About StoryTagging

THE STORYTAGGING PROJECT HAS NOW FINISHED.

The main objectives were:

• To collect and curate stories that celebrate northern cultural heritage
• To help the creative industry bring stories to life through products and works
• To creating a digital platform that increases the market reach of northern creative practitioners

THE PROJECT HAS CREATED THE WEBSITE WWW.NORTHWORDPROJECT.COM WHERE YOU CAN VIEW THE FINAL OBJECTIVES 

StoryTagging responds to the economic challenges shared by creative practitioners across remote northern communities: distance from international markets, higher delivery and production costs, limited local customer base, depopulation and a limited labour market. The project will increase the visibility and market reach of these businesses by providing a digital platform to market and sell products, and by providing tools and training resources to enhance participants digital marketing skills, making it easier for creatives to stay in their home communities. The platform will also serve as a resource for tourists, increasing visitor numbers to remote areas.

NPA regions have similar advantages as well as common challenges. One of these is a distinct cultural and natural heritage, demonstrated through history, language, archaeology, landscape and folklore, and reflected through a long tradition of storytelling. StoryTagging harnesses the power of these stories: as a source of inspiration for the creative industries, to promote the cultural heritage of remote communities, to attract visitors. By encouraging communities to rediscover and celebrate local stories, the project will have the added social and cultural benefit of re-engaging northern communities with storytelling traditions, as well as enhancing the experience of visitors discovering a region by connecting them with local stories and traditions.

The project recognises these commonalities and draws on the experience and expertise of institutions in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, Northern Ireland, Russia, Sweden and Finland to find solutions. This transnational approach allows businesses and enterprises in each partner country to address these issues collaboratively rather than in isolation. It allows each partner institution to share their specialist knowledge and expertise, and to learn from the expertise of others. Working collaboratively will benefit participating businesses, who will have the opportunity to attend transnational events and take part in transnational marketing, as well as learn from similar businesses elsewhere. The digital platform created during this project will continue to draw on these connections between regions, as visitors using the website and apps to discover one region will also be exposed to the stories and products of another.