Push beyond conventional collaborations and consider inviting co-creators who bring fresh insight and talent.
Convening artists, musicians, writers, philosophers, influential digital content creators, and podcasters can be a great way to connect with target groups through new perspectives, feelings and emotions – all potential drivers of action.
Getting the balance right between technical accuracy and creative flair will ensure that content is grounded in a solid technical understanding of risk but can also empathise and connect with the target audience in creative ways, to unlock pivotal conversations and actions.
Who to bring in
Artists
Musicians
Writers
Philosophers
Influential digital content creators
Podcasters
What each side brings
Media, communication and creativity experts
Should bring skills of their craft along with the ability to establish strong bonds and connections with the target audience and a commitment to accuracy. Conveying information that is not evidence-based or co-ordinated with disaster risk management authorities and local insights could be incomplete or misleading, which can undermine audience trust and ultimately cause harm.
Experts in technical areas
Should bring a solid understanding of the issue, a basic ability to convey those in terms that different audiences can understand, and a willingness to collaborate with creative communication experts. Translators can help plan how language should be accounted for throughout the process.
Where it goes wrong
Collaboration may require extra effort and planning. For example, a scientist and media producer may work successfully together on a communication piece, only to have an unknowing editor change important details at the last minute, potentially causing inadvertent misinformation. Flagging your collaboration to peers and conveying what support you need to make it work out can help.