TiNet and Tarragona
In addition to the workshop series we’re planning to hold in Vilanova I la Geltru, I’ve also been exploring the possibility of holding workshops here in Tarragona. Yesterday David and I met with representatives of
TiNet. TiNet is a province wide portal which not only has news and information, current events, etc. on their website, but also provides all Tarragona residents with free email, webhosting, and an online program called “webfácil” which allows people to make their own webpage. They work in collaboration with a network of Telecentros, aka Community Technology Centers, and offer courses in basic internet navigation. In order to reach the rural areas, TiNet also has a mobile lab that they set up for workshops. David had told them about the digital storytelling project, and they were interested both because they want to expand the types of courses they offer, but also as a way to gain content for their website.
I showed a few examples in Spanish during the meeting, and then a few in English since I realized that almost all the examples I have in Spanish are created by women in their forties addressing issues of overcoming adversity. There are some good ones there, but I generally try to show a fuller range, especially a few created by youth since they typically have a quicker pace and different aesthetic. It seemed to work fine to show 2 Spanish stories all the way through so people get the idea of the script work and then show pieces of a few in English to demonstrate options for graphics, editing, etc.
As in Vilanova, the folks at TiNet were interested in train the trainer work in order to incorporate this approach into their programming. We also talked a bit about collaborating with the public libraries, something I’m more and more interested in since hearing about the program in Scott’s County and now San Diego, and also working with Maya Castillo of the Valencia Library in Tucson. The Tarragona Library already has a type of oral history program online, so this might be a natural fit with them as well. While I’m a bit hesitant about overcommitting myself, I think at this point in the project it just makes sense to plant a lot of seeds and then see what emerges.
