StoryArcs is a pioneering initiative supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), dedicated to exploring the transformative power of storytelling across sectors such as business, culture, and education. This programme brings together a national network of researchers, enterprises, and cultural organisations to examine the deeper aspects of storytelling, collectively known as Story Skills. Through this collaborative effort, participants will address contemporary challenges while fostering a culture of innovation and positive change.
A key outcome of StoryArcs is the Deep Story Leadership Platform, an immersive ecosystem designed to empower early-career professionals to leverage storytelling skills as strategies for leadership, cultural change, and community engagement. By emphasising the importance of applied, value-based storytelling, we aim to help participants shape their workplaces and communities, fostering innovation and driving meaningful change across various professional sectors
Deep Story Leadership Platform
Through the Deep Story Leadership Platform, individuals can engage in funded fellowship placements that involve real-world storytelling projects, enhancing their skills while expanding their professional networks. Additionally, we offer flexible self-directed pathways for those interested in pursuing their own storytelling initiatives, available through employer sponsorship.
Participants will benefit from a supportive community, access to valuable resources, and the opportunity to earn the prestigious StoryArcs Award upon the successful completion of their projects, recognising their contributions to storytelling and cultural development.
Explore our nine fully funded fellowship placement opportunities! Whether your passion lies in social impact, community identity, health decision-making, creative collaboration, preserving cultural legacies, or capturing historical narratives, applying for a funded StoryArcs Fellowship will allow you to engage deeply in meaningful storytelling projects.
Learn more about our flexible pathways for organisations, employers, research managers, and Principal Investigators who are interested in sponsoring Early Career Professionals for professional development, helping them enhance their story skills and develop impactful projects.
Alternatively, discover how we provide tailored support for individuals who are already employed or have their own funding in place and would like to join our platform for fellowship, guidance, or to receive recognition for their existing storytelling skills, achievements, and publications.
Your journey in storytelling leadership starts here!
Deep Story Concept
Storytelling is intricately woven into our daily work and leisure; it guides, enriches, and ignites our passions. Yet beneath each narrative lies a deeper structure that complements its meaning. StoryArcs seeks to uncover these hidden layers through a careful examination of cultural influences and timeless forms that shape our shared experiences.
In an era marked by rapid technological advancement, social fragmentation, and an overwhelming flow of information, the ability to converse through storytelling is essential. Story Skills foster genuine connections, drive engagement, and inspire action, serving as a catalyst for fresh ideas, community values, and transformative journeys. By addressing issues of marginalisation and encouraging cross-cultural dialogue, StoryArcs empowers individuals and organisations to harness storytelling as a powerful tool for positive change.
At the heart of this initiative is the evolving Story Skill Set – a framework for engaging with storytelling as a means of shared learning and collaboration in our interconnected world.
In today’s dynamic landscape, where empathy and adaptability are crucial, developing these skills is vital for crafting impactful narratives that resonate deeply with diverse audiences, fostering connection and understanding across varied experiences and perspectives.
Underpinning Research
Grounded in pioneering research led by Professor Bambo Soyinka, the world’s first Professor of Story, StoryArcs is anchored by the Story Skills Knowledge Base – a comprehensive taxonomy of archetypal storytelling forms and techniques for leadership, decision-making, and cultural development. This adaptable repository serves as a guide and sourcebook for exploring narrative functions across diverse contexts, empowering inquiring readers, researchers, and practitioners, among others, to become agents of cross-cultural dialogue and change. Professor Soyinka is supported by a dynamic team of storytelling professionals; learn more about Our Story here.
Through StoryArcs, the potential of storytelling unfolds, revealing the unseen connections that bind us all.
