Two Priorities - Doc Society

Climate Story Unit

While scientists have concluded that we have the economic and technological capabilities to achieve our global climate goals, what is still lacking is the publics’ support to achieve this historic transformation. We believe investing in culture is a core solution to realizing the transition.

We know culture has the power to influence behavior and rewrite strongly held narratives and create shared meaning. It opens up space for entirely new ways of thinking that can lead to the adoption of climate solutions.

We launched the Climate Story Unit to support transformative storytelling to advance a climate just and biodiverse future. Since 2019 we have piloted a series of experiments with individual storytellers, the media industry and climate campaigners to demonstrate how narratives can help build social and political will for climate action.

Our goal - to expand the breadth of compelling stories and impact campaigns that center communities most impacted by the climate emergency. To spur new partnerships amongst storytellers, movement leaders, impacted communities and climate experts to mobilize strategic audiences towards action. To grow confidence in the power of cultural strategy to address the climate emergency, by advocating to and collaborating with media industry players and philanthropy to prioritize climate storytelling.

The Units Programmes at a glance:

Democracy Story Labs

To kickstart the Unit and to ground the work, we’re devising two four-day Democracy Story Labs. Coming together as co-conspirators we’ll be convening thought leaders, movement builders, technologists, journalists and whistle blowers from across civil society with storytellers from around the world. Forging new collaborations between creatives, campaigners and strategists working on democratic renewal. The task: to discuss what narratives we need now in this moment of global democratic crisis, and distill how we can implement impact with these stories.

The first lab will be in London (November 27 - December 1, 2023), with a second lab in Q1 of 2024 in Brazil in partnership with Peri, a new cultural impact studio founded by our friend, Alessandra Orofino.

For our first Democracy Story Lab, we will be inviting 10-12 media projects to join us, to brainstorm and weave critical conversations around strategy and effectiveness of political narratives in this moment.

Reflecting on storytelling of the last two decades, we’ve noticed that the ‘democracy’ narratives tend to fit into four categories:

Anti-corruption narratives: show citizens how their systems are being abused and pushed back against; reassure citizens that accountability is possible (maintain faith in democracy)
Examples: The Edge of Democracy, Citizenfour, Dark Money

Representation narratives: showing how representative candidates run for - and sometimes win - office
Examples: Knock Down the House, And She Could Be Next, Softie, An Insignificant Man

Citizen Power outside the system: Films that show the power of participation by those that join movements for change.
Examples: The Square, Rebellion, Whose Streets?

New Democratic Models: films that seek new ways to do democracy, beyond the current model.
Examples: People vs. Climate Change, Democrats

Some of these stories aim to protect, strengthen, and improve the existing system, while others showcase and encourage an evolution of the system. For the lab, we’re hoping to engage projects that fit into any of these categories but are particularly interested in those that look forwards to new models of democratic renewal.

Learn more and apply to the Democracy Story Lab here.