Thoughts on Ethical Storytelling, and Writing Characters Unlike Yourself
In this article, Valerie Kalfrin asks the question: What does authentic, ethical storytelling mean?
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Be an ethical storyteller
View resourcesArts and creative industries leadership can take on different forms. As practitioners, producers, directors and more, arts leaders should be asking difficult questions of themselves, their work and their organisation. This means making informed decisions, and cultivating a system inside the organisation that can facilitate conversations around the art/creative work that is being made or exhibited, as well as the impact it may have on the community. There are also legal and legislative considerations that should be prioritised when making creative decisions.
Ethical considerations in storytelling does not mean being critical for the sake of being critical. It’s not about saying ‘you can’t do this or do that’, but it’s about understanding ‘why’. Questions to consider include:
- Who’s working on this that has had lived experience?
- Who can you bring in to collaborate with?
- How does this work reflect your values? How does it reflect the organisation’s values?
- How does this work impact the communities involved?
- How does it enrich the cultural landscape?
- Does this work exploit the trauma of any minority groups? If so, why?