Spring 2026
First, some big internal news — after ten years as a flat structure organisation, we’ve unflattened (just a little). We hope to put our reflections in writing soon; watch this space!
PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH CENTRE
Strengthening the Stories That Unite Us
PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH CENTRE
Strengthening the Stories That Unite Us
Category Open Framing
Over the past five years, we have worked for a more connected, aligned and effective civil society through Common Cause, Campaign Lab and a number of other initiatives. We’ve published reports, created toolkits and run hundreds of workshops and training sessions for charities, think tanks, trade unions, artists and grassroots activists. And we’re eternally grateful for all the collaborations, support, and inspirations we’ve had on this journey!
Now, we’re developing a new branch of work and we’re hoping to be able to draw on, build on, and further strengthen these collaborations to create something great …
The Open Framing Project* seeks to give civil society powerful, participatory tools to change cultural stories and achieve lasting, transformational social change.
*Working title!
The final residential
We ate delicious food, watched Twilight and experimented with new learning styles, in a collective journey towards better UK-based narrative change infrastructure.
Framing Modern Slavery
Join us to learn how to talk about modern slavery in ways that builds understanding and sparks effective change. Wednesday 18 December 2024, 12.30 – 14.00 (Online)
Confronting Far-Right Extremism in the UK
The recent wave of far-right extremism in the UK—manifesting as violent riots targeting mosques, places of refuge, Muslims, and people of colour—has been deeply troubling to watch. But for many, ourselves included, the events are unsurprising. These racist attacks resulted from years of divisive narratives pushed by the media and politicians, and repeated excessively throughout UK society.
Half way there!
It’s been five months since we officially launched Building Our Narrative Power (BONP) and began working with our cohort of 14 community organisers, campaigners, and activists. January We hosted our first residential in January, nurturing a space to build trust,…
Fourteen change-makers
Since launching Building Our Narrative Power last summer, we have had the incredible opportunity of working with 14 community organisers, campaigners and activists.
PIRC goes to a conference in Bogota: and learns a lot!
On a Wednesday afternoon, just before logging off, I received an email: save the date for a global convening on narrative change that IRIS and Puentes are co-organising this October in Bogotá. A work trip to Colombia? Yes please! The opportunity to learn about narrative change outside of the UK and to learn from global narrative change practitioners felt too good to be true!
Epistemic injustice: an invitation to ask new questions
Who is allowed to know things in our society? Why we need to ensure narrative change is led by those currently excluded from that work.
Dreams of a foodie
When I started thinking about what to write I had been cat sitting for my best friend who has a pretty decked out kitchen – and I was planning to make the most of all the fancy appliances. While that…
Why a participant-led course?
When we think of learning, we often think of schools, colleges, universities. But learning is an ancient thing, that existed before all of these institutions and will exist long after. Its something that crosses species: like how honeybees dance to teach others where to find the best flowers. Every species on earth is what it is today because it learnt from the generations that came before.
We’re launching ‘Building Our Narrative Power’
We’re excited to launch the ‘Building Our Narrative Power’ course—supporting people who have lived experience of the issues they are fighting for, to skill-up and shape the narrative for justice and social change, to create waves of action and lasting progress. We’re looking for 16 people who are all passionate about transforming societal narratives across social, climate, and economic justice.
Building Our Narrative Power
Are you a changemaker, a storyteller, or someone who’s looking to shift the way people think, feel, and act? Then we’d love to learn, grow, and build collective narrative power with you.
How can we decolonise narrative work?
We are living off expired stories. Stories that expire can no longer dance with you. They are lethargic or stuck, they can’t move things in generative ways any more, but we often feel we cannot let them go.
The Crumbling Foundations
“Narratives are powerful. They can swing juries and elections. They can fill prisons. But they can also fill the streets.” The Narrative Initiative As we shared in our first blog of the series, we believe that our societies are built…
Decolonising Narratives
Join us at 12pm Thursday 24th November to discuss how to diversify, democratise and decolonise narrative and communications work in the UK: sign-up here.