Storytelling through research
Our research programme aims to foster real world change through developing theories, methods and toolkits for storytellers and campaigners to use further afield
We will share what we find through public events and media such as podcasts, blogs and videos, as well as traditional academic research outputs.
Impact Storytelling: the Ecosystem, the Evidence and Possible Futures
In this inaugural report, we explore fundamental questions such as: What is 'impact storytelling'? What evidence supports its effectiveness? How has impact storytelling evolved, and what is its current state both in the UK and globally?
Our research maps the structure of the impact storytelling ecosystem, identifies its key players, engages with current live debates, and examines how to foster collaboration in a still fragmented field. By highlighting existing gaps and blind spots in the ecosystem, the report aims to create opportunities for reflection and dialogue across different industries and disciplines.
This is an essential resource for storytellers, artivists, students, scholars, and impact practitioners interested in storytelling for social change.
Read the Impact Storytelling report (PDF 2.6MB). The file is best viewed on Microsoft Edge, Safari, and Firefox. To display it in Chrome, you need to add the updated Adobe Acrobat extension to Chrome.
Storytelling Impact Autopsy - Sheffield DocFest
For Summer 2023 Sheffield Documentary Festival, we co-designed an experimental event format with the help of campaigners to test out our approach with different artists in front of a live audience.
Horizon Impact Lab - in association with NT Studio
We ran an Impact Lab along with the National Theatre in Spring 2023. National Theatre Studio and the AKO Storytelling Institute invited theatre collective Opening Statement to spend a week with us and programmed an intensive series of workshops testing out that hypothesis.
