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During our initial research interviews, mentors and facilitators shared what they’d learned about Community Digital Storytelling (CDS), based on their years of experience. All of the program designs discussed here share characteristics with the first model we looked at: Working with Communities as a Filmmaker and Mentor. In the original workshop design, an organization (National Film Board of Canada, gallery gachet, Artsbridge, Give Peace a Chance etc.) contracts a filmmaker to work with a specific community to co-create short video projects.

Community Digital Storytelling grows out of our experiences in the world, shared as stories. Our strategy, as mentors developing new approaches to storytelling, is to create and hold open a receptive and welcoming space.

“I really look at digital storytelling as a way to empower our people because we have so many stories, and so much to share that’s often ignored and overlooked.” – Chris Bose

“Trauma, illness and grief create frightening forests of pain, with unfamiliar roads…. In such a context, listening to stories suggests myriad pathways out of dark forests.” – Dr. Sun Wolf

“It blows my mind what people will share and blows my mind how honest and brave people are to tell their stories.” Lisa g. Nielsen, Our World

Participatory media, video ethnography, community-based production, place-based storytelling, community-located filmmaking.