We’re all (hopefully) by now familiar with the them of this year’s SL10B Community Celebration: Looking Forward, Looking Back.
Well, the ideals of the theme aren’t restricted to just SL10BCC.
The Dickens Project, December 2012
In December 2012, as part of festivities which took place around the world to mark the Dickens Bicentenary Year, the folk at Storyfests SL organised The Dickens Project. This was a 13-day celebration of Dickens’ work, primarily focused on A Christmas Carol, but which included selections from other novels and short stories.
During the 13 days of the event, some 20 hours of readings and performances took place, featuring an international cast in a purpose-built themed environment in Second Life which not only reproduced the world of Dickens’ novels, but which provided a number of levels of interaction for visitors and audiences, allowing them to immerse themselves in the environment and discover more about Dickens, his life and works, and the era in which he lived.
The Dickens Project, 2012
The concept provided a further means of demonstrating the interactive, immersive possibilities virtual environments have for storytelling and discovery on a global level.
Now, as a part of a broader project, Judith Cullen (Caledonia Skytower in SL), one of the prime movers behind The Dickens Project, has put together a short video looking back at the project before looking towards the possible future expansion of the concept of immersive storytelling.
It’s a fascinating insight, both from a historical standpoint looking back at the Project itself, and the potential for future developments with the overall theme.
The last two days before Christmas are upon us, and as The Dickens Project enters its final week, Caledonia Skytower will be presenting a reading of the entire novel in two parts, commencing at 15:00 SLT each day on the 23rd and 24th December, 2012.
The reading, as well as forming a part of The Dickens Project celebrations, is very much a part of SL Christmas tradition for Cale, as she explains:
Everyone has their holiday traditions. Mine used to be about baking cookies and how much of the contents of my decoration boxes I could get out and up in the house. Several years ago I was asked by then King Marik Zarco of the Bloodlines SL Clan of Blood Evolution to read A Christmas Carol out loud in their Kingdom. That became an annual tradition which, in many ways, fed the kernel of an idea that eventually lead to The Dickens Project.
Be sure to join Caledonia as she brings us the first 90-minute reading of the novella at The Dickens Project stage at 15:00 Sunday 23rd December, and second, 120-minute reading, same time, same place, on Monday 24th December.
The Dickens Project for the Week
Celebrations at The Dickens Project will continue after the Christmas Day break, with presentations taking place on the 26th and 27th December, as follows:
The Dickens Project (image courtesy of Storyfests SL)
Seanchai Library Readings
The Seanchai Library will be presenting suitably themed stories during the week as well, so why not join them at their home on Imagination Island?
Wednesday 26th December 19:00 – The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus
Join Caledonia Skytower at Magicland as she reads from the 1902 classic L. Frank Baum children’s story, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. Join her as she recounts how Ak: Master Woodsman of the World discovers the baby Claus in the forest and passes him into the care of the lioness Shiegra, only for Necile, a wood nymph, to take the babe as her own and persuade Ak that she should – thus earning the child the name “Neclaus” (which in our modern times of course, as the author tells us, we mis-spell as “Nicolas”). As he grows, so Neclaus is encouraged to see the world of mortals – of which he is a part – and so his adventures begin and, eventually, the legend of Santa Claus is born!
Thursday 27th December 19:00 – Pajama Party!
Favorite Bedtime Stories with Derry McMahon, Kayden Oconnell, Faerie Maven-Pralou, and Caledonia Skytower.
The Seanchai Library will be presenting another round of stories and readings in Voice this coming week, as they continue with tales of a distinctly seasonal flavour, while the first full week of The Dickens Project continues.
As always, all times SLT, and unless otherwise stated, events will be held on the Seanchai Library’s home on Imagination Island.
Monday December 17th, 19:00: The Cat Who Came for Christmas
Join Kayden Oconnell for selection from Cleveland Armory’s endearing book.
It is fitting that the founder and head of the Fund for Animals personally rescues and takes in strays, and one incident proved to have a profound effect on him. On a snowy Christmas Eve, Amory helped capture a scrawny cat and took it to his apartment. How does a new cat-keeper train a creature accustomed to fending for itself in Manhattan’s alleys? Slowly, with patience and respect.
Tuesday December 18th, 19:00: A Sprinkling of Christmas Classic
Brought to us piping hot and ready to enjoy by Derry McMahon and Bear Silvershade, who are joined by Aoife Lorefield.
Wednesday December 19th, 19:00: A Christmas Story a Year
Well all know Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in 1843. What many may not know is that he went on to write a further four Christmas tales: The Chimes in 1844, The Cricket on the Hearth in 1845, The Battle of Life in 1846 and The Haunted in 1848. Join Caledonia Skytower as the bicentenary of Charles Dickens’ birth draws to a close, as she presents us with A Christmas Story a Year.
Thursday December 20, 19:00 Dave Cooks the Turkey (and more)
Dave owns the world’s smallest record store, where the motto is “We may not be big but we’re small.” Dave is frequently neurotic and prone to small accidents and mishaps – but he’s not the only one in his family, or his neighbourhood.
Bear Silvershade concludes Dave Cooks the Turkey and he and Derry bring us more from the pen of Stuart McLean for his CBC Radio show, The Vinyl Cafe.
Sunday December 22nd, 13:00: A Raglan Shire Christmas Carol
Join Derry McMahon and Bear Silvershade at Raglan Shire as they present a special adaptation of Dickens’ classic tale of penny-pinching redemption and ghosts past, presents and future especially for Tinies (Biggies welcome as well).
All donations toward the real world charity Witness.
The Dickens Project Continues
The Dickens Project: The story starts on Monday 17th December at noon SLT with Marley’s Ghost, and continues through the week
All this week, The Dickens Project continues with a special nightly presentation of A Christmas Carol to mark the bicentennial of the birth of Charles Dickens. Each presentation is held in voice at Info Island, the home of the Community Virtual Library.
Monday December 17th –Stave One ~ Marley’s Ghost
12:00 noon – Ixmal Supermarine
16:00 – Corwyn Allen
Tuesday, December 18th – Stave Two ~ The First of Three Spirits
12:00 noon – Dubhna Rhiadra
17:00 – Brokali
Wednesday, December 19th – Stave Three ~ The Second of Three Spirits
12:00 noon – Ixmal Supermarine
17:00 – Kayden Oconnell
Thursday, December 20th – Stave Four ~The Last of The Spirits
The Dickens Project – gates open on the 14th December
Friday 14th December will see the The Dickens Project open its gates for a two-week long celebration of Charles Dickens and his work as a part of the festivities which have been taking place around the world to mark the 200th anniversary of his birth.
The Dickens Project is being organised by Storyfests SL and will taken place on land donated to the project by the Community Virtual Library at their home region of Info Island. It will comprise daily presentations (in Voice) of Dickens’ seasonal classic, A Christmas Carol and encompass some of his other works in an inateractive, immersive setting.
The schedule, as it stood on Thursday December 13th is as follows – but please make sure you check for the latest details on the Storyfests blog.
The Dickens Project
Friday December 14th, 14:00
Caledonia Skytower presents The Opening Story!
Saturday December 15th, 17:00
Avatar Repertory Theatre presentation, adapted by Ada Radius (with Singing!)
Sunday December 16th – TBA
Monday December 17th –Stave One ~ Marley’s Ghost
12:00 noon – Ixmal Supermarine
16:00 – Corwyn Allen
Tuesday, December 18th – Stave Two ~ The First of Three Spirits
12:00 noon – Dubhna Rhiadra
17:00 – Brokali
Wednesday, December 19th – Stave Three ~ The Second of Three Spirits
12:00 noon – Ixmal Supermarine
17:00 – Kayden Oconnell
Thursday, December 20th – Stave Four ~The Last of The Spirits
12:00 noon – Dubhna Rhiadra
17:00 – Caledonia Skytower
Friday December 21st – Stave Five ~ The End of It
12:00 noon – Elrik Merlin
19:00 – Shandon Loring & Caledonia Skytower
Saturday December 22nd – OTHER DICKENS! TBA
Sunday December 23rd and Monday December 24th
15:00 – Caledonia Skytower reads the novella in two 90-minute sittings
Tuesday December 25th –CHRISTMAS DAY
Wednesday December 26th – OTHER DICKENS!
12:00 noon – Klannex Northmead with a selection from Little Dorrit
15:00 – Caledonia Skytower with a selection from Great Expectations
Thursday December 27th – Closing Day and “Alternate Versions Presentations”
The Dickens Project – presentation stage
That’s not all! There’s more!
As mentioned above, The Dickens Project site also features places to explore as part of the celebration. These allow you to:
Visit Scrooge & Marley’s, and the Poulterer’s Shop (“You mean the one as big as me?”)
Enjoy roasted chestnuts on the street, or an apple or a candy stick from the Grocer’s Shop
Get the texts of the Staves of A Christmas Carol from the Bookseller and follow along with the readings
Enjoy three “Gardens” celebrating visual artists inspired by Dickens Christmas Classic: Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come
Explore the second level and enjoy the Galleries: Notable Scrooge’s, Dicken’s London, and of course The Works of Charles Dickens. Don’t forget to click! There’s links a plenty in the galleries, which is accessible through the Bookseller’s Shop or on either side of Scrooge & Marley’s
Ever wonder what inspired the creation of the character Ebenezer Scrooge? Ever wonder why Dicken’s wrote “A Christmas Carol” and then followed it up with a Christmas novella a year for the next five years? You can discover all these things at The Dickens Project!
The Dickens Project stands as a remarkable, immersive collaborative project, bringing to life the world of Srouge, Bob Cratchit and all in word and in all three dimensions. So come one, come all and enjoy a festive treat and celebrate the life and works of Charles Dickens and the power of great literature.
The Dickens Project
All gratuities received during the event will be donated to the Community Virtual Library in SL.
Incredible to think it is November already, and December is peeping at us over the horizon with the promise of Christmas festivities to come, with the year-end on their coat-tails.
the young Charles Dickens
This year has been the Dickens Bicentenary Year, which has seen celebrations of the life and works of Charles Dickens take place across the UK and around the world.
Commencing in Mid-December, StoryFests SL, in collaboration with their sponsors, Stories Unlimited! (the subscription group for Seanchai library (SL)) and the Community Virtual Library, will be hosting The Dickens Project, an interactive environment for a special presentation of A Christmas Carol.
This will be a special presentation of Dickens’ seasonal classic, and features Voice presentations of that work in whole, part, or adapted (as long as it is true to the original story) beginning December 14th through December 26th. On December 27th, the last day of the Project, the venue will be open to “alternate version” presentations and tributes to the classic.
The event will be hosted on land donated to the project by the Community Virtual Library at their home region of Info Island.
The Dickens Project SL
Currently, the organisers are seeking performers interested in participating in the event, which will be in live and in Voice. Presentations may be solo, duets, or larger groups of voices. StoryFest Events will take care of booking time slots and promoting (though presenters are encouraged to promote through any avenues that have as well). Those interested in participating are requested they contact Caledonia Skytower in-world and via notecard to apply for a presentation slot. Applications should include an outline of the presentation, including preferred dates and times for the presentation to be given (see the provisional schedule below for an outline of the event).
All applications for performance slots must be received no later than the 5th December, 2012.
Provisional Schedule
The project timeline (including actual presentations) is still being developed, and anyone interested in participating / attending should keep an eye on the StoryFests SL website. However, here’s a summary of the proposed activities:
Wednesday December 5th: Deadline for Presenter Requests
Monday December 10th through Thursday December 13th: Venue available for presenter preview
Friday December 14th: Opening Day
Saturday December 15th OR Sunday December 15th: A.R.T. Partnership Presentation (exact date TBA)
Monday December 17th, 09:00-21:00 SLT: Celebrate Stave One – A Visit from Marley’s Ghost
Tuesday December 18th, 09:00-21:00 SLT: Celebrate Stave Two – Christmas Past
Wednesday, December 19th, 09:00-21:00 SLT: Celebrate Stave Three – Christmas Present
Thursday, December 20th, 09:00-21:00SLT:Celebrate Stave Four – Christmas Yet to Come Friday, December 21st, 09:00-21:00 SLT: Celebrate Stave Five – Scrooge Awake!*
Saturday, December 22nd: TBA
Sunday, December 23rd, 16:00 SLT: Caledonia Skytower reads A Christmas Carol Part 1 (90 minutes)
Monday December 24th, 16:00 SLT: Caledonia Skytower reads A Christmas Carol Part 2 (90 minutes)
Dec 27 – Alternate Versions Day and close.
Any gratuities received during the event will be donated to the Community Virtual Library in SL.
Join Caledonia Skytower at 
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 