Methodology and tools to support storytelling in cultural heritage forums

Storytellling is a method by which members of a community communicate, learn and build identity. In the CIPHER project we aim to provide customisable tools for the sharing of stories in communities, and test these tools in specific case studies. Here we describe the generic storytelling environment customised for two quite different communities, a group of adult volunteers interested in a particular heritage area and children collaborating from two different schools. The participatory development of the tools has highlighted a number of design recommendations for the development of community story sharing support including story seeding, role identification, launch strategy, and the model of communication and story exchange.

1. Introduction

In the CIPHER (“Communities of Interest Promoting Heritage of European Regions”) project we aim to provide a set of customizable online tools that facilitate the sharing of stories within communities of interest. Furthermore, through the development of online Cultural Heritage Forums, we intend to test and refine the tools, as well as the method in which they are used, in order to identify a series of guidelines to facilitate the design and support of future online heritage portals.