Title: Street Reads: An interactive walking and reading experience
Abstract: Street Reads Masterclass and Mobile Walking Events
An Interactive Walking and Reading Experience Inspired by Brisbane Suburbs
In 2012 Deb Polson was commissioned by the Brisbane City Council and Queensland Writers Centre to design an interactive walking and reading experience inspired by Brisbane suburbs. To do so, a number of local writers applied for a grant to attend workshops designed and delivered by Deb Polson that supported each writer in the development and distribution of local stories using mobile technologies. At this time, mobile devices were becoming the main interface for people to access information about anything from their current GPS location to the latest book reviews. What was less accessible were tools and techniques for writers to leverage this new technology to construct and distribute located stories.
This project began with a series of master classes for local Brisbane writers to demonstrate processes and techniques for imagining, constructing and distributing stories. Drawing on methodologies derived from location-based game design this project equipped writers with how to identify and adopt various mobile services and applications to research, produce and deliver packaged multi-modal content for readers to access and experience stories in the very locations from which they were inspired.
Four stories by four writers were selected to be developed and published as location-based events in four different neighbourhoods across Brisbane. These writers were mentored throughout the writing process and a model was developed for them to simply upload several multi-modal chapters for access on location by readers using QR codes. Empowering writers traditionally trained, to adapt to and adopt mobile technologies and game-design techniques to create digital stories to be delivered on mobiles in historic locations.
These activities culminated in a major 25 day event presented by Brisbane City Council and supported by Brisbane Writers Festival and Queensland Writers Centre. The 'Street Reads' event presented the four stories on location in Cannon Hill, Darra, Toowong and West End.
The significance of the Street Reads project went beyond extending the capacity for writers to access mobile technologies as a new platform for distributing stories. This event also motivated readers to travel to neighbourhoods to experience them in ways that had not previously imagined possible. These located stories were fictionalisations of actual events and characters that have current and historic importance to these places. These histories are hidden from view and yet can provide locals and visitors with a new found appreciation for the past and set an example for how neighbourhoods can become active stages for the sharing of stories inspiring a deeper connection with each other and an agency for participating in the development of the identity of the local places they inhabit together. http://streetreads.tumblr.com/ for some draft story packages for neighbourhood zones
Due to the success of the project and by employing more advanced tools now available, Street reads has been further developed by Brisbane City Council and is now available as the Story City App https://www.storycity.com.au/about/history/ Story City on iTunes Store
Publication Year: 2012
Publication Date: 2012-09-05
Language: en
Type: article
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