New Narratives is a five-year programme from British Council that contributes to updating narratives of countries of Africa and the UK, by supporting a series of activities that stimulate dialogue and foster beneficial collaborations in arts, culture, and education and between young people.
Find out more about the programme below and how to get involved, as well as the current opportunity for 18-35 year olds to share diverse stories of their countries (including England and a number of African countries) via creative videos on instagram (deadline is midnight on 10th September).
The #NewNarrativesChallenge
Submit your creative videos by 10 September 2021 for an opportunity to win £500.
The #NewNarrativesChallenge is aimed at 18 to 35-year-olds, who are willing to share diverse stories of their countries (African and UK countries – see list below).
British Council is looking for creative submissions that tell ‘the other stories’ of countries of Africa and the UK – authentic stories that are not often portrayed in the media.
How to enter
Share a one minute Instagram video or a 30-second Instagram reel, telling new exciting stories of your country, with the hashtag#NewNarrativesChallenge #NoToASingleStory on Instagram.
In the video, please state the country where you are from (as an onscreen caption and/or in the main caption).
Submissions should be creative and promote new and diverse stories of countries of Africa or the UK. Share stories about your cultures, adventures, people, places, personalities, etc. Utilise the platform to change the narratives.
Who can enter
You must be 18 to 35 years when you apply and be a resident of one of these countries:
Ethiopia, Algeria, Botswana, Kenya, Egypt, Malawi, Rwanda, Libya, Mauritius, England, Scotland, Wales, South Sudan, Morocco, Mozambique, Sudan, Tunisia, Namibia, Northern Ireland, Tanzania, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone.
Video submission can be in any language, but the language needs to be specified in the caption.
The deadline is 10 September 2021 at 23.59 UK time.
Selection process
The selection panel will review the video submissions and notify the top ten participants.
Once the selection process is complete, the selection panel will announce and contact the top ten submissions.
The top ten winners will be invited to complete a form and accept the terms and conditions, and privacy notice. British Council will also require you to submit photographs for publicity materials.
If selected as a winner, you will receive a prize award of £500. Winners will be paid the equivalent of the prize award in their local currency.
About New Narratives
New Narratives is a five-year programme from British Council that contributes to updating narratives of countries of Africa and the UK, by supporting a series of activities that stimulate dialogue and foster beneficial collaborations in arts, culture, and education.
The programme is based on guiding principles which emerged from research around perceptions and stereotypical narratives of countries of Africa and the UK, and how it affects UK-Africa relations:
- Diversity: Amplify and support narratives that demonstrate the diverse realities across the countries of Africa and the UK, prioritising race/ethnicity, gender, social class, and language.
- Mutuality: Prioritise peer-to-peer engagement among young people all through the programme’s cycle.
- Co-creation: The programme will use a ‘Nothing About Us Without Us’ approach. This essentially means that we will engage and listen to young people at all stages of the programme.
- Partnerships: This will be at the heart of the delivery model – explore and secure a range of partnerships delivery.
The programme so far
Co-creation: In 2020, 39 young people from countries of Africa and the UK took part in an experimental lab, with collaboration and peer-to-peer learning between young people from both places and outcomes around influencing new connections and reciprocal insights of both places, examining issues of outdated narratives between countries of Africa and the UK and prototyping solutions to develop plural and diverse narratives. Read about the Co-creation lab and access the full report here.
Youth Advisory Board: Eight young people from countries of Africa and the UK serve on the Youth Advisory Board and provide advice, insight, and recommendations on matters relevant to the programme. Meet the Youth Advisory Board
Partnership: Africa No Filter is a partner in the programme, to amplify youth voices and promote diverse narratives. Africa No Filter is working to shift harmful and stereotypical narratives about and within countries of Africa through research, grant-making, and advocacy. They empower narrative change-makers by supporting storytellers, investing in media platforms, and driving disruption campaigns.
There will be a series of online and offline activities open to young people from countries of Africa and the UK in the coming months.
Check out the New Narratives creative video challenge for a chance to win £500.
Keep in touch: Get opportunities and updates sent straight to your inbox when you sign up for the New Narratives newsletter.
If you are interested in getting involved with the New Narratives project, please get in touch New.Narratives@britishcouncil.org