Applying the Theatre Metaphor to Integrated Media for Depicting Geography

Abstract

Most users cannot experience actual events in situ, so they use maps to visualize where they take place. But, maps alone are not enough to appreciate the realities that one would experience by actually being there. The ability to be informed about 'real reality' is impossible. How might individuals better understand what it is like to actually live in a place, to endure hardships, or to enjoy the pleasures provided in a particular landscape. It is argued that through the use of the theatre metaphor, rich media artefacts can be provided as adjuncts to maps, whereby their use can provide users with experiences related to the emotional and experiential background information that 'hides' behind the map representation of geography. These theatre-guided artefacts can provide powerful insights into places when cinema is applied to telling 'stories' about geography, through personal and collective stories. This additional representation of geography extends typical geographical information displays by making the visualizations more personal, and thus providing a deeper representation of geography. As well, these artefacts can be built according to models of storytelling, whereby the resultant film can be used to portray the emotive elements in representations and give credibility to information that is not usually available through 'standard' mapping techniques. This paper explores how the Theatre metaphor can be employed to enable everyday activities, life in general and items specific to certain topics, to be depicted in ways that allow viewers/users to go deeper into the meaning behind representations of geography. Artefacts produced can complement and enhance the 'surface' geographical representation that maps offer. By integrating geographical artefacts designed and produced under the umbrella of the Theatre metaphor with the map metaphor, users can be provided with a more powerful integrated media tool than if a 'just maps' approach was followed.

Keywords:

• CARTOGRAPHY
• METAPHORS
• THEATRE