Story Labs: Digital Playroom model?

A group of multi-platform/transmedia creators – including Australia’s Gary Hayes – have joined forces to create StoryLabs, an organisation for the education and mentoring of storytellers.

“Technology has created both new tools and new ways to reach connected audiences. Mastering these new storytelling tools in the changing media landscape is the mission of StoryLabs,” said Hayes.

StoryLab’s development programs include Ad Lab (focused on cross media advertising), Mobile Media Lab, Community Lab (focused on Social Media Story), Games Lab, Innovation Lab (focused on story around new services and product) and Transmedia Lab (focused on the development of new forms of storytelling).

Mentors will provide “a hands-on opportunity for brands and media properties to advance new story formats and to shape a fully integrated story based transmedia solution”, according to an official statement.

StoryLabs is hosting a mentor and participant online network that will allow people to to engage in the creation of new form storytelling; there are 24 global story and experience creators already listed on the site – four from Canada, nine from Australia and seven from the US and UK.

StoryLabs is also planning incubator labs for the first quarter of 2011, with Screen Australia onboard as a sponsor.

For more information, click here.