The Power of Media to Tell Diverse Stories: Serving Cultural Communities through Animation, Live Action Video Shorts, and Documentary Storytelling

Description

Twin Cities Public Television–TPT Partnerships has partnered with over 250 nonprofits, educational institutions, and public agencies to deliver stories that serve diverse audiences and support intercultural understanding throughout the state.

Many organizations have robust programs that impact underserved or underrepresented communities but have not shared their stories and impact beyond their own constituencies, relying primarily on annual reports, e-newsletters and website summaries—and word of mouth. What if more people better understood the complex issues that organizations are addressing, or the personal stories of those communities impacted? Through the use of animated essays, live-action short videos, and film documentaries, organizations have partnered with TPT and are able to tell stories with depth, with creativity and, ultimately, with more impact.

TPT producers and some of their nonprofit partners will candidly discuss three unique projects, show media clips, provide behind-the-scenes creative briefs and production notes, and facilitate a robust conversation about the process with the panelists and audience members. Panelists will discuss ways they planned for community engagement and impact for these unique public media projects.

Featured projects include:

• “Muslim Sheroes of Minnesota,” live action video essays; Ariel Tilson, TPT Producer; Nausheena Hussain, Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood of Empowerment (RISE) and Kate Downing Khaled, founder and managing director of Imagine Deliver, partners
• “Out North: MNLGBTQ History,” full-length documentary; Daniel Bergin, TPT Senior Producer
• TPT Original “Snapshots”: short-form animated and live-action broadcast and digital video shorts; Kevin Dragseth, TPT Producer

Learning Outcomes:

• Inclusive Story Building: Participants will learn diverse and inclusive approaches in building content, including providing space for advocates as actors in their own storytelling.
• The Limits and Possibilities of Media: Participants will learn the challenges and possibilities in short-form, animation, and long-form multicultural narrative and how difficult stories work in each of the three content forms.
• Courageous Content Creation: In promoting stories of diversity and inclusion, organizations need to create content that is courageous and honest, respectful and empowering. Panelists will candidly discuss decision-making, managing roadblocks and expectations, ensuring full participation, and checking bias—implicit and explicit.