I’ve been wanting to write an essay reflecting on the UAL Storytelling Institute Report, but I haven’t found the time. I had planned to compare the definitions of “storytelling ecosystems” and “narrative ecosystems”,
gather my insights from the text,
digest them,
and share them here.
But it’s just not possible at the moment. Instead, I’ll resign to share a quick summary of an email I sent today to a stakeholder as a follow-up on my research.
Would I learn how to simplify things and be more effective in the three months that I have on this master’s?
The most valuable insight for me was recognising the need for storytelling and adjnfajdsajk…
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SIDE NOTE: While I was writing this entry, something important happened.
For the first time, one of my emails was responded to almost immediately. The difference? I was genuinely adding value on a topic. I’m interested in what this stakeholder is doing, and I’m aware that they need feedback, so they are open to receiving it.
Tutors have told me this before, but I’m just appreciating this (which is part of learning, to hear something 20 times so it makes sense when one experiences it). From now on, I’m going to try to add value and help in the emails I write to make contact. What are they gaining through talking with me?
That is, going beyond “I’m very interested in your research” to something more like: “I’m applying this idea you shared, but I’ve struggled with this…” –
to make it hard to ignore me,
which for me its achieved by being honest. I’m not good at faking interest, and maybe it’s not even necessary. It feels smarter to reach out only to the people I’m genuinely interested in, I’ve learned that from Pate, someone whose networking skills I truly admire.
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The most valuable insight for me was recognising the need for storytelling training within the UK ecosystem (p.57), as my work in Colombia involves facilitating education for Indigenous and Black communities to help them influence public policy.
My current research question is:
How can applied rhetoric training help historically marginalised communities in London influence environmental narrative change processes?
Impacts of the report on my research:
- 1. Learning the term “impact storytelling/narrative ecosystems.” While I have experience teaching and working with narratives and public policy, I was unfamiliar with this concept. In Latin America, it seems largely unknown among public policy practitioners I have spoken to.
- 2. Clarity on storytelling impact. I was previously unsure if this tool could generate tangible change. Knowing the premise is established, with supporting evidence, allows me to focus on participating in it.
- 3. Gaps and opportunities chapter. As mentioned before, this has helped me to identify an opportunity that seems reachable for a 1-year master’s research.
- 4. Concrete examples. Initiatives such as Narrative Observatory and Race Forward clearly demonstrate how narrative tools are applied in practice, which is very helpful for someone who is just getting to know this world
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Current challenges:
- NGO funding crisis in Colombia. Around 50–70% of NGO foreign aid depends on the US. Colombian NGO directors I’ve spoken to report significant cuts this year due to changes in USAID and German cooperation. Thinking about starting new projects is hard now. Which, among other reasons, forces me to focus my research on the UK for now.
- Creating an ecosystem feels unviable. Initially, I considered building a storytelling ecosystem on Global South narratives, but this is too complex for a master’s project due in December.
- Accessing the UK environmental storytelling ecosystem.This has been the greatest difficulty so far. I am reaching out to charities and organisations working on climate narratives, but responses have been limited. It is often unclear how UK organisations are running concrete narrative projects, unlike in the US where is easier to find examples of past projects. Also, for some reason that I can’t identify yet, the directories available don’t feel too helpful for this task.