Narrative 4 turns 10! Highlights from the 2023 Global Summit and 10th Anniversary Event

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Narrative 4 turns 10! Highlights from the 2023 Global Summit and 10th Anniversary Event

November 28, 2023

What happens when thousands stand up and say “Yes?”

When people from all walks of life across the globe gather as one to champion creativity, compassion, and storytelling?

We got the awe-inspiring answer when Narrative 4, for the first time in five years, came together for our Global Summit that culminated in our 10th anniversary gala event, “10 Years of Yes!”

It was truly a five-day celebration, ten years in the making!

2023 Global Summit

From November 2–7, we gathered for our Global Summit in New York City for five days of conversation, innovation, imagination, activity, creativity, connection, compassion, and storytelling.

The summit began on the 2nd of November with an intimate welcome dinner where team members, practitioners, and students around the world united (or reunited) for the first time in years. It was a night of anecdotes, remembrance, and gratitude as we reflected how far we’ve come.

The days that followed were packed with engaging sessions and activities to keep participants updated on best practices, organizational progress, and of course, N4 Story Exchange Facilitator Training. These sessions included:

A Keynote address by Marc Brackett, Ph.D.

Marc had helped kick off N4’s first Global Summit at Yale University and has since been an ally and friend to N4! Marc is the founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and professor in the Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine at Yale University, and has focused on the role of emotions and emotional intelligence in learning, decision making, creativity, relationships, health, and performance. Marc is also on the board of CASEL and Karanga (US and Global SEL standards measurement.)

Past, Present and Future: Programmatic progress and trajectory for the years to come.

Through a series of presentations by global team members, participants understood how various N4 offerings (like the Story Exchange and Civic Engagement!) began and how they will continue to evolve.

Mandatory Facilitator Training

All summit participants experienced the new, 6 hour global facilitator training and got to develop further their leadership and group facilitation skills. 10 years of best practices are integrated into our new training and the positive feedback was palpable!

Lego Serious Play Activity with How Might We

We invited the organisation ‘How Might We’ to lead us through a tactile activity using The LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® method to give us another way to think about ways that organizations can move through growth and innovation and embrace the unique contributions of any individual.

Narrative 4 – ’10 Years of Yes’

On November 6, we celebrated “10 Years of ‘Yes!’” with an unforgettable evening of inspiring moments, exciting announcements, heartfelt stories, and breathtaking performances.

Our 10th anniversary gala was full of energy and excitement.

We officially launched a new era for Narrative 4, with the unveiling of the Jackie Bezos Global Learning Lab and Global Civic Engagement program.

Sting, Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Loah, Ishmael Beah, and many other artists entertained 700-plus guests inside the sold-out Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space.

An “Empty Chair” graced the stage in honor of slain journalist James Foley, a somber reminder of the costs of violence…

Author Terry Tempest Williams gave a stirring speech about combating climate change while accepting our Global Empathy Award…

And Israeli artist Assaf Gavron and Palestinian journalist Greg Khali defied the darkness by making a powerful plea for peace in the war-torn region.

It was a night of stories, songs, smiles, tears, and laughter.

A night that looked back on ten remarkable years — and looked forward to an even brighter future.
Most of all, it was a night that advanced our mission and honored the people who make it all possible — people like YOU!

Whether you celebrated with us in person, or continue to support us from afar, thank you for playing the most important part in our incredible story.

We’ve come a long way in the past decade, but we’re just getting started.

Get ready for the exciting next chapter of Narrative 4!

Read more about each highlight from our 10th anniversary event here: narrative4.com/10-years-of-yes-highlights