Dr Kayla Jones is a creative practitioner and researcher in digital storytelling. She completed her doctoral project entitled 'Interpreting Penrhyn: How can podcasts be used to communicate the multi-layered narrative of a Welsh Estate?' in 2023.
Originally from the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, a culture rich in oral storytelling, Kayla moved to Wales in 2012 to study for a BA in Creative & Professional Writing at Bangor University, followed by an MA in Research in Creative Practice. Over the course of her studies, Kayla developed a deep love for the heritage of her new home of north Wales, and a keen interest in promoting tourism to the area.
Kayla joined ISWE to undertake her doctoral project, supported by The Drapers’ Company, in 2018. Her multi-disciplinary project explored how digital media – podcasting in particular – can be used to communicate the multilayered complexities of heritage sites. The primary output was Podlediad Penrhyn, a five-part podcast which tells the multi-layered narrative of Penrhyn’s story – past, present, and future. Acting as an inquisitive interviewer, Kayla’s role within the podcast was as an external facilitator, eager to listen to the stories and expertise of those whose lives are intricately woven into the fabric of the Penrhyn Estate.
Since completing her project, Kayla has been appointed Associate Story Fellow on the StoryArcs Programme, run by The Story Society at Bath Spa University and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). StoryArcs is a pioneering initiative dedicated to exploring the transformative power of storytelling across sectors such as business, culture, and education. Working with Local Trust, Kayla is exploring how to communicate Big Local’s activities and impacts. Local Trust’s project spanned ten years, with funding for projects such as building a sports centre and an outdoor cinema, and facilitating social enterprise dinners, young adult programmes, and local financial services.
