Storytelling for Social Change (FutureLearn)

Storytelling for Social Change (FutureLearn)

Discover how crafting an engaging story can deliver a message that inspires audiences and effects real change. Harness the power of storytelling and improve your communication skills. On this course, you’ll discover the secrets of storytelling from expert performers and artists. Stories are a powerful way to engage an audience and deliver impact. Using characters creates empathy, and makes people more open-minded to hearing something new or engaging with a complex topic.

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Learn how storytelling can communicate powerful ideas
By following some simple rules of story craft, any communicator can create empathy and interest – both vitally important when trying to get a message across.
You’ll explore how professionals use stories to drive social change, and understand how introducing multiples perspectives can boost the impact of your message.

Utilise the power of visual storytelling
You’ll learn how visual elements can enhance a story and keep people listening.
You’ll discover how to identify your audience, and create a protagonist that can connect with them, building awareness and shifting attitudes.

Improve the impact of your communication skills
Using peer feedback, quizzes, and personal reflection, you’ll improve your own storytelling techniques, whether you work with a brand, a not-for-profit, or just want to become a better public speaker.
Studying performances and hearing from storytelling professionals, you‘ll end by developing a creative project of your own.

What topics will you cover?

  • Developing skills for using stories to deliver messages that affect audiences and drive change.
  • Discussion of how building empathy and developing characters can offer multiple perspectives on complex problems.
  • Explore how connecting with an audience through story can create new awareness and influence attitudinal shifts around a particular cause.
  • View performances and interviews with storytelling experts to demonstrate how story crafting can develop empathy and deliver impact.

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • How professionals use stories to elicit social change.
  • How to introduce multiple perspectives into stories for social impact.
  • How to identify an audience, communicate a message, and develop a strong protagonist to deliver your message.
  • How empathy and belief systems affect storytellers and audience members.
  • How to use visual elements to enhance a storytelling project.

Who is the course for?
This course would benefit professionals who want to tell an impactful story, including those working in not-for-profit or commercial sectors, marketing teams, writers, educators, and public speakers.

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