Oral Tradition and the Virtual World

On Saturday May 17 at 10 AM PDT the Center for Digital Storytelling (CDS), with the collaboration of the New Media Consortium, is hosting a reflection on storytelling in virtual environments in the form of a panel in the online virtual world known as Second Life.

Joe Lambert (Director, Center for Digital Storytelling) and Ana Boa-Ventura (PhD Candidate, University of Texas at Austin) will be moderating, and speakers will be logging in from Newfoundland, Spain, China, New Zealand and the US, and covering areas from folklore to multimedia journalism to virtual performance.

Dale Jarvis, Intangible Cultural Heritage Development Officer for Newfoundland and Labrador, will be one of the presenters, with a talk entitled "Not in my time, and not in your time: Oral Tradition and the Virtual World." The following is the presentation abstract, taken from the conference outline:

Oral storytelling is the art of using language, vocalization, and/or physical movement to reveal the elements and images of a story to a specific, live audience. "Telling" involves direct contact between teller and listener. A central, unique aspect of oral storytelling is its reliance on the audience to develop specific visual imagery and detail to complete and co-create the story in their minds. The teller's role is to prepare and present the necessary language, vocalization, and physicality to communicate the images of a story effectively and efficiently. The challenge, in the 21st century, is to take this most ancient of art forms, and recreate it in virtual settings, where some of the physical intimacy between teller and audience is lost. Storyteller and folklorist Dale Gilbert Jarvis will present some thoughts on virtual storytelling and the impact, and potential, of the digital age on intangible cultural heritage.

The full list of speakers can be downloaded in pdf format. In-world participants can take part in the sessions at the Second Life Campus of the Center for Digital Storytelling.