Page 43 - AC/E Digital Culture Annual Report

Premise: How can storytelling aid cultural di usion?What is storytelling?The de nition of storytelling for the purposes of this articleA statement from the National Storytelling Network1 de nes storytelling as an ancient art and a valuable form of human expression: “Storytelling is the interactive art of using words and actions to reveal the elements and images of a story while encouraging the listen- er’s imagination,” it says.the narrator and the listener – for example, who speaks, how often and when – and so create di erent types of interaction.The interactive nature of storytelling partially accounts for its immediacy and impact. Atits best, storytelling can directly and tightly connect the teller and audience.2. Storytelling uses wordsStorytelling uses language, either spoken or manual, such as American sign language. The use of language is what sets it apart from most kinds of dance and mime.3. Storytelling uses actions such as vocaliza- tion, movement and/ or gesturesThese actions are the parts of our spoken or sign language that do not consist of words. Their use distinguishes the storytelling from written narrative and text-based interactions. Not all non-verbal language behaviors need to be present in storytelling. Some narrators use a lot of body language while others use little or none.4. Storytelling presents storiesStorytelling is always about the presentation of a story. There are a lot of other art forms that tell stories but storytelling presents the story with the other four components. Every culture has a di erent de nition of what makes a story. What is considered a story in one situation might not be considered as such in another. Some situations require spon- taneity and playful digression, for example, while others expect the exact reproduction of a revered text. Artistic forms such as poetry recitals and stand-up comedy sometimes involve a story and sometimes do not. Given that they usually contain the other four components, they can be considered forms of storytelling whenever they also tell stories.https://museumhack.com/unicorn-horns/According to this text:1. Telling stories is interactiveStorytelling involves two-way interaction between a storyteller and one or more listen- ers. The listeners’ responses in uence the way the story is told. In fact, the telling of a story emerges from interaction and cooperation – in other words, the narrator and the audience working together. In particular, storytelling does not create an imaginary barrier between the speaker and the listeners. This is part of what distinguishes storytelling from the forms of theatre that use an imaginary “fourth wall.”Di erent cultures and situations create di erent expectations for the exact roles ofAC/E DIGITAL CULTURE ANNUAL REPORT 201743Smart culture. Analysis of digital trends