About the project
Project duration: 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years
Course programme: Moving Image and Digital Arts (MIDA)
Courses worked with:
- MA Animation (Kim Noce and Vida Vega)
- BA Animation, Year 2, Informed Practice 2 unit (Chris De Selincourt)
Changemakers involved: Slavi Kaloferov (2023 – 2024)
Impact
“The session gave me time to think and ask myself questions I wouldn’t usually do”
MA Animation student
“The workshop really helped me in understanding how to create a framework and integrate a narrative behind the character in it. The questions that were used as the anchor point to base the character description really were thought-provoking.”
MA Animation student
Context
Animation courses at LCC sought to shift their focus from a practitioner-centered, inward-facing approach to one that is more outward-facing, mindful of, and engaged with communities beyond the courses. There was also further interest in embedding more Equity, Diversity and Inclusion principles within the curriculum.
The collaborative project began with Kim Noce, course leader of MA Animation, with the first session taking place in May 2024. This was followed by 2 subsequent iterations in late 2024, involving both BA and MA Animation courses.
The workshop
The session aimed to introduce students to fundamental Critical Theories and Sociological concepts through the 7-point storytelling structure. Students created characters with intersecting identities, exploring their interactions within a fictional social context. The sessions concluded with reflections on the diverse stories created and a facilitated discussion on students’ positionality and biases.
Expanding on the work
The work was basis for subsequent workshops for:
- Student Rep Conference and Activities week in February 2025, where the participating students thought about how they can make their courses more inclusive.
- EDI fund programme, where we prompted participating students from various courses to co-design the workshop for the broader public.
Read the Storytelling for inclusive futures project evaluation (PDF 866KB).
Approach for design
My goal was to equip students with foundational theories to help them navigate the complex and critical sociological issues inherent in their projects, whether these issues are immediately obvious to the student or not.
While making it, it was considered to:
- present this material in an accessible language that connects to their practice through experiential learning
- create a safe space where students can express their identities and ensure they are respected and protected throughout the process while encouraging the development of understanding towards their positionality
- designed was intended to provide a clear framework and function as a plug-and-play solution that could be delivered by any staff member within the MIDA program.
