Common Language Digital Storytelling

And finally, our fourth sneak peek.

Jessica’s story invites us to think about how the experiences of those closest to us can shape our own lives in ways we may not recognize until much later.

We hope you’ll join us to experience her story — and the three others — at our next Kitchen Table Night on September 28.

Reserve your free spot today!

Here is the third of four sneak peeks at the stories being shared at the next Kitchen Table Night on September 28. Reserve your free spot today!

Here is the second of four sneak peeks at the stories being shared at the next Kitchen Table Night on September 28. Reserve your free spot today!

Here is the first of four sneak peeks at the stories being shared at the next Kitchen Table Night on September 28. Reserve your free spot today!

We're back!

Who gets to shape what we know?

Research helps us understand the world. But research doesn't happen in a vacuum. It is shaped by the questions we ask, the experiences we notice, the voices we listen to—and sometimes, the voices we overlook.

Digital stories bring lived experience into that space. They give people an opportunity to share not just information, but context, emotion, meaning, and the realities behind the data. When those stories become part of research conversations, something shifts. The river doesn't necessarily change direction all at once. But a new channel begins to form.

What voices do we need to make more room for in research?

What happens when a digital story leads to a research question? Sometimes, it opens a door to something new.

Melody Williamson, a Common Language facilitator, first connected with SIDS Calgary Society through a digital story she co-created with her friend, Jackie Sillner. After members of SIDS Calgary attended a Common Language Story Slam, they asked for five more stories. With them, the question came, "What happens when people with similar lived experiences watch and discuss someone else’s story?"

That question has now become a research project exploring how shared stories might support families experiencing SIDS bereavement.

One story became five new stories.
Five stories sparked a question.
And that question is becoming research.

What questions might be waiting inside the stories your community is already telling?

What if research started with a story?

Research often begins with a question. But where do those questions come from? Sometimes they come from data. Sometimes from gaps in the literature. And sometimes, they come from someone saying:

“This is what happened to me.”

Lived experience can reveal questions that numbers alone might miss. Digital storytelling creates space for those experiences to enter the conversation—not as an addition to research, but as another way of knowing.

Like a river finding a new channel, sometimes a story helps research move in a direction it hadn't considered before.

What questions might we discover if we listened more closely to people's stories?

Can AI replace digital storytelling facilitators?

As AI changes how we create and share media, it’s a question worth asking.

But digital storytelling is about more than creating a finished video.

It’s about trust. Care. Listening. Human connection.

It’s about creating space for people to explore their experiences, find their voice, and create something meaningful together.

AI may change the tools we use. But what makes digital storytelling deeply human remains.

What do you think technology can’t replace in a storytelling process?