The Storytelling Symposium Library
TOMORROW
Future Storytelling
Let‘s formulate our ideas for future storytelling together with experts in communication, innovation and sustainability.
Picture: Café y Librería El Péndulo | Centro Helénico, Ciudad México, © Roger Ce @unsplash
TOMORROW
Future Storytelling
Keynote
Simone Jo Moore
Sessions
Julia Holze
Ana-Laura Lemke
Matthias Leitner
Discussion with Petra Sammer
Panel with the experts of the day and guests
Keynote Lecture
“The Modern Muse” — A Tech-Infused Tale
Simone Jo Moore
TOMORROW — Future Storytelling
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In the ever-evolving landscape of creativity and innovation, the concept of the "Muse" has undergone a dramatic transformation. No longer confined to the classical figures of mythology or the human inspirations behind art, today’s Muse is deeply entwined with technology. Storytelling has merged human and machine imagination, to a point where the boundaries between the creator and the inspiration have blurred. It poses both exciting possibilities and profound questions about the nature of originality, creativity, and the future of art. The keynote looks at the history of the Muse and its evolution from mythology to machine including examples of tech-driven creativity and the ethics and philosophical implications of human-AI collaboration in storytelling. Leave with a new perspective on how technology can amplify human creativity—a partnership where the Muse is not a distant ideal but a tool at our fingertips, reshaping the future of storytelling.
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Simone pushes the boundaries and asks the tough questions of organisations with how they are designing and using their technology. Having long practice in blending business and technology approaches and frameworks, Simone helps us thrive in an ever-changing, dynamic world. A well known IT practitioner, Simone is the Editorial Director of ‘The Youth Rise in Power’ and 'The Era of HumanisingIT' docuseries. Her IT, OCM, HR and Complementary health experience brings together the technology of the human brain, emotional agility and the digital journey in adapting to Humanising IT focussed on ethical and emotional AI.
A recognised Top 25 Industry Thought Leader, Women in DevOps list, WomenTech award nominee, Simone is a contributing author to VeriSM Unwrapped, Applied and ITIL4 High Velocity IT and other international certifications, DevOps Institute eBooks and a contributing reviewer for the European Commission and Cynefin based Field Guide on Managing complexity (and chaos) in times of crisis. Flourishing humans and exceptional experiences are a result of her active values - people connected, knowledge shared, possibilities discovered and potential realised. Simone takes things beyond technology for a deep leadership experience shared through writing, consulting, training, workshops, conferences, podcasts and social media.
Session 1
Breaking Myths - The Real Traits of Successful Startup Founders
Julia Holze
TOMORROW — Future Storytelling
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Introduction: The staging of you
→ Staging means transforming text into an action score.
→ What does it mean to act linguistically?
→ Change of perspective: from content to action
→ Creating the plot structure: Plot units and thresholds
→ Defining the plot: What are you doing by saying that?
→ The change of action in the thresholds
Work part: We create the plot score using a sample text.
Finale:→ Discussion of the results of the work part
→ What does the plot structure mean in the performance: linguistic realization
→ Before — after — comparison for presentation
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Elma Esrig works with experts, entrepreneurs and the self-employed on their stage presence in front of an audience in lectures, webinars, podcasts and presentations. How do you become a stage for content that touches, moves and changes other people? Well, the professional theatre sector offers a range of techniques to master the embodiment of knowledge confidently, powerfully and effectively. Firstly, through natural physical forms of expression that reach people emotionally. On the other hand, through staging and performance techniques that turn presentations into an experience for the audience.
Session 2
Narrative Impact Measurement — Listening to Stories that Reveal Change
Ana-Laura Lemke
TOMORROW — Future Storytelling
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How do you measure the impact of your work when numbers alone don’t tell the full story?
In this workshop, we will explore Narrative Impact Measurement (NIM), a groundbreaking approach that shifts the focus from telling stories to listening for the stories that reveal change. Using a case study from a program designed to increase interest in STEM subjects among young girls, I will demonstrate how NIM was applied before and after the initiative to measure qualitative shifts, capturing not just outcomes but the lived experiences behind them.
Together, we will explore:
How storylistening can complement traditional metrics to uncover the full impact of your work.
What kinds of stories offer the richest insights into change, and how to capture them.
How to design a narrative approach that measures not only success but also the deeper, often unseen, effects of your initiatives.
This interactive session will invite participants to engage in hands-on exercises and discussions, applying NIM principles to their own contexts and uncovering new ways to measure and narrate the impact of their work.
This workshop is ideal for anyone working in impact-driven fields, from non-profits to social enterprises, who seeks to add depth and nuance to their impact measurement by focusing on the stories of change.
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Ana-Laura Lemke is a speaker, researcher, and expert in narrative practices, with a background in systemic coaching and transformation design. Specializing in storylistening, she places individual stories at the heart of organizational transformation. Through her work with Hummingbirds.biz and Beyond Storytelling, she helps organizations uncover diverse perspectives, enabling them to address hidden dynamics and foster deep, sustainable change. By integrating systemic thinking with narrative approaches, Ana-Laura helps organizations create more authentic, inclusive narratives that resonate both internally and externally. She is the editor of “Storylistening – The Book” (2023) and actively engages in civil society initiatives aimed at driving societal transformation.
Resources
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Slides
Listening to Stories of Change — Narrative Impact Measurement.
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Book
Storylistening — the book. Introduction and editorial (PDF) for download.
Closing Session
Storytelling — Past, Present and Future
Matthias Leitner
TOMORROW — Future Storytelling
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What makes a story truly compelling? How should stories be crafted to captivate, evoke emotions, and simultaneously impart knowledge? How is storytelling transforming in the digital age?
This session provides an in-depth exploration of the art and craft of storytelling, delving into both timeless techniques and modern adaptations. What makes a story truly compelling? How should stories be crafted to captivate, evoke emotions, and simultaneously impart knowledge? How is storytelling transforming in the digital age?
Drawing on his experience as a Digital Storyteller Matthias Leitner will share his perspective on storytelling, particularly within the context of digital projects. The session will include case studies from award-winning projects such as the messenger-based narrative “Me, Eisner!” and the Social VR documentary Munich 72, offering real-world insights into how digital storytelling can engage audiences in innovative ways.
Links:
Ich, Eisner!: https://medium.com/br-next/storytelling-via-messenger-c4fa66f30c3d
Die Rettung: https://medium.com/br-next/die-rettung-6bf1486e3cc7
In 5 Tagen Mord: https://www.ardaudiothek.de/sendung/in-5-tagen-mord-die-krimi-challenge-mit-ki/13027883/
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Matthias Leitner is a Digital Storyteller who develops digital strategies and content production for NGOs, foundations, and cultural institutions. Since 2015, he has been leading the Storytelling Lab audience:first at Bayerischer Rundfunk and has been implementing program innovations in the Department of Digital Developments & Social Media, such as the award-winning messenger project “Me, Eisner!” and the Social VR documentary "Munich 72".
In 2017, Matthias Leitner was appointed as a fellow of the Federal Cultural and Creative Industries. He has received numerous awards for his journalistic and artistic work, including the Media Prize of the German Bundestag in 2020 for #icheisner and the Anthem Award in 2023 in the category "Digital & Innovative Experience" for "Munich 72".
Resources
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Slides
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Panel
TOMORROW — Future Storytelling
Literature & Sources
Recommendations of our Experts
TOMORROW — Future Storytelling
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