Project StoryMachine: Spatial Hypertext as a Tool for Contemporary, Transcultural Folkloristics

This paper introduces StoryMachine (AHRC grant ref. AH/Z507222/1, DFG project number 547532269), a newly funded transdisciplinary project (2025-2028) conducted jointly by six research groups in Germany and the UK, which aims to develop an innovative digital infrastructure to preserve, explore, and democratize access to folklore traditions and vernacular storytelling practices around the world, with a particular focus on German- and English-speaking communities. Recognizing folklore as a cornerstone of shared cultural identity, the project addresses critical challenges in archival practices, and in particular the lack of interactive, dynamic, accessible and inclusive tools for exploring both traditional and emerging folk narratives. Existing approaches to digital folklore archiving remain largely static, focusing on isolated collections without fostering meaningful exploration, collaboration, or analysis. StoryMachine redefines these paradigms by integrating spatial hypertext and recommender systems to create a visually dynamic, user-centered interface.