The power of storytelling to engage audiences and shift mindsets

We can weave common myths such as the biblical creation story, the Dreamtime myths of Aboriginal Australians, and the nationalist myths of modern states. Such myths give sapiens the unprecedented ability to cooperate flexibly in large numbers.

Sapiens: Abrief history of humankind.
Yuval Noah Harari

In conversation with acclaimed filmmaker Paul Clarke

We recently hosted an evening with acclaimed Australian filmmaker and friend, Paul Clarke, who is highly regarded for his social history documentaries which invariably tap into the often-buried storylines of our culture, giving life to myth, yarn and ballad. Paul’s career has allowed him to get up close and personal with many of his heroes; figures who’ve really impacted Australian society; the big guns in politics, music and the arts and along the way, Paul continually honing his craft as a storyteller at heart.

“Feelings of believing and belonging are innate to us, and that relies heavily on story. We are the only creatures that have a collective reality based on stories”.

– Paul Clarke

Trust is vital

Paul highlighted a short clip from ‘Between A Frock and a Hard Place’ with British actor Terence Stamp discussing his role in the film ‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert’. In the interview Paul was able to get Stamp to open up and relate his fears and anxieties about accepting a role that required him to completely abandon the brooding, very macho persona that had underpinned his entire career … he had to embrace a massive change and it was nerve-wracking, but in telling this story, he hooked us. Paul’s accompanying message refers to his fascination with bringing about a shift in attitude via storytelling and watching it happen.

‘I’m particularly interested in change – what made us change as a culture. There’s a lot of humour to be had in the way we used to look, the way we used to act … we’re also passionate about being inclusive – finding the way to tell the story that evokes an emotive response, makes people feel it’.

– Paul Clarke.

There was consensus in the room that trust was vital to bringing people along with you, to get them on board, to invest and believe in the story being told. This dovetailed into the next film sequence presented by Paul which came from his documentary series ‘Blood & Thunder’, the story of AC/DC.

Paul was able to contextualise his process for us by describing how initially resistant the Young brothers were to the project … the shutters came down and they were immovable. It was a process of finding a story that was different, that they felt compelled to buy into. The dual narrative of the two migrant families – the Youngs and the Alberts – and the unlikely bond they created was so different that Paul and his team gradually earned the Youngs’ trust by bringing the entire Albert family on board to begin building the story around them. The Youngs saw the trust being formed by the Alberts and they gradually bought into the series.

Authenticity is a must, so is finding the unexpected and ‘new truths’ 

Paul discussed the importance of finding the truth in a narrative. The group agreed that authenticity was paramount and far more important than a well-crafted narrative; emphasising the fact that humans have the innate ability to pick up when someone or something is not genuine or authentic.

And truth it seems, is sometimes found in unexpected places; we discussed the value of thinking about what we know personally and using that to build integrity into our stories; and how the simple stories that are right under our nose are often the most powerful.

Engaging to change mindsets

Ensuring there is something to draw in and engage your audience from the start is key to good storytelling. When commencing work on his soon-to be released film John Farnham: Finding the Voice, Paul initially had misgivings:

“People weren’t really interested in another pale stale male story … yet it’s an incredibly moving, re-branding story. It’s an individual journey, about how he found his integrity. How he became himself. Something every person, every family, community or corporation has to do.”

Paul Clarke discusses his latest film: John Farnham: Finding the Voice

After watching an amazing excerpt from the film, we felt incredibly moved and wanting for more … eagerly awaiting the release of John Farnham: Finding the voice in cinemas next month!

The power of storytelling, and the way it can be used to change mindsets, is evident throughout Paul’s films.

“The key thing is being able to change mindsets. If you can find stories that change people’s thinking, it’s a really exciting and valuable thing to do … we want to be able to make people think, ‘that’s unreal; I didn’t know that’. That is what opens up a story for them…”.

– Paul Clarke

Paul’s films are great examples of how storytelling has the power to communicate an alternative narrative and in doing so, work to shift ways of thinking and change mindsets.

What is the value of storytelling in business?

It was decided that stories aren’t always required or appropriate – and there are pitfalls to be aware of when used in a business context. Indeed, the success of a story relies on a range of factors.

Complex situations regularly call for new narratives that a team of people or the public at large can relate to. Often, they combine at a particular moment in time and this must be reflected in the framing. The best change leaders are the people who can talk to the moment and lead people with a narrative that captures the present and the future.

We also need to think hard about the story we are trying to convey and how it can be tailored to the target audience. Our guests agreed, when a story does not match the context or the people who the message is for, it will not be an effective tool in a business context.

In closing, we watched the final segment of Karen Eber’s fantastic TED Talk: Why storytelling is more trustworthy than presenting data; as we reflected on some of the key ideas discussed in using the power of storytelling to engage audiences and shift mindsets (see our 3 key takeaways).

Our heartfelt thanks to Paul for his entertaining and enlightening insights into storytelling and to all of our guests who helped make the evening so incredibly engaging and enjoyable.

– Mike and the Mozaic Team.