Culture Shock have been nominated along with their partners, John Lewis in Newcastle. This is what the judges said:
Who better to tell the story of life in the North East of England, in all its different shapes, colours and sizes than the people who actually live there? TWAM have taken this simple but powerful realisation very seriously. With the invaluable support and participation of John Lewis, Newcastle, TWAM’s Culture Shock project is directly engaging its local communities and non-traditional museum visitors to create their own digital stories inspired by museum collections. As an existing TWAM business member, Culture Shock was an opportunity for John Lewis, Newcastle to develop its partnership with TWAM further and to demonstrate its commitment to its employees and the wider community.
The impact
As both audience and producers of these ‘short, personal multimedia tales told from the heart’, communities in the North East have not only been given a voice through TWAM and John Lewis, Newcastle’s partnership but have also learned new skills. 1000 digital stories will eventually form a permanent and unmatched record of life in the North East. Employees and retired employees of John Lewis, Newcastle were invited to create their own personal stories This richly varied group of participants formed an ideal pilot for the Culture Shock team who then went on to roll the project out across the region. Denise Nunn, Community Liason at John Lewis, Newcastle commented that ‘The employee enjoyment and pride is a tangible feel good factor which can only be good for business.’
The best thing you can do now is to vote for them so that they win the prize.
