Valentina Nisi, Dr. Ian Oakley, Dr. Mads Haahr

absence, community networks, memorials, communication, space, place

This paper describes the content capture, design and implementation of the Media Portrait of the Liberties project. It focuses primarily on the results of a subjective user study conducted to gauge reactions to this novel media format. We close this paper by discussing the results of this study, and speculating on future directions for this work 

Abstract

The Media Portrait of the Liberties (MPL), is a hands-on investigation of a digitally mediated form of narrative experience that combines the use of mobile computing technology with site specific community stories. An urban neighborhood is a physical embodiment of community memories and history. Mobile location aware narrative systems have significant potential when applied to urban spaces, especially if disadvantaged. Such systems can empower communities by providing a forum in which they can express, recall and celebrate the culture and history of their neighbourhood, supporting perception of it as a place as opposed to simply a space. Kluitenberg defines public domain as a social and cultural space characterized by commonly shared ideas and memories and the physical manifestations that embodies them. Following Kluitenberg's definition, the MPL renders the Public domain as a tangible media artifact. MPL is an evolving collection of historically inspired video stories adapted from written accounts of life in the deprived but culturally cohesive inner city area of Dublin, Ireland known as 'the Liberties.' The stories are delivered to the audience on location aware PDAs, and each story can only be viewed when an audience member is situated in the physical place where the story is set. The objective of MPL is to provide viewers with a nuanced and evocative sense of place as they walk the streets of this striking neighborhood. The MPL authored centered approach to community stories is designed to function as a story-catalyst for the local community and offers them a starting point, and inspiration to take ownership of the project and continue to develop its collection by contributing as authors to an ongoing story database rendering a grass roots history of the area.

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