Crafting the right conversations
Relationships and narratives are at the heart of our work: we privilege them as a way in, as a research and diagnostic tool in our in-depth ethnographic work or our framing workshops. But we also value them as a product: for instance when we help re-establish a set of relationships through a new narrative or when we help communicate a complex policy message–either to or from the public.
We use our methods and our cultural and social knowledge to bridge divides, to build relationships and to craft the kinds of conversations and narratives that enable our partners and clients to elaborate policy and implement change.
Our work in this area falls into a number of categories: we broker conversations between different social or political groups; we help organisations or policy makers craft better policy or change narratives, and sometimes we help to create more appropriate access routes for specific groups like our 50ft Women mentoring programme for young women. More often than not, the work is about learning to engage productively across deep cultural or social divides.
Through our workshops, briefings and mentorings sessions our clients and partners learn to view the other – a community, a society, another organisation – through what matters most to them: their ideas, their beliefs, their stories, their culture. By starting with these factors, we provide our clients with a ‘way in’ that is neither superficial nor clichéd and will give them the tools to build partnerships,
Products and services:
- Engagement strategy seminars and workshops
- Mentoring
- Moderated encounters
- Deliberative workshops
- Workshops and briefings for value driven organisations
- Narrative creation and dissemination
Some examples of our work
Ethnographic and sociological analysis for the Public Services Division in Singapore to explore the springs of a new conviction narrative for the nation. What are the new aspirations of Singaporeans? How have they evolved over 50 years? and how does government respond and encourage new narratives supported by strong, progressive policies?
A series of communications workshops designed to equip political parties with the right tools to respond to populist parties and movements. The interactive workshops were delivered throughout Europe and focused on crafting new frames and narratives in order to effectively counter populist rhetoric.
A project that provided strategic communications advice to advocacy organisations working in the human rights field in Britain. We conducted in-depth research on the human rights debate in the UK, including a detailed media analysis and a set of deliberative workshops with the public. Based on the research, we advised human rights organisations on how to shape their narratives and respond persuasively to conflicting perspectives.
To help organisations attract, promote and retain female talent we offer bespoke in-house training sessions for mentors and mentees, organisational research and assessment, access to network events and workshops, online resources and support forums, internal scheme management and impact evaluation. We also run 50ft Women as a not-for-profit cross-industry mentoring programme for young women in the workplace.
