Podcast blurb: Storytelling is an important element for event experiences and must be carefully and strategically designed to ensure the intended story or message is experienced. In this podcast I explain what storytelling is, how it linked to the practice of interpretation, and importantly, how storytelling helps to attract and maintain audience interests and attention whilst at the same time helping to support an enhanced quality of life for the local community in which an event might take place.

Brianna’s bio: Brianna Wyatt is a Senior Lecturer and the Postgraduate Subject Coordinator for the Hospitality, Tourism, and Events Management programmes at Oxford Brookes University. Her primary research interests and industry experience revolve around heritage and dark tourism, with emphasis in interpretation and experience design. She is also a consulting academic for (dark)heritage businesses within her University’s Business & External Engagement team, with her most recent work pertaining to collection management and exhibitions development at the Buckingham Old Gaol.

Further reading and resources:

Agnew, V., Lamb, J. & Tomann, J. (Eds.) The Routledge handbook of reenactment studies. Routledge.

Åstrøm, J. K. (2020). Why Theming? Identifying the Purposes of Theming in Tourism. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 21(3), 245–266. https://doi.org/10.1080/1528008X.2019.1658147

Brædder, A., Esmark, K., Kruse, T., Nielsen, C. T., & Warring, A. (2017). Doing pasts: Authenticity from the reenactors’ perspective. Rethinking History, 21(2), 171-192. https://doi.org/10.1080/13642529.2017.1315969

Dal Falco, F. & Vassos, S. (2017) Museum experience design: A modern storytelling methodology, The Design Journal, 20(1), S3975-S3983, https://doi.org/10.1080/14606925.2017.1352900

Duffy, M. & J. Mair (2018) Festival Encounters: Theoretical Perspectives on Festival Events. Abingdon: Routledge.

Jablon-Roberts, S., & Sanders, E. A. (2019). The underlying definition of historical accuracy. Dress - The Journal of the Costume Society of America, 45(2), 107-125. https://doi.org/10.1080/03612112.2018.1537647

Saxton, L. (2020). A true story: Defining accuracy and authenticity in historical fiction, Rethinking History, 24(2) 127-144. https://doi.org/10.1080/13642529.2020.1727189

Tschida, D. A. (2022). Rendevous with history: Grand Portage National Monument and Minnesota’s North Shore. In C. Rex & S. E. Watson (Eds.), Public memory, race, and heritage tourism of early America (pp. 136-152). Routledge.

Wyatt, B. & Rossetti, G. (2024 – forthcoming) Storytelling in festivals and events: A Special Issue for the Event Management Journal.