Diversity – 1d. Drop the pen

Category: Storrytelling

Objectives:

To develop critical thinking skills by integrating critical feedback and new perspectives for the scenario.

Short Description:

This is an activity that allows you to approach the story from general to specific points of view. Zooming out to a general perspective, having the group reading the entire narrative that had already been thought out and structured – but also zooming in, allowing the group to focus on specific perspectives, clearing up stereotypes, loose ends and the film’s message. To stimulate a moment of critical and collective reflection on the themes of diversity and inclusion, readjusting approaches and the concept of the script to new input that may arise – realise a more finalised version of the script.

Module:

Module 2 > chapiter 2 > section 2
Download the activity

Duration

60-90 minutes

Number of participants

Adaptable (ideal groups between 10-30 people).

  • White board
  • flipchart papers or a collaborative online app (ex.: Padlet/Miro/Jamboard).

At this stage the group will have to define the general idea for the script – as well as the genre of the film, the characters and/or people to be interviewed and the settings/ main events. However, albeit in the context of work on anti-racism and diversity, it may mirror some stereotypes.

Let’s be mindful of how we represent certain territories, communities; in fictional productions, what language and background do we attribute to each character; whether we are giving women and/or other gender identities a place in this story and so on; what is the moment of revelation and transformation and whether it converges and enhances the message we want to convey. The following exercise will help us to understand the different perspectives of a story.

  • Start by choosing a tool to record the general outline of the story/argument that the group has constructed: a white board, flipchart papers or a collaborative online app
  • Draft together the key points of the story:
  • The character/s, its key features, characteristics and background;
  • The main succession of events in a plot line: trigger, no-return point, development, top crisis and resolutions.
  • Now let’s test the written argument while discussing with the group critically about the events and actions from a culturally sensitive lens, while finding and identifying the presence of possible stereotypes and clichés to be eliminated:
  • Let the group choose the perspective of one character, as a narrator, to tell the story and start drafting the narrative in a short form;
  • In the second round, choose a second character perspective, as a narrator, and draft the narrative again – this can test the change of perspective effect and its effects ( example: the journey of a migrant person to find a housing solution in the country of arrival, facing various bureaucratic barriers and prejudice; the journey of the social action technician who accompanies the case and also comes up against the frustration of the lack of agility in the procedures and is unable to support in the best way)
  • The group should look at the narratives and search for the representations, stereotypes and identity traces in both the character and the plot; do a reflection about the intentionality of those representations and its utility for the main goal/feeling/message of the film.
  • In this exercise, the group should be more ready to finalise the script / storyboard to support the production – use a template that best suits the group, or the example given in M2.

Tips for the trainer

Regarding the script’s resolution, it can be one of the weak points of an AV production: if not convincing, it weakens the whole story impact. A tool from Theory of Change methodology can be very useful for the plot resolution: backwards writing of the story, starting from the final scene the group would like their film to have and thinking “what needs to happen and what needs to be in place for this to happen?”

It is important, in this particular activity, that the contributions of everyone in the group are taken into account. It may be useful to revisit some of the content from online training Module 2 on managing groups in an inclusive way, but supporting the discussion with initial feedback on post-its and anonymously, then moving on to a broader discussion can be a good idea.