Here’s another treat of an evening of digital stories. Please come and join us at The Arts House, 25 August 2011, 7:30 pm, Living Room.  

“When a digital story is finished it should be remembered for its soul, not the bells and whistles of the technology tools.” -  Bernajean Porter, author, DigiTales: The Art of Telling Digital Stories

Digital storytelling is about stories and the telling of stories using multi-media tools. New Word Order brings you An Evening of Digital Stories in August, where graphic designer, author, and now, digital storyteller, Angeline Koh, will show how people are discovering the timeless delight of storytelling in this digital age.

New Word Order is an initiative of The Arts House.

It wasn’t my cup of my coffee that woke me up yesterday morning and gave me a good start. It was a story that I’ve read from Today newspaper.

“Home means you must have some memories, you must have shared experiences and you must have some sense of where we came from, why we are here what it means to us… we will tell the stories about it to the younger ones and the next generation…we will connect to one another, connect to our parents and past, and to our children and future.”

The article quoted Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his speech at the launch of this year’s HeritageFest, a community trail project by the National Heritage Board.

Wow. How timely and significant that is for me, for Digital Storytelling Asia, and for everyone who believe in the power and necessity of stories.

I thought, “Yes, that’s it. That’s what we do. That’s what we’re trying to bring to society, to schools, to individuals, to various groups…”

Digital storytelling founder Dana Atchley said, “The stories and anecdotes we share with one another are the ways we let each other know who we are, what we care about, where we come from, and where we are going.”

In the midst of all the confusing roads before us, the challenges, the thrill, and the ups and downs any pioneering work faces, what PM Lee said was like water to a dry land. A beacon of light to a traveller.

“Stories are like fairy gold, the more you give away, the more you have.”

Come for a three-day digital storytelling workshop, 17-19  August 2011. Write your story. Record your audio narrative. Learn how to put your audio and images together. Go home with your two-minute digital story done and ready for use. Meet new friends. Share your stories. For more info, please visit www.digitalstorytellingasia.com.

I should try and aim for this!

“The National Book Development Council of Singapore and Scholastic Asia are jointly launching the 2012 Scholastic Asian Book Award (SABA). The award will recognise Asians and writers in Asia who are taking the experiences of life, spirit and thinking in different parts of Asia to the world at large. SABA is awarded to an unpublished manuscript (original or translation) targeted at children of ages 6 to 12 years. Deadline: 17 October 2011, 5pm (Singapore time).”

Are you also interested? Visit SABA for more info. All the best!

The National Book Development Council of Singapore and Digital Storytelling Asia are jointly initiating DiSC, Singapore (Digital Storytelling Circle), a support group for digital storytellers and enthusiasts that will meet once every two months. It’s also open for anyone interested to know or learn more about digital storytelling.

Here’s two more songs I’ve heard while I enjoyed my walk in the streets of York. Grew up hearing these at home.