In this session we will share the design and implementation of a digital mapping project used in an undergraduate class in theater history. The independent research project utilizes ESRI Story Maps software–a free online GIS software for everyday users. As part of an interdisciplinary course on theater and architecture, students conduct research on historical sites around the city and enter the data into spreadsheets. The data and images on urban performance are projected onto a digital map of New York City, and then narrativized into cohesive geographical and temporal units. Since the information is vast, the project will continue to evolve as the archive grows, and new maps can be designed to focus on specific historical phenomena in performance culture and urban architecture. Click for a preview of the Story Map: Architectural History of NYC Theatre.

The demonstration will include a brief overview of georeferencing, data and image collection and attribution, basic functionality of ESRI Story Maps, and a description of classroom assignments for teaching and research in digital mapping.