The Aspen Institute

At the Narrative Collaboratory, we proceed from the premise that in American life today the dominant overarching narrative says that the system is so broken and the game so rigged that there is no point in participating in democracy. Our goal is to displace that narrative. The Narrative Collaboratory is entering its second year during a time in our country that calls for renewed commitment to civic engagement at every level. As we enter the next phase, our methodology is evolving. We are creating a mutual-aid society for narrative innovators. The primary format will be a “rotating credit club”, where select group members present a project or problem they’re working on, and the rest of the Collaboratory makes commitments to help, and offers ideas. As we go through this process, we are reflecting on past efforts, taking stock of our role during this critical civic moment, analyzing lessons learned, and looking ahead to an exciting new phase of work.