📢 Narrative & Culture Change Roundup #49
Welcome to Culture Soup, the new home and name for ‘In Other Words’ - the narrative and culture 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.
Hello,
Welcome back to another edition of the Culture Soup Roundup, where I curate for you all the best links I’ve come across in the world of narrative and culture change.
So grab your fav snack and let’s take a look.
Love and solidarity,
Ruth
📝 articles & reports
Reflecting on Inequity Through Art and Storytelling in China | Ruijie Guo, Chengchang Liu & Lu Tian, SSIR
An interesting interview with artist Yulu Ge about creating art to disrupt existing ways of seeing the world that normalise and perpetuate unequal systems. I loved the sound of work to “unravel the norm of success”.
The unseen inner dimension of systems change and sustainability | Jamie Bristow & Rosie Bell, Grantham Research Institute
I really loved this piece, advocating for increased work at the level of human cognition and culture - the “deepest leverage point for change”.
In the Zones (of Narrative Change work) | Brett Davidson, IRIS
When Brett writes something, it’s guaranteed I’m going to read it! This piece for IRIS speaks to a challenge within the broad field of narrative change (one I spend a lot of my time thinking about) - how can narrative change projects, focused on short, medium and long term goals, work in recognition of one another so as not to undermine one another’s efforts, but instead create greater and more lasting impact?
Debunking Common Psychology Myths | The Power of Us
The wonderful substack, ‘The Power of Us’, written by Dr Jay Van Bavel and Dr Dominic Packer has started a new column debunking popular psychology myths, which I am so here for! Firstly, because I have much unlearning to do from my own A Level in psychology and secondly, and more importantly, because there are some standout psychological experiments that have become part of the cultural canon from which we draw when considering human nature and how to engage people in social and environmental justice. But, what if we’ve got it all wrong?
Is there hope? | Mónica Roa, Puentes
I’ve had the absolute pleasure to spend time with the team at Puentes recently and have been blown away by their insight, their depth of enquiry and their infectious joy! This piece, written by Puentes Director, Mónica Roa, speaks of how hope is built through action, struggle and resistance.
Why the BBC Won’t Question Capitalism: A Foucauldian Perspective on Power and Discourse | Erasmus Research
A concise and articulate blog exploring why institutions like the BBC do not question capitalism through reference to the work of eminent philosopher Michel Foucault and his analysis of how power operates through discourse and the production of knowledge.
September’s edition of FundWell newsletter curated by Elemental | The Wellbeing Project
Loved this beautifully curated newsletter for The Wellbeing Project by Mandy Van Deven and so resonate with the call to intentionally build our capacity for discerning the faulty logics which have created and sustain our ways of thinking, understanding and being that fundamentally harm us and the living planet.
The Inner Development Goals on Trial | Jonathan Rowson, Perspectiva
An imaginary trial provides a creative way to reflect on the IDGs in this piece by Perspectiva Director, Jonathan Rowson. I resonate with much of the to-ing and fro-ing here, especially the notion that proximity to, and recognition from, established power can be as much a signal of work that isn’t radical or transformative enough, as an idea whose time has come.
The assumptions that underpin Climate Philanthropy: A Call for Debate | Carne Ross, Culture Hack Labs
A truly excellent piece by Carne Ross for Culture Hack Labs about the curtailed theories of change witnessed in the funding behaviours of philanthropy. What would it take to see an intentional shift towards funding work that is upstream, courageous, with the potential to be truly transformative?
Organising ABUELOS | MAIA
This medium piece beautifully talks about the deep thinking and spirit of liberation underpinning the creation of a new cultural centre in Birmingham by the MAIA team. To me, this is a wonderful example of radical narrative and culture change work that goes beyond ‘comms’ and becomes immersion - a living, breathing, tangible expression of deep narratives of connection, love, harmony, justice - all whilst being a proactive force of resistance in today’s world of ongoing colonialism, extraction and violence.
🛠️ resources
Collective Imagination Practices Toolkit | Emerging Futures, JRF
JRF has recently launched the Collective Imagination Toolkit which details different methods and practices for building more hopeful and just futures.
Monitoring and evaluation impact in the pop culture for social change field: a toolkit for UK organisations | Alice Sachrajda & Saphia Youssef, Power of Pop Fund
A handy guide to demystify the tools we can use to measure and evaluate work in the pop culture for social change field. It’s laid out super clearly and is packed with practical advice. Even if you don’t work directly with pop culture, there’s lots in here which would be applicable across other messaging and narrative projects. Go forth and evaluate! (If you want to learn more about pop culture for social justice I’d also recommend reading this foundational framework released by the Power of Pop Fund.)
How British people think about health has changed: here’s what this means for communicators | Tamsyn Hyatt and Louise Marshall, Frameworks UK
A wonderful guide by the folks at Frameworks UK exploring how more collective mindsets on health are emerging amongst the UK public and what this means for communicators.
Democracy Resource Hub: Narrative & Storytelling | The Commons Library
A new Democracy Resource Hub has launched with a particular section focusing on narrative and storytelling that may be of interest to folks signed up to this substack. Packed with lots of great links to get stuck into!
🎧 videos & podcasts
What do we do about the religion shaped hole? | The Examined Life Podcast
I really enjoyed this podcast interview with Alex Evans, founder of Larger Us. I wouldn’t describe myself as religious (or even particulalry spirtual), but I did study Theology at undergrad because I’ve always been fascinated by the cultural and psychological impact of religion - good and bad. This episode explores how religion, for many centuries, provided stories which helped people to make sense of the world around them, and how today, as religious membership declines, divisive and extractive stories like consumerism, populism and a nostalgia for a time of power and prestige are filling the void. Alex poses some powerful questions about what the decline in religion means for both our individual psychological wellbeing, but also are collective sense-making.
The importance of cultural values for meaningful change | Common Cause Foundation
The team at CCF have been working on a new, 3-min animation that advocates for the need to shift our mainstream cultural values if we want to see proportionate, deep and durable responses to social and environmental issues. Values are the foundations from which ideologies and worldviews arise, the bedrock on which are systems are formed. So, in order to change systems and not simply replace them with equally (or more!) oppressive and extractive ones, we need to shift the cultural values in which we're all immersed. I’d love to know what you make of the animation - leave me a comment below and please share with others that you think might enjoy it.
Learning to Value | Stephan Harding
A beautiful video, interviewing Stephan Harding, ecologist and co-founder of Schumacher College, who sadly passed away last month. Stephan talks of humanity’s intricate connection to nature and the need to regain our capacity for “poetic sensitivity”, to feel the sentience of the world that we are a part of.
Long Time, with Ella Saltmarshe | Your Brain on Climate
Really enjoyed this podcast with Ella Saltmarshe (who is such a natural storyteller - you can’t help but get drawn in) on the power of long time and how this can help us approach climate change in a radically different way. Now, I’m off to chinwag with some pigeons and ask them how they experience time, as recommended.
Values, Narratives & Culture Change | El Mito de Ser Humano Podcast
Alex Urbeita interviewed yours truly for his podcast ‘El Mito fe Ser Humano’ (in enligsh, ‘The Myth of Being Human’). It was a wonderful conversation where we talked about narratives, values, cultures and purpose.
When climate communication works (and when it doesn’t) | Inter-Narratives
In case you missed the most recent Inter-Narratives offering you can catch up with this recording. Hear from Adam Corner, Alex Randall, Suzanne Dhaliwal and Russell Warfield as they reflect on some of the most exciting and challenging climate campaigns around at the moment.
👀 opportunities & events
Storytellers Fund 2024 | JRF
Applications for the JRF Storytellers Fund 2024 are now open! The aim of the Storytellers Fund is to support talented individuals and/or collectives to share stories and promote content that has the potential to create positive social change. Grant funding of up to £50,000 is available to support those who are content ready to cover the costs of the distribution and dissemination of their work. The deadline for applications is 5pm on 31 October 2024.
The Bio-leadership Fellowship 2025 | The Bio-Leadership Project
The Bioleadership Fellowship is a global movement of people and projects working towards better forms of human progress by working with nature. Including an 8-month core programme where you can nourish yourself in the context of your work, it acts as an incubator for new ideas to grow. Applications for 2025 are open now!
Big Tech Narrative Initiative | Doc Society & The Citizens
On the 3rd December, Doc Society is hosting an online gathering to kick off a new programme of work supporting artists and storytellers to use their creativity to explore how societies interact and engage with Big Tech.
Palestine Cinema Days Around the World | AFLAMUNA
Stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and organise a film screening to take place November 2nd, the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration. You’ll be joining other screenings taking place across the world to expose false narratives and amplify Palestinian voices.
What narratives will help us challenge a world where 7 people own 70% of the world’s wealth? | Inter-Narratives
On 24th October, Cassie Robinson will be in conversation with Jake Hayman, author of ‘Wealth Unpublished’ and co-founder of the Good Ancestor Movement, Ten Years Time and Impatience Earth; Sarah Kerr from the Wealth, Elites and Tax Justice team at LSE's International Inequalities Institute and author of ‘Wealth, Poverty and Enduring Inequality: Let's talk Wealtherty’; and someone TBC from the Wealth Hackers.
Can positive, funny, short-form storytelling flip the script on climate? | Rubber Republic
On 23rd October, join an online event showcasing a new project by Rubber Republic that aims to share stories of collection action in order to catalyse belief in better futures.