Digital storytelling and city cultural organizations

Abstract

This working paper describes a case study investigation of a city-wide digital storytelling initiative, called Love Your City, Share Your Stories (LYCSYS), led by two libraries and one municipal cultural department in Hamilton, Canada. Data collection comprised one-on-one interviews, document review, and participant observations with internal stakeholders from the two libraries and the municipal cultural department involved in the development and implementation of LYCSYS. Using Activity Theory as a conceptual lens, data were analyzed using grounded theory techniques. A variety of factors (e.g., motivations, goals, actions, tools, rules, divisions of labour) were found to shape digital storytelling outcomes. Congruencies – forces which promote stability and the carrying out of the digital storytelling activity – helped counterbalance contradictions and tensions that influenced change and the reshaping of the digital storytelling activity itself. Congruencies included cooperative partnerships, sufficient funding, senior management commitment/leadership, good governance, strong community support, and flexibility. Contradictions and tensions concerned the choice of cultural icons and stories, adherence to archival standards, the look and feel of developed outcomes, technical obstacles, and project management concerns. From this analysis, several recommendations are proposed for practitioners who plan to launch similar digital storytelling initiatives in their own cities. These recommendations emphasize the finding of a “sweet spot” in the development and implementation of a digital storytelling initiative led by city cultural organizations where congruencies mitigate any contradictions and tensions that may arise.