10.3 Collaborative approaches to diverse storytelling
8 min read•july 29, 2024
Collaborative storytelling brings diverse voices together to create shared narratives. By establishing clear roles, creating safe spaces, and fostering ongoing dialogue, these approaches amplify underrepresented perspectives and challenge dominant narratives.
Building trust is crucial for vulnerable storytelling. Active listening, shared accountability, and power-sharing create an environment where collaborators feel valued and empowered. This fosters richer, more nuanced narratives that represent diverse experiences and build empathy across differences.
Collaborative Storytelling Models
Bringing Together Diverse Perspectives
Top images from around the web for Bringing Together Diverse Perspectives
Understanding Listening | Boundless Communications View original
Is this image relevant?
Collaborative Story Writing | Resource Bank View original
Understanding Listening | Boundless Communications View original
Is this image relevant?
Collaborative Story Writing | Resource Bank View original
Is this image relevant?
1 of 3
Collaborative storytelling involves bringing together people from different backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives to create shared narratives
Requires active listening, open communication, and a willingness to understand different viewpoints
Examples of diverse perspectives include different ages, genders, ethnicities, abilities, and lived experiences
Facilitates the exchange of ideas and experiences that may not typically intersect
Establishing Clear Expectations and Roles
Successful models for collaborative storytelling across diverse communities often involve establishing clear goals, roles, and expectations for all participants upfront
Ensures everyone feels heard, valued, and has equal ownership in the process and final product
May involve creating a group agreement or memorandum of understanding
Clarifies decision-making processes, communication protocols, and conflict resolution strategies
Roles may include facilitators, story gatherers, editors, and community liaisons, among others
Important to ensure roles are equitably assigned and allow for skill-sharing and capacity-building
Creating Safe and Inclusive Environments
Effective collaborative storytelling models create safe, inclusive spaces that encourage vulnerability, empathy and the open sharing of experiences and perspectives
May involve agreeing to communication norms, confidentiality, and consent around sharing personal stories
Ensures all participants feel respected, supported, and able to bring their full selves to the process
Prioritizes the safety and well-being of participants who may be sharing sensitive or traumatic experiences
Examples of creating inclusive spaces include providing language interpretation, accessible meeting spaces, and trauma-informed facilitation
Incorporating Ongoing Dialogue and Reflection
Collaborative storytelling models should incorporate opportunities for ongoing dialogue, reflection, and the ability to adapt the process as needed
Allows for participants to process and make meaning of their experiences throughout the storytelling journey
Provides space for collaborators to offer feedback, suggest changes, and ensure their voices are being accurately represented
Builds in flexibility to adapt the process and content to serve the unique needs of the communities and individuals involved
Examples of reflection activities include group discussions, journaling, , and participant interviews
Examples of Collaborative Storytelling Models
Story circles: Small groups engage in structured storytelling and deep listening around a theme
Participatory media projects: Community members are trained in media production to create their own content
Community initiatives: Collecting and archiving stories from community elders and residents
Devised theater processes: Ensemble-created performances that center marginalized voices and experiences
Participatory photography projects (PhotoVoice): Community members use photography to represent their own realities
Building Trust in Storytelling
Fostering an Environment of Trust
Building trust and rapport is essential for creating an environment where diverse collaborators feel safe to share openly, take creative risks, and engage in vulnerable storytelling
Requires intentional facilitation and a commitment to creating a supportive, non-judgmental space
Involves modeling vulnerability, empathy, and respect as a facilitator and among participants
May require acknowledging and addressing power dynamics and systemic inequities that impact trust-building
Examples of trust-building activities include community agreements, check-ins, and sharing circles
Practicing Active Listening and Engagement
Active listening involves being fully present, avoiding judgment, asking clarifying questions, and reflecting back what is heard to ensure understanding
Demonstrates value and respect for collaborators and their stories
Requires setting aside preconceptions and being open to new perspectives
Involves paying attention to non-verbal cues and emotional undertones in addition to spoken words
Engaging in team-building exercises and icebreakers that allow participants to share parts of their identities, backgrounds, and personal stories can help establish a foundation of connection and relatability
Low-stakes activities that encourage self-disclosure and finding commonalities
Examples include name stories, identity maps, and "I am from" poems
Establishing Shared Accountability and Investment
Developing a group agreement with input from all collaborators around communication norms, decision-making processes, and conflict resolution helps create a shared sense of accountability and investment
Co-created agreements promote buy-in and a sense of shared ownership
Provides a framework for holding each other accountable and addressing challenges that arise
Should be regularly revisited and adapted as needed throughout the process
Regularly checking in with collaborators, being responsive to concerns that arise, following through on commitments, and transparently communicating help maintain trust throughout the process
Demonstrates reliability, responsiveness, and a commitment to collaborators' well-being
Proactively addresses potential misunderstandings and conflicts
Supports collaborators in feeling seen, heard, and valued throughout the process
Sharing Power and Leadership
Sharing power and leadership responsibilities, ensuring all voices are represented, and being open to adapting based on collaborator input demonstrates a commitment to true partnership and helps deepen rapport
Disrupts traditional hierarchical power structures and centers the expertise of lived experience
Requires humility, flexibility, and a willingness to share control and decision-making
Provides opportunities for collaborators to take on leadership roles and develop new skills
Examples of power-sharing include rotating facilitation roles, consensus-based decision making, and collaborative agenda-setting
Benefits and Challenges of Collaborative Narratives
Representing Diverse Perspectives
Collaborative storytelling across diverse communities allows for a multiplicity of perspectives and experiences to be represented, leading to richer, more nuanced narratives
Challenges dominant single stories and stereotypical representations
Surfaces intersectional experiences and highlights within-group diversity
Provides a platform for voices and stories that have been historically marginalized or silenced
The process of can build deeper understanding, empathy and solidarity between collaborators of different backgrounds
Facilitates perspective-taking and the humanization of experiences different from one's own
Highlights shared struggles and aspirations across lines of difference
Leads to new insights and learning through the exchange of stories and experiences
Navigating Power Dynamics and Difference
Bringing together collaborators of diverse backgrounds requires navigating different communication styles, cultural norms and power dynamics which can lead to misunderstanding and conflict if not addressed proactively
Requires self-awareness, cultural humility, and a willingness to engage in difficult conversations
May involve acknowledging and addressing systemic inequities and privilege within the group
Challenges collaborators to move beyond their comfort zones and default ways of engaging
Ensuring all collaborators are able to participate equitably and authentically share their stories may require addressing barriers to access, language justice and representation throughout the process
Involves considering factors such as transportation, childcare, scheduling, and language needs
May require budgeting for participant stipends, interpreters, and other accessibility accommodations
Requires ongoing assessment and adaptation to ensure equitable participation
Managing Time and Resources
Collaborative storytelling requires significant time, emotional labor and a commitment to process, which can be challenging with limited resources and fast-paced production timelines
Requires realistic goal-setting and expectation management around what can be accomplished
May involve seeking additional funding, partnerships, or extending project timelines
Challenges collaborators to prioritize relationships and process over product and efficiency
Representing diverse stories and experiences runs the risk of tokenization, stereotyping or re-traumatization if not approached with care, cultural competency and a trauma-informed lens
Requires self-reflection and accountability around one's own biases and blind spots
Involves prioritizing the safety, agency and self-determination of collaborators
May require additional support systems, such as counseling or healing spaces, to mitigate potential harm
Amplifying Marginalized Voices
Centering Underrepresented Communities
Identify a specific community or group whose stories and perspectives have been historically underrepresented or misrepresented in mainstream narratives to center in the project
Examples include LGBTQ+ youth, immigrants and refugees, people with disabilities, and Indigenous communities
Requires research and outreach to understand community needs, assets, and storytelling traditions
Involves building authentic relationships and partnerships with community members and organizations
Build relationships with community leaders, organizations and individuals to better understand the community's needs, identify key stories and perspectives to amplify, and recruit collaborative storytellers
Attend community events, volunteer, and show up in solidarity to build trust and demonstrate commitment
Compensate community partners and storytellers for their time, expertise, and emotional labor
Be transparent about intentions, goals, and limitations of the project and follow through on commitments
Choosing Accessible Storytelling Mediums
Choose an accessible storytelling medium that plays to the strengths and interests of the collaborative storytellers
Examples include oral history, participatory video, podcasting, performance, poetry, and
Consider the technical skills and resources required for different mediums and provide training and support as needed
Ensure the final product is accessible to the community it represents in terms of language, technology, and dissemination
Develop a clear, shared vision for the storytelling project's goals, intended impact and audience to guide the collaborative process and content creation
Involve collaborators in defining project goals and success metrics
Identify target audiences and desired outcomes, such as policy change, community healing, or cultural preservation
Ensure alignment between individual storyteller goals and collective project vision
Collaborative Story Development
Establish a timeline, production workflow and role responsibilities that allow for equitable participation, shared decision-making and opportunities for collaborator feedback throughout
Break down tasks and roles that play to collaborators' strengths and interests
Build in ample time for relationship-building, skill-sharing, and iteration
Involve collaborators in key decision points, such as story selection, editing, and distribution
Engage in a collaborative story development process, such as a story circle, to provide a space for storytellers to share their experiences, identify themes, and workshop narratives
Facilitate a safe, generative space for collaborators to take creative risks and offer constructive feedback
Identify common threads and narratives that emerge across stories while honoring individual experiences
Provide story structure and editing support while ensuring collaborator agency over their own story
Participant Training and Mentorship
Provide technical training and mentorship as needed to ensure all collaborators are able to actively participate in content creation and have the skills to shape their own representations
Assess collaborator skills and comfort levels with different technical aspects of storytelling medium
Provide hands-on training, shadowing opportunities, and peer mentorship to build skills and confidence
Ensure access to necessary equipment, software, and production spaces
Be intentional about how the project will be shared and distributed, ensuring the content is accessible to the communities represented and has a clear social impact strategy
Involve collaborators in developing a distribution and impact plan that reaches intended audiences
Partner with community organizations, advocates, and media outlets to increase and reach
Ensure storytellers have agency over how their stories are shared and provide ongoing support around the impacts of going public with personal stories