While working as a trainer in digital storytelling workshops has been rewarding, I’ve been anxious to see if any of the participants will continue using the techniques they learned in the workshops, and how far the stories they have already made travel among their peers. I’ll see what happens to the stories made in the Youth Internet Radio Network workshops when ‘sticky’, the web manifestation of the network, launches soon, which will be interesting.

One of the participants in the KGUV Sharing Stories workshop, Leila Wu, who is also a master’s student here, has taken digital storytelling and run with it, making 3 more stories – two for and about the church she is a member of here in Brisbane, and one in collaboration with a photojournalist friend of hers, about the continuing threat of landmines to everyday life in Cambodia. Download or watch it here (mp4, 6MB).

To my mind, this particular story is a very strong proof of concept – it’s powerful, simple, and elegant, and emerges naturally from a combination of learned skills, accessible technologies, and an existing friendship. Most interestingly, this story came into being as a result of these two friends sharing the belief that they have something to say (rather than having to say something), and that the digital story format was the best way to say it. And based on a chat I had with her last week, Leila is very passionate about the potential of digital storytelling for new media in China – she’s going back there on quite a mission it seems! I’m very proud of her and looking forward to hearing about what happens next.