I believe in the life-changing power of storytelling
ABOUT
Luke Webster is a community engagement specialist, transmedia storytelling researcher and Higher Education equity leader based in Perth, Australia.
I believe everyone has a story worth sharing, and that great stories come from storytellers who have mastered the art of listening. I'm passionate about uniting communities through the power of narrative.
My PhD, “Transmedia Storytelling and the Evolution of Popular Narrative in the Age of Social Media”, explores how storytelling is changing — and how those changes are shaping the world around us.
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Focusing on storyworlds like Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the DC multiverse, I argue that we’re moving beyond the traditional Hero’s Journey toward a re-emergent kind of storytelling: the Collective Journey. These narratives reflect our interconnected lives and celebrate collaboration over individualism.
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More than ever, in the digital age stories can build communities and spark real-world action. My research shows how transmedia storytelling can inspire active citizenship, share aspirational messages, and help us make sense of an increasingly politicised media landscape.
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Thesis completed at Curtin University (Internet Studies), supervised by Professor Tama Leaver and Dr Eleanor Sandry.
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​​[Download Thesis PDF]
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PHD PROJECT
PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS
Webster, Luke, Tama Leaver & Eleanor Sandry. 2022. "Transmedia storytelling during the COVID-19 pandemic: Marvel's WandaVision and Zack Snyder's Justice League." First Monday, 27(7). [Open Access]
Webster, Luke. 2021. “Marvel, Star Wars and the Risk of Being a Hero: Social Responsibilities for Transmedia Storytellers in the Age of Collective Journey.” Cultural Science Journal, 12(1), pp. 59–67. [Open Access]
Webster, Luke. 2019. “Marvel, Star Wars and the Cosmic Quest for Peace: Commercial Transmedia and Emerging Social Responsibilities.” Open Literacy Research Symposium, Curtin University. 30 September – 1 October. [Abstract] [Video]
Webster, Luke, & Tama Leaver. 2016. “Gender, Paratexts and Everyday Superheroes from #WheresRey to ‘the Chewbacca Mum’.” Superhero Identities Symposium, Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), Melbourne. 8-9 December. [Abstract] [Slides] [Listen]
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Webster, Luke. 2012. “I think therefore I am (online): How the use of Facebook is changing notions of identity and privacy in networked communities.” CommUnity: Online Conference on Networks and Communities, Curtin University. 23 April – 11 May. [Abstract]
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
​I’m passionate about making higher education more inclusive — especially for students from regional, remote, and disadvantaged backgrounds.
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My work focuses on building meaningful partnerships between universities and communities, creating programs that open up pathways into tertiary education. Over the years, I’ve led student and community engagement strategies that centre local voices and long-term impact.
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I care deeply about connection, place, and making education something everyone can see themselves in, and am a proud co-creator of the AHEAD Program, Regional Changemakers and the state and national award-winning Humans of Curtin transmedia campaign.
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