AVAnnotate Open Source Application for Audiovisual Digital Exhibits and Editions (DHSI 2026)

Description

This course introduces participants to AVAnnotate, an open-source digital humanities tool for creating annotated audiovisual exhibits. Through hands-on exercises with sample media, participants will learn how to set up projects, create annotations for accessibility and research, and explore case studies in teaching and scholarship. By the end of the week, participants will have built and presented their own projects, gaining practical skills for integrating audiovisual materials into digital research and pedagogy.

Prerequisites: No technical prerequisites are required. Familiarity with basic digital tools and an interest in working with audiovisual collections will be helpful, but all levels of experience are welcome.

Instructor(s)

Jack DeVry Riordan is a PhD student in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses on contemporary Cuban cinema, and the ways in which digital humanities tools can be used for the curation and sharing of audiovisual works. Since September 2025, he has been working with AVAnnotate, exploring how digital annotation and archival practices can expand access to and engagement with audiovisual materials. More broadly, his work bridges film studies and digital humanities, with an emphasis on fostering new methods of preserving and disseminating cultural memory.