Photography or video contests invite members of a community to submit photos on a certain topic, generally community character or special places, to collect different perspectives on how residents see the community's heart and soul.
The HeartSpots project, an interactive storytelling project created for the Heart & Soul project of Biddeford, Maine, allows citizens to record stories and memories through cell phones at many of their favorite locations on Main St.
Modeled after traditional storytelling gatherings, Story Circles allow people to come together to share experiences and stories. This process can help communities explore and identify unifying values, which can inform the planning process.
Community Theater projects expand upon the concept of local theater to produce shows that are based upon or document the character of the community itself or explore issues the community is dealing with.
Story Interviews, typically recorded conversations between two or more people, are a way to collect and share memories, personal experiences, and connections to a place. They can celebrate a town, spark discussion, and influence future plans.
Community members can create collages to share what they love about their town, what they'd like to change, ideas they'd like to see developed, or to answer some other question or challenge.
Community Video projects are any type of video documentary or film describing local community or presenting profiles of residents. They can be used specifically as tools for planning when they address certain complicated planning topics or issues.
Digital storytelling tools make traditional stories available in digital form, or using computer-based tools - whether photographs, video, audio recordings, online postings, or mixed media.