Chronicle Community Story Projects – Additional Information
Alignment to Criteria
Idea
Chronicle's workshop method is 'new and innovative’ because it uses an applied method for motivated learning. Our services go beyond function-based teaching of basic skills such as email and web browsing by applying them within a family history context (which tends to resonate with an older audience particularly). The use of iPads makes our workshops user-friendly and less intimidating.
An added benefit of our proposal is the end product of the workshops are digital stories that can be celebrated with the broader community (with the participant's consent) using our network of local museums and other organisations. In the past Chronicle has used stories to create walking trails, exhibition screenings and touch screen kiosks in libraries.
The workshop model is scalable to a point using a 'train the trainer model'. Our future roadmap is also to develop an app that allows people to develop and share their own stories using an embedded step-by-step guided process. This will also include on-line community building tools and services.
Outcomes for targeted groups
Our delivery plan is achievable as we have already proven the workshop model via our sister fee-for-service company Chronicle Digital Storytelling. CDS has worked with museums and local authorities to deliver workshops using its methodology with similar targeted groups. We will use this same model.
Our workshops are suitable for people of all ages, including older people. They are also suitable for people with no iPad skills. We feel our workshops improve well-being and reduce risk of isolation and loneliness. The workshops themselves encourage social connections between people, and the new digital storytelling skills developed can open up new on-going opportunities for people and create confidence to further engage and develop their digital skills. We will undertake research with our workshop participants via evaluation forms to measure outcomes across skills and well-being.
A core element of our delivery plan will be to leverage the networks of our partners (museums, local authorities etc.) to recruit participants and schedule a series of workshops with them using a blend of suitable locations. As our workshops are iPad based, we are generally self-sufficient and can generally work in most community based rooms. Our key project steps will include:
1. Create outline schedule of workshops in association with partners
2. Create promotional template for workshops and produce marketing materials
3. Distribute flyers via partners and manage sign-ups of participants
4. Deliver programme of workshops and capture evaluation data
5. Explore opportunities to leverage stories for broader project aims
6. Assess results and evaluate impact
Alignment to wider agendas
Our project aligns to the wider agendas as follows:
New, creative and innovative approaches, which might include reference to the first four Grand Challenges set out in the UK’s Industrial Strategy
Our approach is completely aligned to the Grand Challenge of the Ageing Society. Our organisation is focused on helping to reduce isolation and loneliness in older people via personal storytelling activities and to support the integration and enhancement of local communities through the celebration of local stories.
The use of public services and enabling digital service transformation, including but not limited to welfare reform and the health agenda
We believe that our services give people a sense of self-worth and well-being and are therefore supportive of positive mental health. We also believe stories provide a wonderful opportunity for families and communities to connect with each other. It would be difficult to quantify this effect in real financial terms, but evidence suggests the cost of mental health issues including isolation and loneliness is significant according to the research arising from the Joe Cox Commission.
A focus on digitally excluded people living in rural areas
We are based in Suffolk which has a high proportion of rural areas. Our workshops will be held across the County.
Reference to pillars within the Digital Strategy, beyond the obvious focus on digital skills, for example data, digital business and cyber security
As part of the digital strategy’s pillar of “Maintaining the UK government as a world leader in serving its citizens online”, the strategy refers to providing access to culture. Personal stories are a reflection of social history and therefore are an important part of our culture. This project will help to create a wonderful collection of stories that reflect the essence of Suffolk today and therefore will support with the digital preservation and celebration of culture.
Our work also very much supports the strategy in helping all UK businesses become Digital Businesses. Much of our work with museums in helping them to understand digital storytelling and integrate it into their displays is supporting them in their digital journeys.
Development of any existing activity where you have evidence that it has been successful, either by exploring ways to make it sustainable or be scaling it up in a cost-effective manner
Previous workshops and activities run for clients as fee-for-service by our sister company Chronicle Digital Storytelling have shown that our workshop model is effective.
Value for money
We expect our project to engage directly with up to 240 participants in our workshops. In addition, we expect to engage with at least 5,000 people who will go on to engage with the content produced (via our website, social media and other activities). Beyond that we expect our partners to also support increasing visibility via their own activities as there is a strong alignment between this project and their own objectives. For example local museums, tourism organisations and libraries.
In addition to the outcomes, the project will be able to make use of Chronicle's existing methodology and resources for delivering the storytelling workshops. We have invested in refining our processes and have 'infrastructure' such as our website, video hosting, image library and other assets that we will bring to bear on this project. We also have the advantage of already having a wider range of partnerships that will help us to 'hit the ground running'.
Evaluation
We will measure the impact of our project in several ways:
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We will capture user feedback via evaluation sheets at the workshop. This will capture data relating to the participants self-assessment of their skills and well-being prior and post the workshop.
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We will also capture longitudinal data by following-up with participants again at a later stage to measure lasting impact
Testimonials from Previous Workshops:
Here are some participant comments from previous workshops:
I learned a great deal towards writing a story and putting it into order
The leaders Janine and John were very competant and encouraging in my attempts to produce a video
Having never unsed an i-pad, I'd have to say learning to use one was the most challenging and also rewarding. Sharing historical stories with other members of the group was truly enjoyable
I think I realise how much fun it is to story tell
Fact that you came away with an actual digital story at the end of the day gave confidence to try your own at home
I was able to pull out a story when I was not able to. A very good process.
The end results seeing all the finished movies
Viewing the finished product
Highlight - learning ways to tease out a story
Being able to transform photos into an easy viewing story
Voice recording; seeing finished product; feedback on story - thank you
I feel I was really ready to do this workshop. I enjoyed it immensley. Thankyou team. I am looking forward to making more digital stories when time allows. I now know another way to use images with storey. Thanks again.
Fantastic - able to do our own work - hands on - best way to learn something new.
The feeling of friendship and sharing of the whole process
Fantastic fun, most enjoyable time. Wonderful coordinators who shared their experience in such a small time period. Loved putting my story to a digital format, a picture paints a thousand words! Lots of digital technology learned, maybe not all absorbed but with practise I can become an expert.
