Co-FAST (Community Flood Archive Enhancement through Storytelling)

The Co-Fast project is enhancing and building on an existing digital archive resource focused on community flood histories – the Lower Severn Community Flood Information Network , using digital stories and other Web2.0 technologies to engage communities. The original web resource was one outcome of a Royal Society ‘Connecting People to Science’ (COPUS) project (2004-2006) that involved engaging communities in the middle/lower Severn with their local flood histories and learning about flood risk/climate change.

The current proposal integrates the trial of two different approaches to the generation of digital stories, by and with different communities for use for social learning.

Mode 1 comprises of the oral history tradition with its emphasis on story circles and formal support and production with community members to produce their stories, facilitated by University of Glamorgan Centre for Storytelling.

Mode 2 focuses on new media narratives, as examples of student led story creation working with community members, facilitated by University of Gloucestershire’s Centre for Active Learning (CeAL).

The resulting digital resource will be accessed by different types of learners in communities (including the public in community settings; local government; emergency services; environmental regulators) and within Universities (students; teachers; researchers; trainers). The process will be evaluated and findings shared with the UK academic community/those involved in community engagement for informal and social learning.