"Satisfying, Effective, Enjoyable..." - The Secrets of Great Science Storytelling

The Experimental Stories workshops throw participants in at the deep end, with a series of quick fire ‘speed dating’ style conversations that allow researchers and writers to get to know each other and crucially get a sense of how a partnership around their work might emerge.  

Recounting her experience of this part of the session, Anita Sullivan writer of The Mosquito remarked

“It wasn’t at all what I was expecting, but I loved speaking to all the climate scientists about their different areas of specialism…There were so many people I wanted to work with, it was hard to choose”

The importance of forming these early relationships was echoed by Hannah Cloke, Professor of Hydrology at the University of Reading: 

“I remember that first night where we sat and had dinner together and I was just in hysterics for about two hours talking; talking about climate change and how ridiculous things are and why there’s no action. But also learning about other people, how you write and produce a play – all of this kind of stuff which was completely new to me”

Although initially informal and aided by a good cocktail menu, this collaboration and knowledge exchange between experienced entertainment creators and academic researchers lies at the heart of OKRE’s mission. We are an organisation that operates at the intersection of the two sectors, facilitating the creation of compelling content that expands audience’s understanding of the world. Through this work we can focus on implementing systemic changes to the process by which entertainment with public purpose can and does get made.

Each year Experimental Stories workshops develop content in response to a given theme, with academics selected to participate based on their knowledge, expertise and published research in this area. Past themes have included Artificial Intelligence and Human Enhancement. This year’s theme was Climate and Health, supporting Wellcome’s strategic mission in this area and its goal of reaching a better understanding of how climate change affects health.

With writers and researchers now matched up into small teams, they were challenged to develop ideas that not only conveyed to audiences the realities of the impacts of climate change, but were able to do so in a story that would first and foremost entertain and engage audiences.

Jessica Dromgoole from Hooley Productions and the Director of Chloe’s Ark, believes that this collaborative challenge pushes both partners to reframe existing perceptions about each other’s work and focus on how best to apply this new and better understanding into compelling stories:

“I could be wrong, but I think that you come at things like climate, health and science – if you work in the creative industries – with quite an outmoded sense of what the picture is and what the story is. And equally, Hannah and Jessica (Jessica Lamond, Professor of Real Estate and Climate Risk at UWE) came in with a rather outmoded sense of what an educationally foundation drama might be. We both became much, much more sophisticated in terms of how we presented the research. There’s an enormous amount of research in there, but I think it’s carried really lightly”

Leanne Allen, the writer of Chloe’s Ark, echoed the value of research in underpinning the creative development of her character’s story:

“The research was incredibly important, as well as the practical element of providing beats for the story, Chloe, in particular, is very well informed about flood risks, so her knowledge and actually, her whole brain and heart couldn’t exist without the academic research that Hannah and Jessica provided. Without Chloe’s heart, there is no story.”

After the initial workshops, Experimental Stories participants continue to work together as drama ideas are refined and developed. The next stage in the process, two to three months after the first convening, is for creative and academic teams to pitch their ideas to a panel including commissioners from BBC Radio 4, representatives from Wellcome’s Climate and Health Team and OKRE.

As is the case for much creative development in entertainment, not every idea or story is guaranteed a slot. Projects were reviewed, discussed and ultimately commissions awarded based on their creative strength and how this aligns with BBC Radio 4’s commissioning brief. The number of Experimental Stories dramas that have won commissions and awards since its inception, stands as a testament to the quality of the ideas that emerge from this collaborative process.

The ongoing collaboration between researchers and creatives is an essential part of the process up to the pitch day and, for successful projects, through the development, writing and production stages.

Andy Morse (Professor of Climate Impacts at the University of Liverpool), who worked with Anita Sullivan on The Mosquito, explains how this level of involvement broke new ground for how he’s interacted with the creative industries. Comparing this to creative work that had previously drawn on his research, he commented

“Previously I was there as an advisor to give them ideas. I didn’t get involved in the creative process. [on The Mosquito] I felt we really were an integral part of the team…bouncing the ideas around and coming up with interesting side stories… right through to talking with John (John Norton, Director ‘The Mosquito’) about sound effects ideas. It was a brilliant process – I would encourage anyone to go through it.”

Such is the value of these relationships, that many creatives continue to collaborate with researchers they met through Experimental Stories, on new projects beyond the scope of this programme.

Experimental Stories continues to demonstrate the untapped opportunities to create entertainment with public purpose, through an energising process of collaboration with academic research and lived experience. With a decade long pedigree of innovative and award-winning dramas behind us, we’re excited about these unique and compelling new additions and the impact they will have had on audiences and their understanding of climate change and health.

Experimental Stories is just one strand of activity where OKRE works at the intersection of creativity and research. Other radio drama work involves regular trips to Ambridge – more on which we’ll be sharing very soon – as well as direct engagement with producers and commissioning teams across many other genres including sports and comedy.

Through the OKRE Fund we provide financial support for early stage development that encompasses narrative and documentary features and shorts, videogames and interactive entertainment and TV.

To find out how we could support your project, check out the OKRE Fund here.

If you work in academic research or have lived experience and would like to find out more about working more closely with the entertainment sector, we’d love to hear from you. 

The influence that being involved in a collaborative development processes can have on all participants – through relationships made, knowledge exchanged and creativity shared – will have a lasting impact on new projects, new stories and new audiences.

Research meets entertainment. Talk to OKRE.