The public can experience the geolocation STORY CITY projects created by first-year students in the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts' Story Lab course this semester.
The 32 locative audio projects can be experienced throughout the city of Lincoln using a mobile phone and earphones.
"People should expect to hear a variety of stories, explore Lincoln and take part in some immersive experiences,” said Hannah Pedersen, a freshman emerging media arts major from Phillips, Nebraska. “Since the STORY CITY project is audio-based, the participant can move at their own pace as they find themselves listening in on the hidden stories of the city.”
Listeners can begin by downloading the free Echoes interactive sound walks app, available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play. Visit the Carson Center's homepage on Echoes at go.unl.edu/story-city to get started.
“STORY CITY really combines a few different aspects of storytelling, which I think is really exciting. Plus, it’s COVID-19-friendly, both in terms of production and in terms of experience,” said Assistant Professor of Emerging Media Arts Ash E. Smith. “I think that’s something we’re all thirsty for is how to still have cultural and art events in this time.”
The concept of these geolocative stories is that GPS (Global Positioning System—or your location) triggers hearing the story on your phone through the app.
“Imagine on your phone, you download this Echoes app, and then each of our students have created and designed their own almost imagine like a radio play, however it’s super site-specific. So you’re walking, you put your earbuds in with your phone, and you wander around the city. You have these layers of what’s real, and then you have the story layers, which you’re listening to, and they’re quite fantastically all over the place,” Smith said.
Stories begin at locations such as the Lincoln Station at 201 N. 7th St. in the Haymarket; Stransky Park near 17th and Harrison Ave.; the north side of the Nebraska State Capitol at 1445 K. St.; and Holmes Lake, among many other locations throughout the city. Many of the stories begin on campus, in downtown Lincoln and in the Haymarket.
“When we started this project, I had everyone submit a news story that they found about Lincoln,” Smith said. “And from that, we did a workshop where we built off of those news stories. Depending on the student, we have a range, where some of the projects tend to be like games, where you’re playing this secret spy agent through the city of Lincoln. And then there are others that have done things like their story includes having to go into all of these Lincoln establishments and get a soda or do an improv scene with people at Archrival. That’s kind of interesting. I can even imagine this format as a way to develop further story layer possibilities with local Lincoln businesses or as a way for guests in local Lincoln hotels to get out and explore the city through a new lens.”
The app will guide you where to stand to begin the story.
“When you go into this Echoes app, you’ll see that people have created content all over the world that you can do, but right now, the only ones in Lincoln, Nebraska, are the ones created by our students,” Smith said.
Smith hopes a lot of people get outside walking and experience these audio projects.
“I want the city of Lincoln to come and experience this,” Smith said. “That is what they created this for—the city of Lincoln. It’s almost like a love letter to the city of Lincoln. It’s another way to have an adventure or to experience the city. I think it’s really fun.”
Pedersen hopes people come outside to experience their audio stories.
“People should check out our audio stories to expose themselves to a different type of storytelling and experience Lincoln in a new way,” she said. “For those interested in storytelling, I think it would also be beneficial for people to see the creative projects the Emerging Media Art program develops.”