Written by Miriam Saslove; Edited by Jocelyn Courneya
Thought storytelling was just for bedtime? Think again.
Digital storytelling is a fairly new concept. It combines the ancient art of storytelling with modern digital technologies, allowing for unique perspectives to emerge. Digital stories combine audio and visual components interwoven with a narrative voice in order to engage and connect with diverse audiences.
The Digital Storytellers Guild was born out of the University of Ottawa’s Entrepreneurship Hub (Ehub) and a vision held by Luc Lalande to form an on- campus creative agency. The DST Guild is a collective of students and professionals, eager to utilize new technologies and social media. We are experimenting with a variety of tools, in order to reinvent the art of storytelling. Formed by a trio of passionate, and dedicated student apprentices who are eager to utilize these new tools and reinvent the way stories in Ottawa are being told.
The Digital Storytellers Guild acts as a creative agency offering a variety of services, from virtual blogging to brand management and event coverage. We work on projects for a variety of clients in the Ottawa community, specifically partners within the University of Ottawa. We are not afraid to take risks and work toward actually defying the conventional.
We currently have multiple projects on the go. Our main priority at the moment is fundraising for Young Makers, a social innovation venture which introduces youth to the learning experience and fun of 3D printing within their community. We’re telling the story of Nick, a former attendee of The Door Youth Centre in Ottawa, whose discovery of 3D printing transformed into a full-blown passion. Nick now volunteers his time running the same workshop that helped to change his own life, teaching other Ottawa youth how to use 3D printing technology.
At the Digital Storytellers Guild each story begins with an idea, which can begin on one platform and transition to others. Imagine your story being told through film, print, a podcast or even virtual reality. Using social media and new tools/technologies, we aim to become creative, cross-disciplinary and global storytellers.
The Digital Storytellers Guild thinks not just outside the box, but outside the book. We can’t wait to uncover new stories just waiting to be told.