Faculty of Art
Family stories are precious but they are often lost over the generations, and through migration and language barriers. In 2021, INSTRCC was pleased to partner with UBC ACAM and PCHC-MoM to deliver a virtual storytelling workshop series that taught participants how to translate family histories into the digital age. The workshops were hosted by three INSTRCC and ACAM interns, Tiffany, Rose, and Katie, who are experienced in storytelling and filmmaking.
The first workshop focused on the elements of storytelling and how to create a coherent and engaging narrative. The session also taught participants how to conduct interviews with techniques for in-person and Zoom correspondence. The second session included an overview of filming techniques, a tutorial on digitizing old photographs, and an introduction to video editing on mobile and computer softwares. Each session was supplemented with useful resource packages that students could refer to for additional worksheets and tutorial videos. Office hours were also offered for participants wanting one-on-one consultations on their projects.
The final session was a celebration of everyone’s work, with participants getting the chance to showcase their draft or finished projects and get constructive feedback from their peers and instructors. It was amazing to see the progress that participants were able to make, especially those with limited technological experience, and the growth in confidence in their ability to produce something of high quality. The workshop series also formed many valuable connections between community members, especially those who were able to discover connections between each other’s family stories and their own. At the end of the series, participants left with new friendships, the skills and confidence to become their family’s historian, and for some, a completed story project that can be passed down for generations to come.
Written by Rose Wu.