Thirteenth International Conference on The Arts in Society

Abstract

The ubiquity of media has driven creators to design projects in ways that encourage audience engagement. Storytelling is no longer limited to the linear narrative, nor does it have a passive reader. When it comes to issues of politics and sustainability, the creativity of interactive, digital storytelling can be utilized to engage and educate. The Emerging Media Design and Development team at Ball State University has partnered with the journalistic organization Circle of Blue to create The World’s Water Story website. This website serves to display over 800 stories from around the world that share the submitter’s knowledge of and experience with water. Through user-generated storytelling, this website informs the public of the fragility of their own water realities, and encourages a wider audience to take interest in water issues. The website’s interactive globe displays the stories by location, allowing the user to explore diverse stories. Each story consists of media (in the form of photos, videos, or art) along with text. Users are encouraged to view these stories non-linearly, allowing them to reimagine the stories into personalized narratives about the water crisis. By submitting their own story to the globe, the user is joining a worldwide conversation.