Digital Platform

Work package n°4

What are the specific objectives of this work package and how do they contribute to the general objectives of the project?

This WP represents the convergence point of the two previous ones: research and training. It aims to create the digital platform Lirensemble, which addresses the interpretive communities' digital and societal challenge. This platform will combine a digitally enhanced anthology of short stories with the voices of reader communities, promoting a harmonious culture with a focus on interculturality, diversity, and multilingualism. To achieve this goal, a participatory process will explore the social fabric of reading practices and methods as a community. The trajectory will be built around the voices of online and offline reader communities, which will be featured in an interview series and published as podcasts on the platform. This process will also involve developing a read-aloud anthology of short stories that responds to the needs, desires, and practical implications of reader communities, based on insights from those communities. The selection of short stories will reflect their undervalued status compared to other literary forms. Furthermore, the platform will be presented, discussed, and evaluated with the communities involved in the interview series. This will create opportunities for knowledge-building through local, national, and pan-European exchanges. The read-aloud format serves a triple purpose. Firstly, it connects people in a society where heavy use of digital technology can strain relationships and contribute to feelings of isolation and loneliness. Secondly, it increases accessibility to the stories, including for those with visual or neurological impairments, those who struggle with reading, and those who are not proficient in the language of the text. Thirdly, it celebrates the diversity of oralities across different European languages, including specific accents within a single language. The platform will be designed for both desktop and mobile devices, ensuring user-friendly tools, and secure access that respects e-privacy rules and standards.

What will be the main results of this work package?

The work package consists of a participatory trajectory in three movements. - Phase 1: the interview series; - Phase 2: the read-aloud anthology; - Phase 3: knowledge building through conversations. The audience can distill life stories about the meaningfulness of reading in a community, but the podcast series will also serve a wider public (researchers, teachers, students, readers in general), who may thus gain more insight in mediation practices. The outcome of the interview series will guide a jury of ten experts as they compose an online anthology of short stories. The resulting anthology thus goes beyond the classic notion of a collection of physical and digital sources, crafted and made accessible by experts. The online anthology will be shaped by people's knowledge and stories and the conversations that arise when they share it with each other, thus reflecting the identity of a local community and offering a deeper understanding of it. The anthology will consist of 100 short stories, composed by an expert group representing the 10 European countries. The stories will be published in their original languages, and translation will be made available in French as the platform’s main communal language. As such the anthology will give access to new texts as well as their use in non-formal learning environment. The topics, needs, and experiences that the podcast series displays will be reflected in the anthology. The selected texts will be enriched by the narrated experiences from readers. Quotes from participants will reveal direct link between the life-world of European citizens and the text-world of the short stories. Additionally, talks and interviews with authors concerned by the project will also be released through videos or podcasts on the digital platform, thus offering opportunities for knowledge-building and critical thinking in local and global contexts.

This WP offers a unique and participatory trajectory comprised of three distinct movements. The first phase involves an interview series where the audience can glean life stories about the meaningfulness of reading in a community. However, the podcast series will not only serve a wider public, including researchers, teachers, students, and readers in general, but also offer greater insight into mediation practices. The second phase will see the outcome of the interview series guide a jury of ten experts as they compose an online anthology of short stories. This resulting anthology transcends the traditional notion of a collection of physical and digital sources, crafted and made accessible by experts. Instead, it will be shaped by people's knowledge and stories, and the conversations that arise when they share their experiences with each other, thus reflecting the identity of a local community and offering a deeper understanding of it. The anthology will comprise 100 short stories, written in the original languages, with translations made available in French, the platform’s main communal language. As such, the anthology will provide access to new texts and their use in non-formal learning environments. The third phase will reflect the topics, needs, and experiences showcased in the podcast series, which will be reflected in the anthology. The selected texts will be enriched by the narrated experiences from readers, and quotes from participants will reveal a direct link between the life-world of European citizens and the text-world of the short stories. In addition, talks and interviews with authors involved in the project will also be released through videos or podcasts on the digital platform, offering opportunities for knowledge-building and critical thinking in local and global contexts. This participatory approach not only highlights the significance of community engagement but also fosters greater intercultural dialogue and understanding.