{"id":1988,"date":"2023-08-28T12:00:10","date_gmt":"2023-08-28T16:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playfulcity.net\/go\/?p=1988"},"modified":"2023-08-31T15:41:50","modified_gmt":"2023-08-31T19:41:50","slug":"audio-insider-voice-over-black-feminist-exhibition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/playfulcity.net\/go\/designs\/audio-insider-voice-over-black-feminist-exhibition\/","title":{"rendered":"Audio experience: “Insider Voice-Over” (a case study with the Black Feminist DC exhibition)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This month we launched an interactive audio project (“Community Voice: Katea Stitt<\/strong><\/em>“) with the National Women\u2019s History Museum and the DC Public Library. It is part of a larger exhibit, “We Who Believe in Freedom: Black Feminist DC<\/a>” that is on view in the central MLK Library through September 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond this launch, more than 20 cities and towns<\/strong> in the past 18 months have created their own games and interactive stories tied to local history. All were trained in part through our federal IMLS grant<\/a> (Institute of Museum and Library Services) to explore libraries as hubs for interactive storytelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE EXPERIENCE<\/span> <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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Visitors begin with a postcard at the entrance to the exhibit. The card invites them to “hear the inside scoop<\/strong> from Katea as she walks you through the exhibition.” Using their own phones, visitors scan the QR code to dial an interactive hotline featuring Katea in conversation with project staff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the call, photographs are sent by the hotline as text messages to accompany the audio (e.g., \u201cI am sending you a picture of the album cover). There are several audio branches so that  listeners can choose what they want Katea to tell them more about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LISTEN: <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The right tone is essential for engagement and <\/em>community-based projects with real accountability. This clip sets the stage for audio that directly addresses the listener and remains engaging, brief and with just enough institutional backing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EXHIBIT FOCUS<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The underlying exhibit is an 18-month installation in downtown Washington, DC. We Who Believe in Freedom: Black Feminist DC <\/em>traces black feminism in Washington, DC, from the turn of the 20th century through the civil rights and Black Power movements to today. It is the first large-scale in-person exhibit in the 25+ year history of the National Women’s History Museum<\/a> (NWHM), which has previously been primarily an online museum providing resources and programs through its site. The exhibition was developed in partnership with the DC Public Library and installed in the stunning central branch of the DC Public Library, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, which was recently modernized in a $211 Million project<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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KATEA AS “COMMUNITY VOICE” AND INSIGHT<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The most important voice in the project is that of Katea Stitt. She is famous for representing Sweet Honey in the Rock<\/a>, an influential a cappella<\/em> group that is featured prominently in the exhibit. Katea was also a natural choice for an audio project given her experience with radio, since she serves as the program director at WPFW 89.3<\/a> in DC. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Annotated screenshot from Hive Mechanic of the activity, with photographs that are sent to callers from each of the three audio branches. <\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

AUDIO BRANCHING AND NAVIGATION<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There were three audio branches for listeners to explore more deeply. Each gave a different opportunity for Katea to reveal hidden insights and connections, and each came with an image for orientation or exploration. First was a dive into Sweet Honey in the Rock, which came with an image of an album cover for the band (see figure above). The second was a dive into Nkenge Tour\u00e9<\/a>, an influential activist who is featured in the exhibit and is a personal connection for Katea. Third is a step back to reflect on the importance of the exhibit for DC right now, in Katea\u2019s words \u2013 and with a poster of the exhibition sent to the listener\u2019s phone to take home and recruit others to see the important show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

INTERACTIVE MODEL: “INSIDER VOICE-OVER” <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Our research team is working to articulate a series of national models<\/strong> for libraries and community museums. Our priority is on accessibility<\/strong>, since no apps are needed for this interactivity, and ordinary residents alongside library staff can create the experience. This design in particular represents a model for making experiences that we call \u201cinsider voice-overs<\/strong>.\u201d The idea is to augment an existing mural or display case on local history with authentic behind-the scenes voices and to bring new energy and community insights.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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COMPARATIVE VALUE: LIVE AUTHENTICITY AND COMMUNITY EXPERTISE<\/span> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We feel the obsession with fancy apps and expensive museum exhibits has left an opening. Our potential user base is very large, since the vast majority of local libraries and museums have almost no budget and are stretched thin. But our vision is also different \u2013 beginning with the tone. In contrast to traditional museum language, the narrator is not faceless but rather a trusted community voice with a particular perspective. Rather than summarize all perspectives fairly, we prioritize a more deeply authentic and human feel that comes from hearing the specific connections of one unusually connected insider. Obviously, the choice of the community voice is essential – just as it would be in choosing a keynote speaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WALK-THROUGH: <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For makers and librarians who want to make their own, we document some of the experience and scaffolds below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(1) At the entrance to the exhibit, visitors can see the postcard sitting out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(2) The postcard looks like this (front and back):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(3) Scanning the QR code on most phones opens a prompt to dial the phone number. You can generate QR codes like this with free tools (e.g., QR Code Monkey<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(4) An image is immediately sent to the caller\u2019s phone:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2192 <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u2026and the audio tells them to stand in front of the same image in the exhibit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n