Storytelling for Wellbeing: Moving from Vision to Best Practice

Environmental action, women’s wellbeing, and healthcare sector initiatives often fail to get their messaging across to insulated groups of potential stakeholders.   
 
Research conducted by the University of South Wales has bridged communication gaps to promote understanding and enhance individual and community well-being through three strands of storytelling research - Environmental Action; Healthcare, and Women’s well-being. 
 
The Stories of Change project led to successful bids by Welsh valley towns for extensive funding for post-coal community regeneration. The Reducing Industrial Carbon Emissions project models the synergy of using digital storytelling to spotlight clean industrial technologies.     
 
USW’s co-produced Storytelling for Health conferences in Swansea (2017, 2019, 2021) have led to digital storytelling trainings for staff in all seven NHS Wales Health Boards. The Kicking Up Our Heels project has informed the design of Great Ormond Street Hospital’s new £258million children’s cancer centre.    
 
The 40 Voices, 40 Years exhibition in partnership with charity Welsh Women’s Aid helped raise public awareness of issues around gender-based violence, helped change policy, victim support training, policing practice, and legal frameworks.