This blog is the result of the work of one of the ‘break-out-groups’ during the NetIKX seminar held by Teodora Petkova on November 25th 2021 entitled “Writing for the web: perspectives and practical advice”.
For an excellent review of this seminar please start off with a blog written by Carlin Parry which ‘sets the scene’ so to speak https://www.visucius.org/2021/12/02/writing-for-the-web-perspectives-and-practical-advice/
Our group was asked to write a script for a short video of a few minutes. The video was entitled ‘How to propagate strawberries in a community garden’. Teodora asked us for our ‘beautiful first ugly draft’ and for ‘meaningful content’ and for us ‘to think before we ink’, which to us meant being concise. Here is the result :
The Script
An Interview with Conrad who is running a Community Group for gardeners.
Personnel : Conrad – gardener; Anke – tutor; Gerard – dolly grip/best boy/cameraman.
Robert – interviewer
Robert –
‘Here we are in Fareham House garden. Conrad and Anke are going to tell us about propagating strawberries.
Conrad is a student who planted strawberries in May and they have spread all over this raised bed’.
Conrad –
‘We only had 5 strawberries and Anke is telling me what we can do about it’.
Gerard moves camera from Conrad to Anke and also shows the strawberry bed itself and goes back to Anke for her contribution….Anke talks about the proper way to plant strawberry runners, which she regards as the easiest way to propagate strawberries.
How to grow strawberries on the ground – US video.
https://youtu.be/upqmvFFHLw0
How to grow strawberries in pots – US video.
https://youtu.be/stw9KEpSNEg
Conrad – ‘I think that all members of our community would like to find out about these things and then they could take a strawberry plant home to foster in their own homes’.
[In 2022 Conrad wishes to make a video of next season’s strawberry planting which will supersede the first video above].
Conrad then explains to camera how viewers can join the Community Group.
End of script.
Now, we can open this up and show the idea of ‘the strawberry’ in different socio-cultural contexts. We have foraged the web for information and found the following ‘knowledge bits’ in architecture, art & fabric design, film, food, music and poetry.
Strawberry in Architecture
Strawberry Hill House – Community Garden – website page. Strawberry Hill House is the Gothic Revival Villa built in Twickenham, London by Horace Walpole (1717-1797).
https://www.strawberryhillhouse.org.uk/get-involved/community-gardening/
Strawberry in Art and Fabric Design
The strawberry as art in ‘The strawberry thief flower and bird pattern’ by William Morris (1834-1896) – image
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O78889/strawberry-thief-furnishing-fabric-morris-william/
Strawberry in Film
‘Wild Strawberries’ by Ingmar Bergman (1957) – video
An old University professor goes on a long car trip to collect an award and he reminisces about gathering strawberries with his girlfriend in his youth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwH-gJ0c5E4
Strawberry in Food
Strawberries as food – How to make chocolate strawberries – video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpKmU2_acM4
Strawberries as food/art – How to make strawberry art decoration – video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNFC82zFFzM
Strawberry in Music
‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ by the Beatles – original video
John Lennon used to play as a child in a Salvation Army children’s home in Liverpool called ‘Strawberry Fields’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtUH9z_Oey8
Strawberry in Poetry
‘Strawberries’ by acclaimed Scots poet Edwin Morgan 1920-2010 – website page
https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/strawberries/
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