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Rhodes creates storytelling digital hub

By Dieketseng Montsi, Senior news journalist
Johannesburg, 27 Jun 2019

Rhodes University, in partnership with the European Union, has launched a digital storytelling initiative in a bid to encourage people to share their stories.

The Common Good First initiative will be curated through the newly founded Social Innovation Hub, which was launched this week. The hub is run by the university’s community engagement division.

The goal of the Social Innovation Hub is to bring innovation, creativity and improved digital literacy to Makhanda (Grahamstown), the Eastern Cape and the global community.

The European Union, a political and economic union of 28 member states that are located primarily in Europe, funded the project. The union also provides opportunities for knowledge-sharing across the globe between six South African universities and five European universities.

Rhodes University’s community engagement division director Diana Hornby notes digital storytelling is important as it contributes to skills development.

“Digital storytelling is very versatile. It can add value to an academic programme, or contribute to human development.”

Rhodes University’s Social Innovation Hub project manager Anna Talbot says the Common Good First social innovation platform is not yet live, as it is being beta-tested with project partners. It will go live globally in October. She adds there are currently 35 stories and profiles of social innovators from Makana. The next step would be to work with these partners to load their profiles onto the platform.

“The platform will be accessible on any type of device, initially in Web site form and hopefully in app form later, and should be accessible both on iOS and Android, at least in Web site format.”

Talbot notes storytelling is a personal experience and people can share their stories through video, photos and audio.

“How the content has been created and used is up to the creator. We encourage everybody to share their stories (on the platform or their own channels) in order to share the lessons to the benefit of the common good.”

According to Talbot, there are three hub facilitators who train people on storytelling methodology and the centre is well-equipped with technology and support staff.

“The centre has computers, tablets and gadgets to help with storytelling. Since we want storytelling to be accessible to everyone, we use free open source software."

Talbot says anyone can request digital storytelling workshops or training from the hub, and people can either attend a workshop in the Social Innovation Hub, or wait for the team to travel to their location with 'pop-up labs'.

She explains the hub is a place for people who consider themselves social innovators, who can visit and share their work.

Find out more about the project online, visit the hub at 5 Prince Alfred Street, Makhanda, or contact Anna Talbot: a.talbot@ru.ac.za.

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