Building narratives through storytelling
Storytelling can be defined as “the interactive art of using words and actions to reveal the elements and images of a story while encouraging the listener’s imagination” (cit).
Storytelling is the description of ideas, beliefs, and personal experiences through stories or narratives that create empathy, evoke powerful emotions and insights. It involves a two-way interaction breaks in the barrier between the speaker and the listeners.
Purposeful storytelling can deliver results that conventional modes of communication cannot, and can be an effective tool for community engagement, particularly about science and environmental issues.
Learning science usually implies knowledge of the scientific language, which makes it difficult. Storytelling is a valuable tool also in a scholarly context, to convey scientific information while encouraging students to develop their writing and oral communication skills and their critical thinking. It also helps teachers introduce and explain scientific phenomena, as storytelling has the potential to engage more students in scientific disciplines, increasing their knowledge and awareness.
Citizen science has recently promoted the narrative approach of storytelling as a means of engaging people of all ages and backgrounds in scientific research processes.
The European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) working group storytelling and other arts says, underlines that stories can activate people and stimulate them to become protagonists of the changes they want.
One of the greatest values of applying stories in Citizen Science is establishing relationships among the people involved in the processes of generating and exchanging knowledge.
Embracing the principles described above, EASIN developed a storytelling performance, entitled 'Alien Dialogues on Biodiversity', featuring two invasive alien species, a blue saltwater crab and a red freshwater shrimp. The two characters share their experiences and touch upon current ecosystem problems, which favour the establishment of new species. The aim of the play is to raise awareness amongst the public, make them reflect on the need to protect the environment, stimulating a behavioural change.
The storytelling format is a valuable tool for communicating the importance of biodiversity conservation and the risks associated with invasive alien species, and offers an inspiring, engaging and informative resource for those interested in this critical topic.