2022 Digital Storytelling
The Digital Culture Awards Digital Storytelling category celebrated use of digital for impactful storytelling to engage audiences, achieved by use of one or several connected narratives across digital media platforms with a strong audience-focused voice and story.
The 2022 Judge in this category was Tom Burton, Head of Interactive BBC Studio and the Winner was chosen by public vote.
2022 Winner
Kakilang (自己人) (Formerly Chinese Arts Now) and Two Temple Place for ‘Digital Exhibition and Immersive Performance’
Kakilang mixed gaming and 3D technology to create a ‘virtual gallery’ and immersive performance, addressing both the experience of migrants and the history and architecture of Two Temple Place, a Victorian building in London built for William Waldorf Astor in the 1890s.
Audiences were able to choose an avatar and explore the gallery after hours, in a theatrical/art gallery/video game hybrid spanning dance, music, art and spoken word. During the performance, they could interact with each other as they experienced stories of William Waldorf Astor, one of the richest men of the time who migrated from America to England, and the contrasting experience of Chinese immigrants.
The gallery and performance also featured a livestream version with subtitles and BSL interpretation where some audience could choose to sit back and enjoy the gallery and performance without the need to interact as avatars.
How to power up your digital storytelling like Kakilang and Two Temple Place:
- Being ‘digital’ doesn’t mean you have to abandon the physical space. Think about the best bits of your physical performances/exhibitions/interactions, and whether they can be replicated in a digital environment.
- Think about how to bring your story to life with modern ‘hooks’. By setting their performances in the opulent Two Temple Place, CAN were able to give audiences a direct understanding of the wealth and privilege of an American migrant, while using art, music and spoken word to give contrasting perspectives from much poorer Chinese immigrants at the time.
- Break down the digital divide. What features do you need to consider – captioning, BSL interpretation, audio description, colour contrast, easy reads etc – to make your work as accessible as possible? Think about how you can include everyone, and include those features in the early stages of your planning.
2022 Shortlist
- Chinese Arts Now and Two Temple Place – Digital Exhibition and Immersive Performance
- Crack Magazine and Landmrk – Everything Is Music – a new location-based digital tour for mobile
- Manchester International Festival – MIF21 Online
- Rural Media – Rural Media’s Point Of View Project
- Wild Rumpus CIC – Sounds of the Forest
2022 Longlist
- Dante or Die Theatre – User Not Found Video Podcast
- Extant – Flight Paths
- Focal Point Gallery and South Essex Homes – Contemporary Elders: Digital Connectivit
- Horniman Museum and Gardens – Afro Historyscapes
- M&C Saatchi x The Commonwealth War Graves Commission – CWGC – War Graves Week
- The Margate Bookie – A Different LENS
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