Ōtautahi Learning Days 2025: Stories for Impact 2-Day Workshop Series

Ōtautahi Learning Days is Christchurch’s local iteration of the Remake Learning Days festival. Organised by Ako Ōtautahi Learning City Christchurch, this festival celebrates learning in its many forms across the city. 

This two-day digital storytelling workshops aim to enable you, Learning Champions in Ōtautahi Christchurch, to create your own digital stories, using smartphones and other affordable equipment.

In partnership with Digital Storytellers and Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha University of Canterbury's Te Pokapū Pāhekoheko Hapori Community Engagement Research Lab, this workshop series give participants the skills to FIND, MAKE, EDIT & SHARE impactful stories for projects, causes and organisations. This is part of the #learningwithstories stream.

Commitment:

By signing up, you're committed to attend both the below dates:

• FRIDAY 13 JUNE (9am-5pm) Workshop 1 - UC Rehua Building, Community101

• FRIDAY 18 JULY (9am-5pm) Workshop 2 - UC Jack Erskine, Room 340
  

Over two days, participants will complete a short practice video, from start to finish and have the skills to continue creating stories in the future.

What participants will learn:

• How to use our Story Canvas tool to brainstorm story ideas and develop a powerful story strategy

• Narrative frameworks

• How to use mobile phones, cameras and accessible technology to film interviews and cutaways

• Authentic story listening and engagement

• How to capture better quality audio

• How to pull footage together and edit on smartphones, tablets or computers
  

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About the Learning Facilitator:

This session will be facilitated by Erica Austin—a versatile community strategist, facilitator, storyteller, and experience curator who empowers people and organisations through strengths-based growth and inclusive culture. With a background in architecture, Erica designs transformative experiences—both virtual and in-person—that foster belonging, spark collaboration, and lead to collective impact. Her storytelling practice helps groups surface shared narratives, deepen understanding, and catalyse meaningful change.