We live in a fast changing world and if we think to just 50 years back, we can see the way we used to tell and listen to stories was completely different. The formats have changed, some media has evolved, others disappeared but the feeling that pushes us to keep telling stories is the same since the very beginning. Also the language is changing, influenced by the new medias – which are also changing the way and time we spend listening to stories (shorter contents, more choice between products).
To create a story that can be reached by the widest number of people, we need to take into consideration these generational differences. A good idea is to map which are the social platforms that function as a bridge between ages and understand how to decline our story in format and languages that are accessible to wide generational audiences. Also, media and the ways of telling stories that are no longer used can be a good learning basis, as to where to find inspiration for innovation and new story formats!
In order to create inclusive narration, it is worth reflecting on the importance of every voice involved in the story. To create a story with multiple speakers is a challenge, to create one with multiple speakers with different languages is even more challenging! But at the same time, it is a good exercise to reflect on different topics and to create different formats to be spread on different medias.
Example of project involving different generations in storytelling:
https://storytelling-youth.eu/#/en
https://www.linkinggenerationsni.com/intergenerational-practice-explained/#Section_3
Toolkit for intergenerational storytelling
https://generationsworkingtogether.org/downloads/626b985f1bc93-Toolkit%20Play%20&%20Storytelling%20FINAL%20.pdf