Digital storytelling, cultural heritage, and social inclusion: the MEMEX project

Abstract

MEMEX is a three-year project (2019–2022) aimed at promoting social cohesion and inclusion through collaborative tools that provide inclusive and creative access to cultural heritage (CH). MEMEX uses Digital Storytelling (DS) as its main strategy, as an effective tool to engage people at risk of exclusion in the creative narration and reinterpretation of CH, promote social and cultural participation, and develop multiple skills. The results converge in a prototype of a smartphone app that allows users to create, share, and visualise geo-localised stories in augmented reality, where personal memories and experiences intertwine, allowing users to experience a multicultural and dynamic perspective of CH. The use of DS and the design of the app fall within the framework of Audience Development (AD), defined as a strategic and dynamic process enabling people to actively participate in cultural life. The project implements many AD strategies: capacity building; co-creation through storytelling; use of digital to overcome physical and geographical barriers; partnerships and data analysis. This contribution presents the MEMEX methodology and first findings, while reflecting on the main themes of the book: digital technologies, CH, and social inclusion.