Fantasías 2.0: Digital Literacy and Social Inclusion in the South Through Collective Storytelling

Abstract

This chapter focuses on Fantasias 2.0, a participative educational project developed in Argentina in 2009 to promote digital literacies and social inclusion of vulnerable children in Buenos Aires city. In this initiative, children collectively created an imaginary world by drawing and recording sounds, which became reality with the help of digital media. The children’s creations were assembled in animated movies to be presented in different communication and cultural platforms, including a large-scale digital installation. The case is innovative in the use of digital storytelling with participative approaches mediated by visual communication, and enhanced by digital media. After summarizing relevant frameworks and analyzing the case, the paper suggests that digital literacies and social inclusion can be promoted by projects encouraging creativity, play, imagination and fantasy, by inviting children and young people to become content and story creators, where drawing, collaborative work and digital media is crucial to enhancing their experience.