The workshop was led by Thandiwe Matyobeni, of the Social Innovation Hub at Rhodes University. The Social Innovation Hub is a centre for digital education, resource sharing and engagement with the broader community. It is part of the Common Good First project, a global initiative funded by the European Union and comprising six South African universities and five international universities, led by GCU.

DST is a form of storytelling and research approach that uses technologies such as smartphones, cameras and video-editing software to create stories about the lived experience of seemingly ‘ordinary’ citizens. These stories are short, emotive, have a small file size and are easy to share on the internet.

The Wise network of gender researchers was launched in November 2019 by Dr Nina Teasdale and Professor Sara Cantillon. Comprising of researchers from Scotland and South Africa, its current focus is on capacity building around digital methods, including DST, in order to strengthen international research relations between WiSE and its South African partners, such as the University of Cape Town and the University of Witwatersrand.

It also aims to help progress the network’s research focus on gender and care work, particularly in the context of the pandemic and ‘building back better’. The network recently had an article published in the Feminist Economics journal on COVID-19 and the pivotal role of grandparents.

Dr Nina Teasdale said: “The network is delighted to collaborate with the Social Innovation Hub and to learn from Thandiwe’s expertise and experiences of creating digital stories and delivering DST courses.

“At the very heart of DST is the story teller, their voice, and their understanding of the world and their community. A combination of photos, videos, audio and narration are utilised, as well as group discussion and group interaction, in the creative process to stimulate critical reflection and empathy, and to share the insights of unheard voices.”