story-driven research and research collaboratives
The Institute for Movement Narratives is a research and storytelling institute dedicated to co-creating media with social movements. We center the voices of those most impacted by injustice, producing participatory media projects, critical research, and public dialogues. Through partnerships with universities, nonprofits, and communities, we explore how narratives shape power—and how collective storytelling can reimagine our futures.
We are an independent storytelling lab and a hub for bold, critical, and imaginative media research. Founded by filmmaker and writer Dara Kell, the Institute creates participatory media projects, produces academic research on documentary form, and hosts public conversations about the ethics and aesthetics of representation. Through collaborations with universities, foundations, and nonprofits, we advance equity, reflexivity, and creative experimentation in the media we make—and the futures we imagine.
A storytelling lab and research institute advancing liberatory media, ethical documentary practice, and imaginative futures. Through collaborations with universities, foundations, and grassroots movements, we explore how narratives shape power—and how bold, reflexive storytelling can help us transform the world.
