‘My Reservoir’ is a community project that uses digital storytelling methods to record and illustrate memories, thoughts, hopes and fears people have about the Edgbaston reservoir and its surroundings in Birmingham.

Artscoop Central & Bertz Associates are two locally based arts organisations who wanted to help start telling the stories of the Edgbaston reservoir through the voices of ordinary people who love the site.

The projects’ funding is linked to developing local communities, through the delivery of digital storytelling skills to interested community groups; and to opportunities for young emerging artists. COVID restrictions have shaped the project, which is based completely online, and all the stories produced will be hosted on this site and available for all to see.

As part of ‘My Reservoir’, Dr Antonia Liguori, Senior Lecturer in Applied Storytelling at Loughborough University and coordinator of the Art-Connection project, facilitated a ‘train the trainers’ digital storytelling workshop to enable leaders from community groups to use simple technology to gather digital stories.

All staff/participants live across Ladywood, which in many parts is in the 10% most deprived in the country (IMD 2019). Avery Care Home residents are suffering from increased loneliness/isolation as a result of Covid-19 visitor/activities bans and need accessible/safe activities to give them focus, connect socially with others and help protect against early-onset dementia. Children in the local groups have been cut-off as a result of Covid-19. This project helped them reconnect with each other and their local area in a safe way through enjoyable storytelling workshops and creative activities.

The digital stories produced are accessible via this link.