📢 Narrative & Culture Change Roundup #48
ICYMI: Welcome to Culture Soup, the new home and name for In Other Words - the narrative change roundup email, curated by me (Ruth Taylor) from 2020 - 2022. If you want to read more about the thinking behind the changes, please see this post.
A warm hello to everyone,
Welcome to my first Roundup under the new banner of Culture Soup! Just like in the In Other Words days, the Roundup is made up of interesting things I’ve come across in the world of narrative and culture change. I hope you find a few LOIs (links of interest) and do feel free to leave a comment sharing your reflections. The great thing about substack is it allows for more public discussion, which I’m very excited about!
ICYMI: I wrote a piece a few weeks ago about the need for MPs who care about climate action to tell a different story. You can read it here.
Shall we get in to it?
Love and solidarity,
Ruth
📝 articles & reports
How can philanthropy fund narrative power at scale? | Funders Collaborative Hub
A short and sweet read, summarising some of the juiciest nuggets of insight from narrative powerhouses Isabel Crabtree-Condor, Abi Knipe, Chiara K. Cattaneo and Mandy Van Deven from the recent Philea Forum where the question of how philanthropy can fund narrative power at scale was explored.
Rewriting the fairy tale of capitalism | The Ink
[Behind a substack pay wall, but accessible with a 7day free trial] I don’t know about you, but the sorts of meetings I find myself in, it’s almost a guarantee that both capitalism and neoliberalism are going to be mentioned at least once. This interview with George Monbiot for The Ink (a great substack!), delves into the fiction that neoliberalism has created for itself. Gave myself whiplash nodding so vigorously to this para: “Throughout my career (39 years now) I’ve been told we don’t have time for systemic change, only for incremental change. If we asked for anything more, we would frighten and alienate people. All the while, first neoliberals and now the radical right have been demanding and achieving systemic change. They have altered everything, including, as Margaret Thatcher proposed, the human heart and the human soul.”
Collective storytelling: Anger mobilizes, hope organizes | hope-based communications
Some exciting news from Thomas Coombes that in the Autumn hope-based comms will be launching as an NGO, focused on turning hope into action. This is t first of a series of articles explaining some of the key principles behind the new organisation.
What should have been said after the Trump shooting | The Ink (again!)
Messaging guru, Anat Shenker-Osorio, is interviewed here about the Democratic response to the shooting at a Trump rally and what should have been said instead.
Impact Storytelling: The ecosystem, the Evidence and Possible Futures | UAL AKO Storytelling Institute
This report, from UAL’s Storytelling Institute, explores the ecosystem of impact storytelling in the UK and internationally. It provides a history of the field, an analysis of some of the key terms, a guided tour through the various approaches utilised in the sector and what some of the challenges being faced are, before finishing up with a series of recommendations. It’s long, but very thorough!
Getting back to our roots | Larger Us
Larger Us are kicking off a new project to explore the psychological capacities needed to best support our mental health and the health of our communities and democracies. If this tickles your pickle, keep an eye out for their new substack and a new series of their podcast.
🛠️ resources
Framing Modern Slavery | PIRC
A new piece of research into communicating modern day slavery, conducted by the wonderful PIRC and commissioned by the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre. This is a great example of a project working to centre the systemic drivers of an injustice, and learning can be drawn to support communicating on other issue areas.
Narrative Directory | IRIS
IRIS (International Resource for Impact and Storytelling) launched the Narrative Directory awhile back, but I wanted to include it in the first Culture Soup Roundup in case anyone had missed it. The Directory is a co-created resource for activists, storytellers, narrative practitioners etc, where knowledge and case studies can be pooled in one place. There’s a tonne of stuff to learn from on there already, and you can submit your own work too.
🎧 videos & podcasts
Confluence 2023, Bogotá, Colombia - Conference Recap | IRIS
In October 2023 I had the great pleasure of attending the Confluence Conference in Bogotá, held by Puentes, IRIS and The Global Narrative Hive. During the event we explored what narrative change is, shared challenges and learnings, and came together in diversity to strategise for the future. You can read my reflections on the event here and watch the below summary video, which wonderfully captures the spirit of the week.
The Worst Industry in the World, with Darren Cullen | AdFree Cities
The team at AdFree Cities have released their second episode of their new podcast, Better Without Billboards. This week James speaks to Darren Cullen, better know as Spelling Mistakes Cost Lives about his work to challenge greenwashing.
Bonk for Britain | Global Action Plan
This video by the gang at Global Action Plan came out a number of years ago, but it popped up again for me recently and I had to share as I think it’s wonderful! A brilliant example of how engaging intrinsic values in our comms doesn’t have to be boring AF.
Narrative Harm to Narrative Power: A Collaborative Giving Imperative for Our Times | Philanthropy Together
Last week, Philanthropy Together held a panel on efforts to build narrative power from across the world. I’m yet to watch the recording myself, but know in my bones it’s not one to miss with the likes of Bridgit Antoinette Evans, Moky Makura and Maxine Thomas-Asante on the panel! Looking forward to sitting down with a brew and getting in to it.
The Brain on Authoritarianism | Horizons Project & Beyond Conflict
A wonderful video from Horizons Project and Beyond Conflict, which explores the brain’s response to fear, toxic othering and threats to social identity, and how progressive organisers can work together, across difference, to build power for an inclusive democracy.
Mandy van Deven & Chiara Cattaneo: Building and resourcing narrative power | Philanthropisms
In one of my favourite podcasts episodes of the year so far, Mandy and Chiara talk us through what narrative power is, why it’s so important ad how it can be resourced by adopting an ecosystem approach. So many great gems in here! I took some notes and basically ended up writing out the whole transcript!
Reading the Crisis: 'The Neoliberal Revolution' with Aditya Chakrabortty and Jeremy Gilbert | Stuart Hall Foundation
I found this conversation between Jeremy Gilbert and Aditya Chakrabortty, as part of the Stuart Hall Foundation’s ‘Reading the Crisis’ series, really fascinating - especially the part at around the 1 hour mark, when Gilbert talks about the need to unpick the threads of individualist thinking from our culture (he gives the example of competition being baked into our education system) in order to create the cultural conditions necessary for bold, radical change.
👀 opportunities & events
Values 101: Creating the cultural conditions for change | Common Cause Foundation
Come and join a 5-week learning programme I’m running for the Common Cause Foundation in either August or October this year! We’ll explore how we can design work to tackle the root causes of the social and environmental crises we’re facing, by focusing on rebalancing cultural values i.e. the values we hold collectively as societies that influence what we see as important and impact what futures we can imagine or deem desirable. Tickets priced on a sliding scale, but do feel free to message me if cost is a barrier.
Storytelling Fellowship 2024-2025 | UAL AKO Storytelling Institute
The Storytelling Fellowship programme is now accepting applications for the 2024 cohort. Designed to provide training and mentorship in impact production, the fellowship offers the chance to gain new skills and a deeper understanding of what it means to make change through different cultural mediums. The deadline to apply is Thursday 5th September.
💼 jobs
2 x roles | Act Build Change
Act Build Change are on the look out for two new people to join their team! They’re hoping to recruit a senior community organiser to lead in the design and delivery of their organising training and coaching, and a collective care trainer to support the development of a care training programme with a trauma-informed and anti-racist approach. Deadline to apply for both roles is 15 August.
Interim Co-Director: Campaigns and Communications | Possible
Possible are recruiting for an Interim Co-Director to lead on their campaigning and communications. Deadline to apply is 9am Tuesday 13th August.
Part-time Producer | UAL Storytelling Institute
AKO Storytelling Institute (who have already featured twice in this roundup!) are recruiting for a part-time Producer to support with the design and delivery of a range of events, labs, courses and their Fellowship programme.