‘You say you want a Revolution’ with Vivien Morgan

It is World Storytelling Day on 20 March and organisers say that ‘worldwide events have made storytellers in society help build community spirit and inspire change’. This talk is about a moment in time when storytelling changed forever.

In this talk Vivien Morgan looks back at the year 1989 when Europe experienced a massive social and political change. As the Berlin Wall fell, it heralded the beginning of the end for Communist era – first in East Germany and then, like dominoes, huge changes rumbled through the whole of the Eastern Bloc and the USSR.

Reporting of those momentous events underwent a huge change too. The technological revolution came in the shape of the domestic video cameras – easy to hide and easy for journalists to capture live pictures to accompany their words.

Videojournalism was born and how we learn about world events has changed profoundly. It has become very much image-led and today, mobiles with cameras have ensured that all of us can bring governments and corporations to account by using peoples’ testimony, our stories and experiences, as evidence.

You say you want a revolution

Well, you know we all want to change the world

You tell me it’s evolution

Well, you know

We all want to change the world.

Vivien Morgan is a former TV News Journalist and documentary producer, who picked up a camera to become a TV Videojournalist pioneer. Travelling undercover she reported from the closed Communist countries, from Tibet and Myanmar and later from much of Sub-Saharan and West Africa, as well as the Middle East and Iran.

Vivien is author of two books, Cross-Dressed to Kill, about women who changed their appearance to be able to join different armies, and Videojournalism: History, pioneers, theory and practise, which was published in 2017.

Vivien made the first reports from Romania, for Channel 4 News and for years after, travelling the world mainly for BBC TV News. She was a Visiting Lecturer at 4 UK Universities, teaching Broadcast Video and Mobile journalism. Moving on into global Communications for the UN, African Council, Thomson Foundation and the EU. Also UK government roles as Communications Director. She has just published a historic book on Women Soldiers and is an Inspirational Speaker, plus Media Lecturer at schools and colleges.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION!

Please note that this event will be presented as a hybrid or blended event – it will take place in Kensington Central Library lecture hall and will be streamed online at the same time.

If you would like to join us in person in Kensington Central Library lecture hall, click HERE.

Those who book via THIS LISTING will receive the Zoom link to join in the day before, and on the day of the event.

We look forward to welcoming you to our programme!