Page 44 - AC/E Digital Culture Annual Report

445. Listening to stories stimulates the active imagination of the listenersDuring the telling of the story, the listener is imagining the story while in most traditional theater or dramatic cinema, the listener is under the illusion that he or she is actually witnessing the characters and events de- scribed in the story.The role of the listener is to create images, actions, characters and the events of the story in his mind, based on the narrator’s per- formance and his own experiences and beliefs and his understanding of what he is being told. The complete story comes together in the mind of the listener – himself a unique human being. And so the listener becomes a co-creator of the story as he understands it.Storytelling can combine with other artforms. The contemporary movement of oral storytelling includes the development of ways of combining narration with theater, music, dance, comedy, puppet shows and many other forms of expression. However, although it can be mixed imperceptibly with other art forms, the essence of storytelling continues to be recognizable as the intersection of the ve aforementioned components.The contemporary movement of oral storytelling includes the development of ways of combining narration with theater, music, dance, comedy, puppet shows and many other forms of expression..We tell stories in a variety of contexts which range from conversation at the kitchen table to religious ritual, from telling something while we are busy doing something else to performances in front of large audiences. Some storytelling situations demand informality, others are highly formal. Some call for certain themes, attitudes and artistic focus. As suggested earlier, the ex- pectations of listener interaction and the nature of the story itself vary widely. There are manydi erent cultures in the world and each has its own rich traditions, customs and opportunities for storytelling. All these forms of storytelling are valid. All are equal citizens in the diverse world of narration.In English, the word storytelling refers as much to the concept of narration as to the act of sharing a story live. This why we often hear that a lm has “magni cent storytelling” while such as phrase has little meaning in Spanishas storytelling is always understood to have some interaction between the narrator and the listener.With technological advances, new and inno- vative forms of storytelling have emerged. Inthe National Storytelling Network circles, the validity of each new platform, technique and format is debated. The most conservative believe that storytelling can only be de ned as such if the narration is both oral and live. Progressive members are more open to the inclusion of new forms of the storytelling art, although everyone agrees that the ve basic principles should be adhered to and used as a guide.What is culture?Collins online English dictionary2 de nes culture thus:noun1. the total of the inherited ideas, be-liefs, values, and knowledge,which constitute the shared bases of social action 2. the total range of activities and ideas of a group of people with shared traditions, which are trans- mitted and reinforced by members of the group, 3. a particular civilization at a particular period4. the artistic and social pursuits, expression,and tastes valued by a society or class, as inthe arts, manners, dress, etc5. the enlightenment or re nement resulting from these pursuitsSTORYTELLING AND CULTURAL DIFFUSION · EVA SNIJDERSSmart culture. Analysis of digital trends