Transmedia Storytelling and Community Engagement:

Transmedia Activism

Lina Srivastava | NYWIFTApril 2012

Transmedia

Transmedia Ac-vism

technique of extending a core storyacross multiple platforms and formatsthrough

coordination strategyintegration design/architectureimmersion content

Transmedia ActivismFramework for strategy to - Create social impact- Influence perception- Build community

through storytelling bydecentralized authors whoshare assets + create entry pointsinto issues and solutions across multiple forms of media

Transmedia Activism

Using Transmedia to Create Social Impact

Issue Awareness Engagement Action Change

Actionable Content

Story Universe

Transmedia Activism

Why is This Important?

Transmedia Ac-vism

+ How to Tell a Story+ How to Tell a Story Together+ How to Tell a Story of a System, of Complexity+ How to Tell a Story that is ++ an Element of Change ++ a Predicate for a Movement

Why is This Important to Community Engagement?

Transmedia Ac-vism

Participation

Entry Points

Story BuildingCo-CreationCo-ProductionCollaborationMultiple (Diverse) Perspective

“By collectivizing ownership of narrative, transmedia breaks down the “us” and “them”

It is no longer “you” supporting ”our” work to help “them.” Rather, it is all of us working together to meet and overcome a challenge”

--David Jammy

Transmedia Activism

Transmedia Ac-vism

Narrative + Social ActionAssessing Your Social Change Model

Co-designing narrative with social action is a challenging exercise in achieving simple, engaging stories that yet capture nuance, complexity, and multiple perspectives. In any social

change campaign where you co-design narrative with action to create positive impact in a community, ask yourself if your

campaign meets these three conditions:

+ Respect+ Relevance+ Resonance

Full model available at http://www.slideshare.net/lksriv/the-3-rs-co

Transmedia Ac-vism

Transmedia Ac-vism

+ It has at its core the use of local voice, in direct partnership with the platform creators, aiming at community-centered participation.

+ It uses its platform to move beyond awareness, to connect audiences and change agents to commit to a particular worldview, advocacy or action, by using these local stories and art.

+Uses a number of platforms that are culturally appropriate to cross borders to foster transformation.

What I Look for in Transmedia Activism Projects

Who Is Dayani Cristal?

Transmedia Ac-vism

http://whoisdayanicristal.com

Core: Voice Amplification and Community-centered social action

Text

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0Sc2wu51-E

www.facebook.com/LakouMizik

http://twitter.com/LakouMizik

Transmedia Activism

+Haitians in-country

+Haitian Diaspora

+Fans of World music

+Arts/activism

+People who helped post-earthquake and who need to reengage

Audiences | Fans | Community

Transmedia Activism

Social Music Platforms:

+ How do you keep a community engaged with these tools and platforms?

+ How do you cut through the noise?

+ How do you create and harness empathy?

http://twitter.com/3generations

http://3generations.org

Transmedia Ac-vism

Risks and Challenges

+ Intellectual property concerns

+ Love of the platform and technology

+ Intentionality | Stewardship

+ Gap between engagement and action

+ Simplified narratives

+ Respect, relevance, resonance

Lina Srivastava

http://linasrivastava.cominfo@linasrivastava.com

@lksriv