate an enthusiasm for complex stories proven by the popularity of books such as Harry Potter, The Dark Materials Trilogy, Twilight and Lord of the Rings. Perhaps we should ask if they stay in the best-sellers lists despite hefty word counts and challenging themes - or because of them. The truth is certainly stranger than fiction. Is it time we started telling history differently?

In a Facebook culture firmly focused on the next 'status update', Scharma suggests that ‘unless (children) can be won to history, their imagination will be held hostage in the cage of eternal Now’. I would argue that the dangers of being seduced by the ‘eternal Now ’are in no way limited to children. The 24hr news cycle has come to offer us a relentless drumbeat of action and reaction. With our minds set in the present, the perhaps future may soon become obsolete.

In his article, Scharma listed six key events from British history that he believes every child should learn, along with the reasons why. It made me wonder - how do you even begin to list the most important events in a community’s history? Do you select those events that had greatest impact at the time; or ones that have become more important in retrospect? Is it more important to know the about events that have made us who we are; or to select those that may help us become who we should be?

While we may never reach consensus on a single list of events that have defined us; perhaps we can all agree that to claim our future, we must first reclaim our past.

How to Stop Worrying and Learn to Love the Internet

A glorious quote from Douglas Adams about the ways people have approached new technology throughout history...

"I suppose earlier generations had to sit through all this huffing and puffing with the invention of television, the phone, cinema, radio, the car, the bicycle, printing, the wheel and so on, but you would think we would learn the way these things work, which is this:

1. everything that’s already in the world when you’re born is just normal;
2. anything that gets invented between then and before you turn thirty is incredibly exciting and creative and with any luck you can make a career out of it;
3. anything that gets invented after you’re thirty is against the natural order of things and the beginning of the end of civilisation as we know it until it’s been around for about ten years when it gradually turns out to be alright really."