This blog post was written by IHR Fellow Maxine Beuret.

Celebrating Collaboration, Creativity, and Community through Digital Tools

The Being Human Festival is known for its engaging approach to public humanities, drawing together people from all walks of life to explore what it means to be human through a kaleidoscope of activities, talks, and workshops. This year’s theme, ‘Between the Lines’, provided the perfect backdrop for our hands-on ‘Digital Storytelling for Local History’ workshop—a space where stories, history, and memories were brought to life through digital media, bridging generations and disciplines in the process.

Workshop Objectives: Fostering Collaboration and Creative Inquiry

At its core, the two workshops, supported by IHR director Claire Langhamer, one in Chippenham, Wiltshire, at the fabulous Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre and one at the Institute of Historical Research in November, were designed to cultivate collaboration—across generations, disciplines, and experiences. They provided participants with practical digital skills to share local history in new and captivating ways. The aim was not only to teach technique, but to create an inclusive environment where community members, historians, creatives, and media students could learn from one another, uncovering the stories that often lie hidden ‘between the lines’ of recorded history.

Workshop Structure: Setting the Scene for Creative Exploration

The session began in a warm, welcoming atmosphere, with everyone encouraged to write their own name badge and introduce themselves to the group. This initial exchange set a tone of mutual respect and curiosity, breaking down barriers and sparking connections. I provided an overview of the workshop stages, from exploring the many benefits of digital storytelling to practising storyboarding in small groups, photographing, conducting audio interviews, editing, and, hopefully, presenting the short films participants will have created.

Hands-On Activities: Storyboarding and Montage Techniques

Emphasis was placed on learning by doing. Participants worked in small groups, using simple storyboarding techniques to shape their narratives and clarify the messages they wished to convey. The process of creating a montage—pairing transcribed recorded oral history interviews with thoughtfully selected visuals—offered a hands-on introduction to audio-visual storytelling techniques.

The Role of Facilitators: Guiding and Inspiring

As a creative cultural historian, I coordinated the event, took photographs, and recorded participants’ audio interviews about their research, which were incorporated into their short films. Artist, illustrator, and printmaker Salina Jane helped workshop attendees by creating illustrations about their research, which were also included in many of the short films. Importantly, this enabled attendees to feel heard and to explore their research through artistic representation. Historians Louise Ryland-Epton and Jack Newman, from Victoria County History, were on hand to discuss participants’ local historical research. Media students in London from the University of Hertfordshire and in Wiltshire from the Wiltshire College and University Centre provided invaluable technical and creative skills, highlighting the benefits of intergenerational creative learning—demystifying digital tools that encouraged participants to experiment.

Technical Skills: Harnessing CapCut and Sound Interviews

A highlight for many was the opportunity to learn how to use CapCut—a free user-friendly video editing app—and to practice recording and editing sound interviews. These activities were accessible yet empowering, enabling everyone to assemble their own digital stories from scratch. The act of pairing short interviews with images not only honed technical skills but also encouraged a deeper engagement with the material, as participants reflected on how best to bring their stories to life.

Outcomes: Sharing Stories and Strengthening Community

By the end of the workshop, several short digital films had been created—each a unique window into the lives, landscapes, and histories of a place. For instance, in Chippenham, one participant, Peter Beavan, is researching the history of Bob Pelham and his local company, Pelham Puppets (1947-1993), which had a factory in Marlborough, Wiltshire, producing crafted wooden string puppets. From Peter and his short film, I learned that Bob Pelham personally corresponded with children who wrote to him with questions about the puppets and self-published a magazine listing the names of the largely female staff members who created the puppets.  Sharing these films with one another fostered a sense of pride and connection, while also highlighting the power of digital storytelling to preserve and share local heritage in ways that are accessible to all.

Reflection: Aligning with ‘Between the Lines’—Uncovering Hidden Histories

The workshop embodied the Being Human Festival’s theme, ‘Between the Lines’, by encouraging participants to look beyond the obvious and uncover the stories that might otherwise be overlooked. Whether revealing the untold tale behind a familiar landmark, such as Swindon Train Station, or giving voice to memories seldom shared, the digital storytelling process illuminated the rich tapestry of history that often goes unnoticed in our everyday lives.

Conclusion: The Lasting Value of Digital Storytelling for Local History

Reflecting on the experience, it’s clear that digital storytelling is a powerful tool for community engagement, historical preservation, and the celebration of the value of history. Not only does it make local history more vivid and accessible—it also empowers individuals to share their own stories, ensuring that the voices of all community members are heard. The inclusive, supportive atmosphere of the workshop reminded me that everyone has something valuable to contribute—and that, together, sharing skills and enabling creative collaborations, we can bring hidden histories into the light, one story at a time. A selection of the short films will be shown in the IHR Common Room.

Dr. Maxine Beuret is a creative cultural historian focused on the everyday. She is drawn to unchanged places and objects that serve as gateways to the history and cultural heritage of overlooked and threatened parts of our world. Her innovative research approach allows her to document places while collaboratively uncovering their cultural significance. Two of these projects have been purchased by museums for their permanent collections.
As an early career researcher (ECR) and Fellow at the IHR and the Royal Historical Society, she is establishing her reputation within the academic community, demonstrating a strong interest in cultural heritage and design history, particularly regarding the shared and multivocal values attributed to places by different communities. Her recent chapter in ‘Creating Wellbeing: The Role of Making Practices in Academic Context’ (Routledge, 2025) shares her research methodology, focusing on the health benefits of creative field studies, which give voice to research participants and enable the researcher to immerse herself in the pace of someone else’s life and jointly explore cultural heritage.

The post Sharing Hidden Histories: Reflections on ‘Digital Storytelling for Local History’ as part of the Being Human Festival appeared first on On History.