Ateneo Masterclass · Culturally Intelligent Storytelling
Cultivating Culturally Intelligent Storytellers
A full-day learning experience for communication students and early-career professionals who wanted to create narratives that are authentic, respectful, socially grounded, and capable of connecting with audiences across cultures.
Selected participants explored the principles and practice of culturally intelligent storytelling with Ned Legaspi.
Why This Masterclass
Storytelling in a Diverse and Interconnected World
Media now travels across countries and platforms every day. So storytelling is no longer only about creativity. It also requires cultural awareness, sensitivity, and responsibility.
As audiences become more diverse and socially conscious, communicators are increasingly expected to create narratives that are compelling and culturally intelligent.
Culturally intelligent storytelling recognizes the importance of context, representation, and ethical engagement with different communities. It challenges creators to move beyond stereotypes and superficial inclusivity toward narratives that are authentic, respectful, and socially grounded.
The challenge is not simply to tell a good story, but to understand how culture shapes the way a story is created, interpreted, and received.
Learning Focus
What Participants Explored
The masterclass combined conceptual understanding with practical tools that participants can apply across communication, education, advocacy, media, the creative industries, and community engagement.
Who Took Part
Who Joined the Ateneo Masterclass
The masterclass was open to the public and designed for twenty-five selected participants.
Communication and Media Students
Advanced students who want to strengthen their understanding of culture, storytelling, representation, and cross-cultural audience connection.
Early-Career Professionals
Faculty members, journalists, media practitioners, development communicators, marketing professionals, government and NGO workers, content creators, and influencers.
The program was built for practitioners and advanced students who wanted specialized skills in cross-cultural narrative design.
Participation and Inclusions
How the Ateneo Masterclass Was Made Possible
Participation was free through the support of the Jose "Totoy" V. Avellana Professorial Chair for Communication Arts. The Department of Communication sponsored the masterclass for a limited number of participants.
Masterclass Kit
Learning materials and resources prepared for the full-day masterclass.
Meals and Snacks
Lunch, morning snacks, and afternoon snacks were included.
Certificate
Participants who completed the program received a certificate of participation.
Complimentary Book
Each selected participant received a copy of Culturally Intelligent Storytelling for Southeast Asian Creators as the course text.
Masterclass Facilitator
Ned Legaspi
Ned Legaspi is an author, educator, and speaker whose work explores how culture shapes communication, storytelling, identity, and connection.
For thirty years, he worked with global Filipino communities through The Filipino Channel, where he served in senior content and creative leadership roles. He now teaches at the Department of Communication of Ateneo de Manila University.
His book and CIS Bamboo Framework bring together professional practice, cross-cultural experience, teaching, and continuing research into a practical approach for creators and communicators.
After the Masterclass
Where This Goes Next
Applications closed on July 25, 2026. The framework taught that day is set out in full in the book.
The Road Here
A week after the book launched in Manila, the Ateneo Masterclass turned the argument into a day of practice. Everything before this was a talk. This was the first time the framework was taught rather than presented.