Building Narratives of Joy
At The Center for Cultural Power, we believe that narrative and cultural strategies are integral to creating a more equitable, inclusive, and just world. This groundbreaking impact report showcases our approaches to narrative change, featuring four case studies we’ve gathered over the last three years that cover topics from gender and reproductive justice to border narratives and civic engagement.
Building power with Artist Disruptors and Culture Bearers creates global transformation through the disruption of inequitable and oppressive systems. We’ve found that in order to advance and create narrative change, there is a need for conscious collaboration which includes:
- Acknowledgment! Building power with artists is key to all of the rest of our successes
- Committing to the hard work to care for and nurture belonging in our narrative network
- Focusing on intersectional identities
- Engaging Artist Disruptors in our participatory narrative process
It’s no secret that we’re in an unprecedented and historic time but our commitment to Building Narratives of Joy allows us to deep dive into our unique narrative approaches which include:
- Starting with a solution rather than a problem
- Expressing urgency, hope, and/or humor;
- Sharing unique perspectives, strong artistic voices, and authenticity;
- Featuring personal narratives, especially the voices of community members;
- Focusing on a better future and getting there together by using the agency and power we already have;
- Showing action as something everyone is doing; and
- Reflecting the diverse audiences we are trying to reach in all ways!
Through all of our work, we harness the power of narrative and cultural strategy to dismantle harmful narratives rooted in extraction and white supremacy and instead create and promote narratives of interdependence, empathy, and care.
Download the full Building Narratives of Joy Impact Report Here!
