Antonia Liguori

Digital Storytelling as a Tool for Active and Deep Learning

After almost a decade of hands-on workshops and ongoing research together, Philippa Rappoport (from the Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology) and I were invited to write an article for the Smithsonian Magazine to share the power of digital storytelling as an approach that makes learning more personal, emotional, and impactful.

Read more via Smithsonian Magazine about how we have leveraged digital museum resources and storytelling circles to invite learners to share their voice: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-education/2025/06/11/digital-storytelling-as-a-tool-for-active-and-deep-learning/

Plus, don’t miss our online session at the 2025 Smithsonian National Education Summit on Tuesday, July 15 at 12:00pm, Eastern. Check out the session line-up and register for free today: https://smithsonianeducation.swoogo.com/ses2025/home

Adapting Sport Together: Co-Design and Digital Storytelling for Climate Adaptation

Delighted to co-author this paper with two brilliant colleagues and friends from Loughborough University and the Institute for Creative Futures LU London, Valentina Volpi and Ksenija Kuzmina, who will be presenting our paper at the Sport Anthropology Conference 2025, whose theme this year is “Sport Beyond Definitions”.

The paper is inspired and informed by the work we are developing together through participatory digital storytelling and co-design with young people in Bangladesh, Jordan, and Fiji, at the intersection of climate displacement and sport.

You can read our abstract below.

Free Webinar on AI-Powered Storytelling: Can we train AI through Storytelling? (in Italian)

If you are interested in participatory storytelling and the role of AI within the cultural heritage sector – and you speak Italian – this webinar could be an interesting opportunity to share ideas, think together about co-creation and explore current case studies and future research.

You can read below the post just shared by the organisers in Italian.

New project: Flippin’ Pain through Storytelling

On the 30th of April we are facilitating our first digital storytelling workshop for the new project Flippin’ Pain through Storytelling funded by AHRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA), Teesside University.

What is this project doing?

Persistent pain effects 30-50% of the UK and is the biggest cause of disability. Public misconceptions about pain are common and a significant barrier to good management leading to the development and maintenance of the condition. This project is seeking to address these public misconceptions by improving public understanding through Storytelling. We will organise Digital Storytelling workshops to support the co-creation of short films in which participants will reflect on their pain journey. These films will be shared at public events and on online platforms to increase public awareness on pain management by amplifying lived and living experiences of pain.

Why is it needed?

The Flippin’ Pain campaign – a key partner of this project – is both a national and regional award-winning public health campaign, collaborating with Teesside University to improve public understanding. The campaign has reached over 100,000 people through public engagement activities, but it has struggled to engage with people from more disadvantaged communities. This project will help to address this problem the campaign has been having.

Online talk on co-facilitation for the Reflective Practice in Applied Storytelling Network

After last week’s seminar at London School of Economics and Political Science, where I had the privilige to share my experience in applying digital storytelling as a praticipatory research approach with a group of brilliant researchers based at this world-leading social science specialist university, just awarded University of the Year 2025, this week I am delighted to join the Reflective practice in applied storytelling network as one of their speakers.

On Tuesday the 25th of February from 10:00 to 11:30 UK time, I’ll be talking about The benefits of co-facilitation within digital storytelling. In particular I will focus on a number of co-facilitation techniques that can enhance active listening and co-creation within the conventional digital storytelling process.

To participate you can register via eventbrite.