Spatial Storytelling: Finding Interdisciplinary Immersion

Abstract

This paper is part of an ongoing transdisciplinary research into immersion. In specific, it focuses on Spatial Storytelling to examine the narrative technique in conjunction with Spatial Presence, a commonly accepted subtype of Presence. How our real-life occupation is a constant narrative making exercise and how storytelling is ingrained in our movement in space. It is argued here that immersion and presence models stand to benefit from spatial theory, particularly, the body of work surrounding spatial practices and narratives. Further, that the incorporation of spatial theory adds to the necessary versatility required in approaching immersion, which has been thus far dominated by positivist empiricism. Contributions of a theorized space are also found missing from interactive storytelling and videogames where subject/object interactivity is seen as mere actions performed inside a given space whereas the paper argues that space is learnt through such involvement.