Deep Seed: A Digital Folklore is a recent commission by artist Ruth Flowers, developed through Place Lab—a creative initiative from Into the Light and delivered by No More Nowt and Ogre Studios.

Taking inspiration from ‘Creepy Pasta’ and SCPs—online communities of writers and enthusiasts who use video, images, GIFs, hyperlinks, and text to invent new creatures and stories—this project explores the internet as a living landscape for contemporary folklore. With AI as a creative companion, Ruth invited a group of creative allies to test the possibilities of the okiotype: folklore rooted in place, re-imagined for the digital realm.

Through hands-on crafts and divination games, participants conjured story ingredients, which an artificial assistant then shaped into a brand-new digital folklore narrative.
You can read the digital story HERE and follow the project's different stages by clicking the links below.

Place Lab is part of Into the Light, a county-wide programme dedicated to empowering communities and creative change in County Durham.
Special thanks to Durham oriental Museum, Durham University and workshop partipants for supporting this project.