In Phase 1 of the Butterfly Lab for Immigrant Narrative Strategy (2020-2021), we hosted sixteen leaders to develop, test, and align narratives that meet our current political moment and advance our vision for the world we want to build. We supported their work with research, coaching, and funding. We were heartened by the many breakthroughs we made together. Our work in the Butterfly Lab in this first phase affirms what we have known and gives us some directions to advance the movement towards more strategic alignment.
In Phase 2 of the Butterfly Lab, we launched a grant program, called the Chrysalis Lab, conducted research and trained thousands of people in narrative strategy to advance pro-immigrant narratives. We built a community of thousands of narrative practitioners and convened movement leaders to carry-on pro-immigrant narrative work into the future.
Our Phase 1 report documents what we learned in our prototype process and our research. In it, we share these learnings, as well as frameworks and tools, and insights into directions we can take to move forward together. Our Phase 2 report and research report expands on these learnings, with a specific focus on our research, grant program and trainings. We offer paths forward to build an aligned narrative strategy and advocate for building robust narrative capacity within organizations and across the movement. We’ve also updated our narrative design toolkit, which shares best practices tested in the field.
Whether you are an advocate or artist, a long-time veteran or applying narrative or cultural strategy for the first time, our reports are designed to work for you.
Our reports are also designed to help you think and act at multiple scales—locally, regionally, and nationally—with rigor, alignment, and purpose. The best narrative strategy should foster a unity of intention with a diversity of voices, approaches, and methods. It should help people work together with a sense of alignment along different timelines and fronts. We want this report to be used to build skills, capacities, and networks within the movement, and, above all, to help all of us approach narrative strategically.
Read the Phase 1 and Original Toolkit
Read the Phase 2 Report, Updated Toolkit, and Research Report