Background Information
Prologue: A Madeiran specific Transmedia Experience
In the context of the EU-funded Future Fabulators project at M-ITI, we conceived and designed a locally inspired context-aware transmedia story. Drawing inspiration from a creative writing workshop and future scenario sessions, we developed a fictional story around two central themes: the past-present-future impact of human settlement on a particular ecosystem, in this case the centuries-old ‘living lab’ and UNESCO-protected wilderness of Madeira; and the healing properties of local flora as explored in folk remedies. We are working with biologists and ethnobotanists of the University of Madeira in order to research and adapt the story plot with the biology and botanic relevant information.
The Laura Silva story experience starts when from a dystrophic future a request for help reaches the contemporary audience.
Something went wrong in some time in space and the world as we know it ceased to exist. The audience is asked to embarque on a quest of a lost book of knowledge about the Madeiran special and medicinal plants that could have the power to reverse or improve things in the future.
The Transmedia story takes place in Madeira during the 18th century, when it served as a busy port for transatlantic trade. Our heroine, Laura Silva, is a young woman who discovers in Madeira’s unique forest plants and flowers with healing properties. She then uses them to help the people of the island and catalogues her findings in a vast herbarium – an annotated and illustrated book with samples of medicinal plants – but the book goes missing.
The trans media experience will push the audience to embark on a quest to find the herbarium or endangered plant species. The content is being researched and produced with the collaboration of Dr. ra Susana Fontinha and her team of researchers, Fabio Reis and Dina Henriques, from ISOplexis, the Genetics and Biotechnology research centre from the University of Madeira. The experience will be mediated through a custom made mobile application that will provide location-aware sensing to guide the audience in discovering parts of the story that lead to the book. Physical narrations sets will set the start and the end of the experience (inspired or adapted by the Lucid Dreaming sets). Future Scenarios developed in the context of the story (during the November workshop) will enlighten the audience about its possible futures.
The Laurel Forest
This original forest of the tertiary geological era subsists only in the Madeira, Azores and Canaries. Madeira has the largest and best preserved Laurissilva of the world, which was designated in 1999 as a World Natural Heritage by UNESCO. This forest is an ecosystem of high scientific value which support many endemic species of flora and fauna. Despite existing legal protection, the Laurel forest is threatened by the increasing dispersion of alien plants and the occurrence of fire.
Goal of the workshop
The goal for the workshop will be to imagine future scenarios where the Laurel forest and its potential are portrait.
Provisional Workplan
Day 1
10:00 – Experience Prototype
MITI sets up the experience prototype of the Laura Silva Transmedia story experience in Ponta do Sol.
Future Fabulators workshop participants try it and give feedback.
Presentation of the Natural biodiversity and Laurel Forest by Dr. ra Susana Fontinha
12:30- Light Lunch Break
14.00 – Guided Laurissillva Levada Walk & Fanal
Guided tour to a Levada walk in the heart of the Laurel Forest – Risco levada
The participants will have the opportunity to experience and get to know the Laurel Forest guided by Dr. ra Susana and her researchers Dina Henriques and Fabio Reis
20.00 – Dinner and chill out at Estalagem
Day 2
Future Scenario Session on the Future of Laurisilva
FoAm will lead the session to promote future scenarios for the Laurisilva forest
10:00 – Session 1 – Laurisilva Futures Workshop
13:00 – Lunch Break
14:00 – Session 2 – Laurisilva Futures Workshop continued
20.00 – Dinner and drinks in the village
Workshop participants
MITI: Valentina Nisi, Mara Dionisio, Julian Hanna, Giovanni Innella
UMa: Susana Fontinha, Dina Henriques, Mauricio Reis
FoAm: Maia Kuzmanivic, Nik Gaffney
Times Up: Tina Auer, Tim Boykett, Alex Davies
AltArt: Rariza Zabranca, Istvan Szakats
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