How we can help
There are many different ways we can work with you to help you achieve your goals. We’ve created a menu that gives you a taste of our talks, training, research and consulting options. Get in contact with our Co-Director Lizzie Edwards to chat through which options will work best for you.
Options for how we can support you
Workshops
Our workshops on story and narratives draw on the best evidence from across social sciences and our own extensive research, all packaged in an engaging and easy to digest way.
Unlocking Your Story - workshop
Bring your team together to clarify the building blocks of your narrative with our Unlocking Your Story workshop. Our narrative experts will lead your team through the science and impact of framing and explore how effective frames can help you solve your problems and achieve your goals.
Through interactive exercises your team will identify the core elements of the story you want to tell, and how to tell it. Following the workshop, you will receive a short report summarising the outcomes of the session. This will include broad recommendations of frames to explore further and our advice on next steps.
When should I choose this option?
Choose this option if you aim to bring your organisation, rōpū, or network together to focus on how to best tell your story. This workshop is designed to start you on your framing journey by providing the tools and recommendations you need to continue developing your own great narratives, and is ideal for groups seeking to add new tools to their kete.
Crafting Your Narrative - workshop and advice
With a Crafting Your Narrative workshop and follow-up advice we will help you tell a clear and consistent story about your organisation, the work that you do, and the impact you have. Through an online or in-person workshop, we will help your team develop a shared language to consistently and effectively frame your story. Our expert advisors will teach you how to identify and avoid unhelpful frames which can undermine your goals and show you what to do instead. We offer targeted research on your topic and work closely with you to produce framing principles and a set of clear messages for ongoing use across your organisation.
When should I choose this option?
This option is ideal for organisations who have identified that the story you tell is not as clear as it needs to be. This option will also benefit organisations who want to build a strong and consistent story to respond to false information. With expert input from our team, this is an easy option for organisations who have little or no experience with framing or limited internal capacity to develop their own framing principles and messages.
Research
We can use framing to shift shared cultural norms and assumptions, creating a supportive environment for solutions. Frames and messages developed and tested in the place they are being applied are particularly valuable to those of us working to improve the health and wellbeing of our communities and environment.
The Workshop undertakes framing research and experiments within Aotearoa New Zealand to build local evidence on frames that switch on support for solutions that work in our cultural context. Our framing research projects offer the unique benefits of identifying thinking and reasoning on an issue in Aotearoa specifically, and can include testing of new frames and messages with the New Zealand public.
Research projects range in scale and price. We can deliver new framing research, testing, and insights for between $60,000 to $100,000 depending on the issue and type of testing we do. More extensive research and implementation support to help embed the frames can be added on. We can lead research in a behind-the-scenes capacity, or as the public face depending on your needs.
When should I choose this option?
To understand what is driving an issue in Aotearoa from a public thinking and reasoning perspective, and to identify best places to intervene.
To have frame testing done in Aotearoa so that frames are known to be effective here.
To enable greater impacts across the wider field and network with best framing evidence.
Advice and Support
Strategic framing campaign support
The Workshop provides framing advice and support for organisations or collaborators working on specific campaigns. We work with teams throughout the campaign development process and help to shape campaigns to best meet the goals in terms of building public engagement and support.
When should I choose this option?
Strategic framing and campaign support is ideal for organisations or groups who already have a good understanding of strategic framing, but need support to achieve maximum impact from the campaigns they run on an issue.
Enquire for pricing and availability
Framing on the fly
Our live framing practice and coaching sessions are designed to help people reframe an issue or topic in those important but fast-moving moments. Framing on the fly sessions take people through a series of exercises to deepen understanding of the frames that work most effectively in their topic area. Sessions provide an opportunity for participants to practise how to reframe on the fly when coming up against unhelpful frames and narratives that undermine the solutions they are working to achieve.
Sessions can cover a range of topics including: poverty, climate, transport, criminal justice, health equity, arts, culture and creativity, government, gender issues, economic justice, and more.
When should I choose this option?
Framing on the fly coaching sessions are designed to support people who communicate in public contexts (writing, talking to media) or directly to decision makers. Coaching is for those who have previously completed training in framing and narratives with The Workshop, but would like to develop their skills at using effective frames in the moment.
Enquire for pricing and availability
As needed expert framing advice and coaching
The Workshop can provide expert advice and consulting when organisations need another set of eyes and ears to help get a campaign or project over the line quickly. Our consulting work can look like:
A round-table strategic discussion on framing and narratives for the moment with one of our Senior Narrative Advisors or Co-Director
Quick reviews of campaign content and messages
Impact design including advice and support on how to measure the impact of framing approaches
Coaching leaders in effective framing
When should I choose this option?
Our consulting services offer quick support for people working on live campaigns or those rolling out communications plans.
Training
We offer a variety of training options to suit the needs of individuals, groups, and organisations.
Our private trainings include our standard offerings as well as customised workshops tailored to the kaupapa or project you are working on.
We will be running public training sessions again in the future in line with demand and we invite you to register your interest here.
Introduction to framing and narratives
Our introductory training on framing and narratives takes participants through basic theory on framing and the role of shared mindsets. It teaches you how to deepen public understanding and build demand for solutions that work. This training can be delivered as a one-day in-person workshop or online over several weeks.
When should I choose this option?
This option is an easily accessible starting point and supports participants to immediately use more effective communication techniques. Participants learn together how to use strategic framing approaches to achieve better outcomes, deepen public understanding, and unlock support for the solutions you seek to implement.
Enquire for pricing and availability
Framing masterclasses for specific topics
Framing masterclasses teach participants from organisations or within a sector how to apply already tested frames and narratives to their issue. Participants construct frames and messages and receive coaching and feedback from our expert trainers, along with advice on how to create a collaborative framing strategy on their issue to achieve greater impact more quickly.
Topics we cover include climate disruption, health equity, structural racism, criminal justice reform, transport (mode shift), transport and climate, poverty, the role of government for long-term wellbeing, budgets and taxes, new economic thinking, arts, culture and creativity, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and other specific topics by agreement.
When should I choose this option?
A masterclass is ideal for those wanting to quickly upskill groups in framing specific topics, in order tell effective stories and deepen public understanding of a key issue fast. This option will help groups understand the importance of working collaboratively to strategically frame an issue to achieve greater impact together.
Enquire for pricing and availability
False Information Training
To achieve a healthy information environment, we need tools to address false information that are proven to work. Our false information training teaches participants how to foster a healthy and inclusive information environment where people value and trust good information and are able to access and use this to be well-informed on an issue.
In this training participants learn to use three evidence-based tactics enabling you to get ahead of information that is anticipated and respond to incorrect and false information that is already out there. This training teaches participants how to respond to difficult conversations including incorrect and false information in one-on-one settings, both on and offline.
When should I choose this option?
False Information training is for any organisation or person who is finding it difficult to communicate online or in-person due to the use of and belief in incorrect facts. Many important issues are being undermined by false information which is used to mislead people and derail the valuable work that is being done in areas such as climate disruption, vaccination, healthcare access, justice, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. If you are facing this issue in your work, we are here to help.
Talks and expert panels
We love sharing framing and narrative advice with audiences who are interested in effective communication and those working on systems change kaupapa. Jess, Minette, and Julie regularly share the learnings and themes from their research at conferences and webinars.
Examples of topics that our team can cover include:
How narratives and framing can unlock goals for organisations, leaders, and movements
False information and what we can do about it
Framing strategies on topics including climate disruption, equity, crime and justice, child development, public health, transport, and more.