First person: international digital storytelling conference Australia

First person: international digital storytelling conference

The conference opens on Friday 3 February 2006 at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in Melbourne, Australia.

Democracy and Voice
Media and storytelling can play a significant role in teaching people to appreciate the roots of democracy from a perspective of multiculturalism. New democracies develop from grassroots aspirations and struggles. Storytelling has the capacity to raise people's awareness and respect for human rights and justice. A democratic civilization needs to ensure a voice for those who are not often heard.

'First Person'First person is a view from within; whether we understand it as a literary or cinematic point of view or as the perspective of a games character in a computer game, genre, the subject and the observer often cannot be distinguished. As creative and technological exploration continues, our meaning of 'first person' and our relationship to it also evolves. Plenary Session: Saturday 4 February, 9amconference thematics and workshops

THEME ONE Broadcast convergence: new forms of storytelling Television and the Internet will most likely converge in the next few years, which, along with video gaming, presents opportunities for interesting developments in storytelling. Digital Storytelling, games practices and new forms of distribution such as narrowcasting and podcasting all assist in the exploration of new forms of narrative and the development of new relationships between audiences and content providers. full details
THEME TWO Storytelling and the digital generation Digital Storytelling is an extraordinary communication and education tool that incorporates multimodal learning, providing many pedagogical benefits. The development of Digital Storytelling globally in the areas of education and training is significant, with the case studies selected here having their focus on school and community education crossovers. full details
THEME THREE Democratization and documentation of voice Collecting and distributing personal narratives can assist in building a democratic society based on shared understanding and respect. Digital storytelling ensures a democratized voice, and provides a mechanism for transformative self or social awareness. full details

First Person presents an outstanding selection of renowned international and national speakers that investigate the power of personal narrative as a way to explore issues of social justice, community building and social memory. All speakers for the conference have been asked to address the conference theme for their particular sessions and to do so by drawing on their own experience and insights.
international speakers
John O'Neal Civil rights activist, award winning playwright, director & actor (USA)
Joe Lambert Co-founder and Director, Center for Digital Storytelling, Berkeley (USA)
Karen Worcman Director, Museum of the Person (Brazil)
Daniel Meadows Creative Director, Capture Wales BBC Digital Storytelling (UK)
Lexy Rambadeta Activist, documentary filmmaker (Indonesia)
Ana Serrano Director, Habitat, Canadian Film Centre (Canada)
Wiremu Grace Maori Content Manager for Te Kete Ipurangi (NZ)
Chris Crawford Veteran games designer and author, Art of Computer Games Design and Chris Crawford on Interactive Storytelling (USA)
Amy Hill Community Programs Director, Center for Digital Storytelling (USA)
Barrie Stephenson Director, Digistories (UK)
Brenda Laurel Designer, writer and Chair of the graduate Media Design Program, Art Center College of Design (USA)
Barbara Ganley Lecturer, Tutor in Writing Program and Director, Project for Integrated Expression at Middlebury College (USA)
Natalie Robertson Maori photomedia artist, filmmaker and educator (NZ)

national speakers
Professor John Hartley ARC Federation Fellow Research Director, Creative Industries and Innovation, Queensland University of Technology (QUT)Helen Simondson Screen Events Manager, ACMI Ellie Rennie Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Creative Industries Research and Applications Centre, Queensland University of Technology (QUT)Professor Darren Tofts Chair, Media and Communications, Swinburne University of TechnologyPaul Vincent New Media Business Development Manager, SBS Dr Jo Tacchi Senior Research Fellow, Creative Industries Precinct, Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Kim Montgomery Content Development Manager, ACMIMalcolm McKinnon Artist and filmmaker working in rural communities Kimba Thompson Founder Sista Girl Productions; Indigenous arts and broadcast companyJudy Spokes Director, Cultural Development NetworkPhillip Crawford Co-director, Beyond empathy Christine Peacock Associate Lecturer for Indigenous Perspectives, Creative Industries Faculty, Queensland University of Technology (QUT); Director, Uniikup Productions and the Colourised Festival.David Vadiveloo Director, UsMOb Tanya Notley Director, Internet Youth Radio project Brett McLennan Screen Education Manager, ACMI Julian Silverman Coordinator, Diploma of Community Education, School of International and Community Studies, RMIT Jean Burgess PhD student in Cultural Studies and New Media, Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Ian Vaile Head of Content, ABCDr Helen Light Director, Jewish Museum of AustraliaDr Tony Birch Novelist, writer, academic, poet Adrian Miles Lecturer, Cinema and New Media School of Applied Communication, RMIT
http://www.acmi.net.au/first_person.jsp

other links
center for digital storytelling
the element of digital storytelling
digital storytelling resources