The British Library is embracing digital storytelling like never before, with its latest exhibition all about how interactive technology has evolved and shaped storytelling.
People like stories; they like telling them, and they like listening to them. Generally, we’re a very narrative-focused race.
We’ve been telling each other stories for thousands of years, but the way we tell them – and access them – in that time has evolved immensely.
Now we can witness, and even put ourselves front and centre of, stories on a digital level, with the likes of video games, interactive touchscreens, motion sensors, and virtual, augmented and mixed reality. (Not that books are really going anywhere, either!)
What you can expect from Digital Storytelling
If you’re already a gamer, you’ll know how powerful a good video game can be when it comes to stories (Disco Elysium, anyone?). Some of these narrative-based examples will blow you away.
Within the exhibition itself, you’ll find some commercial classics, including Inkle’s 2014 steampunk narrative game 80 Days, and Nyamnyam’s 2019 Elizabethan comedy adventure Astrologaster, alongside more personal stories like c ya later – based around the 2017 Manchester Arena terror attack.
It also features the first playable preview of Windrush Tales by 3-Fold Games, which is still in development. It’s based on the experiences of Caribbean immigrants who came to Britain after the war, and is based on real-life accounts – a definite highlight of this exhibition you won’t want to miss.
Giulia Carla Rossi, co-curator of the exhibition and curator for digital publications in contemporary British and Irish published collections told the Guardian:
“It feels special to be able to have this work on display this year, which marks the 75th anniversary of the arrival of passengers from the Empire Windrush to the UK.”
But what does that look like in terms of an exhibition?
As someone who’s written extensively about immersive interactive experiences and digital storytelling, I have a bit of insight into how digital storytelling is showcased.
Often, these interactive experiences can feel quite personal and welcoming – specifically inviting users to come and join in, get a feel for the game, and shape how the narrative will form.
In an exhibition space, however, this can be a bit more challenging. It can be quite loud, there’s a lot going on, and people might be watching your every move whilst impatiently waiting their turn.
The British Library’s Digital Storytelling exhibition has a wide range of experiences and interactive stories spanning many different genres, subjects and emotions – using a plethora of digital tools to tell the narratives.
Some of them can involve scanning QR codes and browsing with your phone for a more personal experience, whilst others are meant to be more like ‘tasters’ than giving users the full intended experience – which is nigh-on impossible in an exhibition space like this one.
The takeaway here
I for one am really happy the British Library are celebrating digital stories and interactive technology this way – it’s certainly not the first time they’ve dabbled with tech in their exhibitions, but this is the first time they’ve dedicated an entire exhibition to storytelling in this way.
As storytelling becomes more interactive, with more and more users immersing themselves in fictional worlds they can interact with, witness, engage in, we’re going to see some incredible examples of taking the narrative and making users front and centre.
The other good news is, there’s plenty of time to see the exhibition and try out some of the games! Digital Storytelling will run until October 15, and you can catch it at the British Library in London.
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