Four colored ribbons with the words "EXPLORE," "EXPRESS," "CONNECT," and "GROW."

Stories that create ripples of change

Brave Day is a digital storytelling studio and training practice supporting changemakers in health, education, and community development to capture stories of courage and change.

Rooted in ethics, dignity, and human empathy, the approach centres lived experience and gives people genuine agency over their own narratives, whether through documentary filmmaking, digital media production, or hands-on community storytelling training.

The person behind Brave Day

Hello! I’m Kirstie,

a filmmaker, creative practitioner, and digital storytelling trainer with over 25 years of experience telling stories that create change.

I founded Brave Day, a social enterprise now in its 11th year, to work with changemakers in health, arts, education, and community organisations across the North West and beyond, helping them find, shape, and share the stories that matter most.

Whether it's documentary filmmaking, hands-on digital media production, or running community storytelling workshops and training days, my approach is always collaborative, person-centred, and rooted in genuine human connection.

I love what I do because there's nothing better than sharing a brew as we unearth people's stories together. Everyone has stories to tell, but it takes skill to help people discover and express them in ways that are respectful, timely, and supportive. That's my creative practice, and one I'm passionate about sharing with others.

-Kirstie Henderson, Founder, Brave Day

Let’s chat!

Brave Day partners and clients

  • GMCA Logo

    GMCA

  • NHS GM logo

    NHS GM

  • Manchester Metropolitan University logo

    Manchester Metropolitan University

  • Rochdale Breaking Barriers CIC

    Rochdale Breaking Barriers CIC

  • A Brilliant Thing CIC

    A Brilliant Thing CIC

  • The Roots Programme

    The Roots Programme

  • BBC Radio

    BBC Radio

  • RFK Human Rights UK

    RFK Human Rights UK

  • The Open University

    The Open University

  • A group of five people standing in the corridor of an office building, smiling at the camera - from Brave Day, A Brilliant Thing CIC, Unlimited Potential and Elephant's Trail - after recording a podcast together

    GMCA Live Well Communities Fund Stories

  • Breaking Barriers - multimedia workshops

    Breaking Barriers - Multimedia workshops

  • Brilliant Thing CIC - Healing-centred design

    Brilliant Thing CIC - Healing-centred design principles workshop

  • A woman being interviewed in a quiet office space with large windows and a cityscape view by a colleague as part of the Brave Day digital skills training workshop for NHS Greater Manchester.

    NHS GM - Video storytelling training

  • A woman, Kirstie Henderson, founder of Brave Day, wearing a straw hat and a blue jacket, films with a large camera in front of a man and a young girl at an outdoor event in a park. People and a red canopy are visible in the background.

    Breaking Barriers - health & wellbeing films

Brave Day storytelling framework

Four colored ribbons with the words "EXPLORE," "EXPRESS," "CONNECT," and "GROW."
Two women sitting at a table with recording equipment, looking at a laptop, in front of large windows with city buildings in the background.

Every project and training session can be shaped around your values, community, and goals. It’s never helpful to arrive with a rigid template, so our storytelling framework is an ethos to work by, encouraging effective collaboration and co-designing a process that fits your needs.

Explore → Express → Connect → Grow‍

Explore

We start by sitting down with your team, partners, and community to map what's already there. The stories, the strengths, the values, the goals. Before we pick up a camera, we listen.

Express

We create safe, trauma-informed spaces where people can share their experiences in their own words. Whether that's a polished documentary or a community workshop, we work alongside participants as creative peers. No one's story gets forced into a corporate template.

Connect

We shape how the stories are shared, building media that works on multiple levels: evidence for funders, resources for practitioners, and inspiration for the people on the ground.

Grow

We leave you stronger than we found you. That means elevated digital skills within your team, deeper connections across your sector, and the kind of impact evidence that unlocks future funding and policy change.

Ways to work together

1.

Ethical Video Storytelling Training

Building confident, capable digital storytellers within your organisation or community, suitable for all levels of ability.

Learn more

2.

Standalone Storytelling Projects

For organisations with a specific story to tell, whether documenting a project, event, or campaign, or collaborating on an interdisciplinary storytelling project.

Learn more

3.

Multi-Level Digital Storytelling

For complex programmes requiring cross-sector storytelling to connect the dots together, with lived experience at the heart of the work.

Learn more

Kind words from clients

  • “Kirstie was great to work with from start to finish. We were really happy with the end product, and our communications and engagement team felt more confident producing high-quality, engaging content across multiple platforms.”

    Jessica Herbert

    Head of Campaigns, Digital and Design — NHS Greater Manchester

  • “Brave Day is a team you can trust with high-level stakeholders. Their approach is professional, creative, and thoughtful, with real attention to detail and a deep understanding of how a film will meet its aims.”

    Pete Jones

    Marketing Manager — Manchester Metropolitan University

  • “Kirstie is a rare mix of highly creative and deeply grounded. She listens carefully and turns complex ideas and vague hunches into clear, compelling films. She’s patient, thoughtful, and a genuinely collaborative partner.”

    David Heinemann

    Former Co-Director — The Roots Programme

  • “From the first conversation, I knew I’d found someone who really listened. Kirstie understood what I needed and had the professional skill to translate it into something that made sense to others. She’s a storyteller who works with real care.”

    Sophie Stephenson

    The Thinking Project

  • “Kirstie has a vast range of experience in film making, creative direction and coaching for community and social justice projects, connected through the power of storytelling. This lens brought a unique skillset into the room as Kirstie used Healing Centred Design to encourage authenticity through facilitation."

    A Brilliant Thing CIC