Nurturing Tomorrow’s Storytellers is Part of Chinarrative’s Long-Term Mission
In my last post I explained how my media startup, Chinarrative, showcases in-depth storytelling from and about China. But that’s only part of the tale.
In the past few weeks, I’ve been rethinking the scope of the venture, especially from the viewpoint of what we could achieve if we adopted a broader approach to the “storytelling” process.
I think in the medium term, Chinarrative can reach beyond being a publishing platform for gathering and amplifying “undiscovered” China stories, and evolve to include a learning platform that equips people in China with skills and tools they need to tell their own stories in English.
As I see it, learning how to tell stories forms a crucial part of pioneering a China storytelling “ecosystem.” Chinarrative, the media platform, would foster narrative nonfiction in the broad sense by providing a carefully curated outlet for talented storytellers today, while the venture’s learning arm would help build the capabilities of future writers on China.
So how would this learning platform work in reality?
The plan calls for a combination of in-person and online coaching across all major storytelling formats: text, video, photography, audio and interactive. For the initial stages of Chinarrative’s educational arm, the focus would be on the craft of writing.
This refers, for example, to the skills needed to structure and tell a short story at one end of the writing spectrum, to more challenging forms such as personal essays or memoirs on the other.
It’s encouraging that online education market is growing rapidly in China. According to a report by internet consultancy iResearch, the market there is expected to be worth around 252 billion yuan (around $40 billion) in 2018, up almost 26 percent on the previous year. The same report projects that figure to double by 2022.
It’s also heartening to know that, as incomes rise, more Chinese are seeking out opportunities to realize their creative potential, whether through travel, visual arts and, in some cases, storytelling and writing. The country’s educational system and its public institutions are not conducive to fostering artistic creativity, and this provides an additional incentive for those who have the capability to produce and execute well-thought out online learning platforms.
But the main reason why Chinarrative should plan to embrace digital learning is inclusivity.
While paying users will make up the lion’s share of the customers for its learning platform, Chinarrative cannot be exclusively for those better off residents of coastal cities like Beijing and Shanghai. If it’s to deliver on its core mission of fostering storytelling in English among Chinese, Chinarrative must have the ability to reach into the homes, offices and classrooms of people throughout the country in cities such as Shijiazhuang, Wuhan, Zhengzhou — up to and beyond the Hu Line.
This means if not “digital first,” Chinarrative’s learning platform should aim to be “digital early.”
While my background is firmly in the world of journalism — with a bit of banking, consulting and business development thrown in for good measure — I also have solid experience coaching Chinese reporters and writers in English, including young reporters while Editorial Director at the Shanghai-based Sixth Tone. I was also a student mentor when I was an associate faculty member at City University of Hong Kong’s (now defunct) MFA program. In my pro bono role as nonfiction editor with The Shanghai Literary Review, I work with a range of writers to help them hone and polish their literary works.
Still, I anticipate a need to seek out partners for the learning platform component of Chinarrative. In recent weeks, I’ve had some exploratory discussions with people who have already established a presence in English-language related education in China, as well as people with specific craft or technical knowledge of how to develop online curricula.
I’ve also had preliminary talks with a major journalism ethics and skills training organization here in the United States, and I’m encouraged by its response.
I believe the publishing and learning platform approach will also help garner support from those people who sign up for a membership for Chinarrative publishing platform.
I’m hopeful that by signing up as members, these people, who will largely reside outside China, will understand they are not just adding to their own knowledge bank on the country by gaining access to some really cool and insightful stories, but that they’ll also take satisfaction from knowing their membership fees work to support the craft of storytelling in English inside China.
I’m hoping Chinarrative will be a catalyst that places the narrative on China in the hands of the those who know the country best — its own people.
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