This year we have been researching and developing a variety of educational applications for the StoryDome, including live interactive shows at professional conferences, watershed stories integrated with community engagement, and K-12 as well as college-level science education modules. We have discovered that the StoryDome is a premier storytelling platform that can help communities address important civic and environmental issues from a whole-systems perspective.
The Salish Sea Basin Project
In January of 2013, the Russell Family Foundation (www.trff.org) asked the StoryDome team to create a visually compelling summary of the critical issues facing the Puyallup Watershed that stretches from Mount Rainier to the Puget Sound. The result is a 20-minute show called Where Many Voices Meet: The Puyallup Watershed Story. In August, the Threshold Foundation committed $17,000 to fund the creation of a Tool Bank for Resilience and Thrivability in the Salish Sea Basin. Where Many Voices Meet is the foundation upon which we will build a StoryDome film with complementary community engagement activities that bring multiple stakeholders into cross-cultural dialogue about the challenges and opportunities confronting all of us across the bio-region.
The Greening of the Self
After two years of testing and exploration, the StoryDome team is embarking on a grand narrative journey with the goal of expanding audiences’ self-identity to include all of life. We call it (after Joanna Macy) The Greening of the Self. We arecommitted to using all the immersive video and audio tools we have to help people experience directly the interconnectedness of all life. The Greening of the Self is the most comprehensive story we know how to tell – one about who, what, and where we are in the deep history of our Universe. It is an integrative creation tale beginning with the Universe and including all scales of reality – macro to micro, personal to collective, inner and outer.Our vision is to create a 30-minute high-resolution dome film that will provide an immersive, awe-inspiring experience of this overarching story. These complex dynamics – from the vastness of the Universe to the power of quantum reality, and from the flowing beauty of all life to the richness of human consciousness – will come alive in this compelling visual story. Our goal is to develop and license The Greening of the Self to planetariums, science centers, and multiple dome facilities throughout the world.
Earth Portal at the Seattle Center Next Fifty Celebration–
Earth Portal opened on April 21st as a featured exhibit at the 50th anniversary celebration of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. It was open to the public until October 14, 2012. It was our first production for use in the GeoDome.
Community Programs
The StoryDome adds an exciting “big picture” educational experience to any public event or community conference.
Business Programs
StoryDome offers customized programs for ongoing leadership initiatives as well as stand alone events. Because of its portability, we can bring the GeoDome to corporate campuses, convention centers, and other remote locations.
Educational Programs
StoryDome can be brought into educational institutions at all levels — K-12, university, and professional schools. Students of all ages find the GeoDome to be an enjoyable catalyst for learning any subject, and design and problem solving skills are readily engaged.
Earth Portal Special Events
Our location at the Seattle Center proved a successful events space. We hosted engaging speakers on a variety of topics.