cultureFEBRUARY10
42
Come and
tell us a story
W
e're all supposed to have
a story in us and even if
you suspect yours is
more a few paragraphs
than an epic tome, it can still leave its
mark in history.
That's the rather comforting thought
behind local story-telling project Cul-
ture Shock which, by hi-tech means, is
busily stockpiling a whole host of our
past experiences for posterity.
Hundreds of people in the North
Eastarerecordingtheirlocalmemories
and snippets from life � inspired by
museum and gallery collections � in
what is said to be the largest digital
story-telling project in the world.
These stories, part of the two-year,
museum-run scheme supported by
the Heritage Lottery Fund, are being
captured through pictures, sounds,
video, even animation, in the form of
individual films of two-to-three
minutes' length. The aim is to have a
collectionof1,000ofthemfromacross
the region by the end of September.
Those amassed so far � 330 of them
� are going on show at Great North
Museum: Hancock in Newcastle from
February 13. Running until April 16,
Culture Shock: An Exhibition of Digital
Stories by People in the North East will
reveal a diverse mix of responses to
the question: if you had one story to
tell, what would it be?
The stories range from working in
the shipyard industry to experiences of
living with bipolar disorder.
There's one inspired by a mummy
from the Great North Museum: Han-
cock collection and many talking
about fond memories of relatives,
often sparked by spotting something
in a gallery, like an old school bell or
mangle.
There are funny or quirky ones too,
says Culture Shock project co-ordin-
ator Lisa Jeffries.
"Theycoversomanydifferenttopics
from life-changing experiences, child-
hood memories, health and hobbies to
football, fear, food and travel," she
says. "It's impossible not to find one
that fascinates you.
Jenny Chambers
hears how local
people are
capturing our
heritage by
piecing together
their personal
mini movies.
A photograph from Faith and Love by Estelle Scott. The Kiss by Emer McCourt about a very special first kiss.
heritage
Man and
snowman � a
photograph from
Sheeps Bleat, a
Culture Shock
story by Emma
Hamlett about
her love of
singing.

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