Welcome to Ibali

The Competition

Ibali is an AHRC-funded project focused on storytelling in research. Our most recent work has explored inclusion in education through storytelling workshops with young people and teachers in the UK, Nigeria and South Africa, but we are interested in how stories, story-crafting and storytelling are used in research all over the world.

A key strand of Ibali is our Knowledge Hub, which showcases examples of and insights into storytelling for different research purposes. In summer 2024 we are re-launching the Ibali website so the Knowledge Hub takes centre-stage, and to celebrate this we are calling for new content to accompany the re-launch. Have you used stories in your research? Do you have an interesting experience or perspective to share? We are asking for contributions of either a blog or a podcast. Up to three winning entries will be featured on the re-launched Ibali Knowledge Hub, and will win a funded place on a storytelling course led by Ibali partner Transformative Story.

What we would love to read/hear about

Over the past two years the Ibali Knowledge Hub has explored a wide-range of issues, for example, whether storytelling is a resistance to, or a reproduction of coloniality, whether ethical storytelling is a buzz-word, or a real chance for change, how fictionalisation can support the crafting and sharing of difficult stories and how storytelling supports transdisciplinary research. We have also written more practical pieces such as how to facilitate storytelling workshops online. Across all our outputs we have celebrated the potential of story, but adopted a critical, reflective stance on how storytelling can be used to create a space for richer and more inclusive ways of co-learning in research. This requires consideration of the benefits for and risks to participants, facilitators, partners, funders, and so on.

When we talk about storytelling in research, we include a wide range of approaches, drawing on diverse creative and multi-modal methods. However, the emphasis is on the crafting and sharing of story-narratives. Some of the stories we work with are wordless, but the focus is still the communication of a message through (some kind of) story form. When we talk about research we are open to a wide range of practices that centre storytelling to support knowledge generation.

In this competition we invite contributions that take a critically reflective view that helps the audience to think differently about using story in their research. For example, contributions could consider practical or conceptual ethical issues, how to ‘sell’ the idea of stories to funders, the communication of stories beyond the research project or how storytelling processes can centre inclusive principles for a particular cohort. This is not an exhaustive list – we look forward to receiving contributions around a wide range of topics!

Transformative Story workshops

All entries will be considered for publication on the re-launched Ibali Knowledge Hub (from September 2024), and up to three contributors will be selected to win a funded place on a storytelling course. Winners will liaise with Transformative Story Director Dr Joanna Wheeler to discuss which course and which cohort will be most suitable for their interests and development needs. Courses include Foundations of Personal Storytelling, which takes participants through the process of telling their own story, working with a small group to craft a story that has significance to them (online, a session a week over 8 weeks), and Inclusive Facilitation for Storytelling, which supports development of skills to facilitate storytelling workshops (online, a session a week over 12 weeks). These will run in January 2025.

See more information on Transformative Story workshops

Notes

• Submissions must be emailed to alison.buckler@open.ac.uk by Friday and joanna@transformativestory.net by Friday 26 July 2024. We aim to feed back to all applicants by the end of August.
• Blogs should be approximately 800-1000 words, podcasts approximately 15-20 minutes. If you have an idea for a contribution that does not fit the blog or podcast format, please get in touch as we’d love to discuss alternative outputs.
• Contributions will be assessed on the originality of the ideas, and the quality of the content (i.e., could they be uploaded onto the Knowledge Hub with minimal editing / proof-reading?). The panel reserve the right to request minor edits to submissions prior to them being featured on the Knowledge Hub.
• Entrants must be 18 years of age or over, but anyone, at any stage of their career, and based anywhere in the world can enter this competition.
• The winning entries will have their contribution showcased on the Ibali Knowledge Hub and can choose a place on either Transformative Story’s Inclusive Facilitation for Storytelling course (online, a session a week over 12 weeks) or Foundations of Personal Storytelling course (online, a session a week over 8 weeks), both running from January 2025. This prize is non-transferable.
• If the winning entry is a co-authored piece, the winners can choose one fully-funded place, or a proportionate discount on the workshop registration fee (e.g., if there are two co-authors of a winning entry they can choose one fully-funded place, or a 50% discount on two places).
• If you have any questions about this competition, please contact alison.buckler@open.ac.uk