A Virtual Performance Stage as a Space for Children to Create and Perform Stories

Abstract

This research focuses on the development of the Wayang Authoring tool, which aims to assist children in creating and performing stories, developing an appreciation for cultural artifacts, and enhancing intercultural empathy while building a young storyteller community within a virtual world. This study seeks a framework of interaction design of an authoring media, which is appropriate for supporting a child’s narrative development. To understand the user’s requirements and to evaluate the tool, children, teacher and story performers who use wayang have been involved in the development process. This virtual creative production tool is expected to provide a space for young people to change their role from a simple user to a (co-)creator in both the virtual and narrative worlds. This research found that a better understanding of how stories are crafted and brought to life in a performance tradition offers a better design of interaction of an authoring media.