What does it mean to grow up in the Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada? That's what founders of the pilot program aimed at 樱桃视频youth, S2S Digital, are hoping to capture. The S2S Digital storytelling project is looking for submissions from 樱桃视频youth aged 14 to 19 to share stories that they'll create in digital storytelling workshops between July 3 and 13. "I think it's important for youth to learn the process of media-making to realize that they can be a part of the digital landscape," said project creator and filmmaker Angela Heck. "It's a way of being engaged with your community and having your voice heard." This summer, four teams of two or three youths will be guided in the art of digital storytelling through a series of five workshops conducted by established artists and media professionals. The free workshops will include how to develop the story, the art of video, audio, and editing and distribution. The results will be screened at the 樱桃视频Mountain Festival opening night, Wednesday, July 16, at the Eagle Eye Theatre, and posted on the web. "I've been interested in digital storytelling for a number of years and with the financial support of the Assembly of BC Arts Council through the 樱桃视频Arts Council and a BC 150 grant, I've been able to start a pilot project in my hometown of Squamish," said Heck. Heck said she hopes the project will lead to greater public participation in digital storytelling through a series of on-going workshops across a variety of demographic groups in the Sea to Sky Corridor leading up to the 2010 Olympics and beyond. "By engaging the community as the primary storytellers, we are also allowing the public easy access into the creation process," she said. "By capturing two- to three-minute stories, we start to represent who we are, portray our life experiences and, when presented to others, connect through shared experience." "One person's three-minute story won't tell the history of a place, but get a few hundred of these stories together and you start to see the area through the eyes and experiences of its people and get a sense of community identity. I think that's important in a place like 樱桃视频which is very much in transition." So, what is digital storytelling? It's is a way to share ideas through the use of images, text, voice, sound, music, video and animation, said Heck. It's a way of preserving memory, writing history, learning, and of course, entertaining. Through a series of workshops participants learn to produce creative work using a variety of media such as their own photos, audio recordings and video that they'll have a chance to shoot. Working with facilitators, they start by writing the story, working on the visuals, recording sound, and, in the process, gain knowledge of Mac-based editing. And best of all, no technical expertise is necessary.Application guidelines can be found at www.squamishfilm.com and the deadline for submissions is June 20 with participants being chosen on the strength of their application.
