By Catherine Millan, Founder of Be What You See Consultancy
My understanding of representation started long before I ever named it. As a child, I loved books and the worlds they opened up, but I also remember searching their pages for someone, anyone, who felt like me. I looked for families like mine, communities like mine, or even small details that reflected my reality. Most of the time, I did not find them.
Growing up without that sense of recognition does something to you. It makes you quietly wonder whether your story is the kind that belongs in books or in bigger spaces at all. Everything changed the day I finally came across a character whose experience echoed even a small piece of my own. It was not a perfect match, but that moment of familiarity was enough. It made me feel seen in a way I did not realise I needed. That feeling stayed with me, and it eventually shaped my path toward founding Be What You See Consultancy, a discrimination-prevention training company rooted in the belief that representation is one of many vital solutions to creating a fairer world.
Two Storytelling Projects That Stay With Me
One of the most meaningful initiatives I have worked on was the With Women book project, a collection of oral histories from Black and Asian midwives in the Manchester area. As part of my previous role at the University of Manchester I worked in partnership with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Loreto High School and the Royal College of Midwives to gather these powerful stories. This formed part of a wider recruitment strategy to diversify the midwifery profession.
Being part of this reminded me exactly why representation matters. Listening to midwives speak about their journeys, their culture, their challenges, their resilience, felt personal and deeply grounding. These are stories that do not often receive a platform, yet they hold incredible wisdom and generational significance.
Another book I co-produced and edited was Sister Rosetta at Chorltonville, which brings to life the story of the gospel and blues legend Sister Rosetta Tharpe and her performance on the ‘Gospel and Blues Train’ in Manchester in 1964. The project worked with schools and arts students to illustrate and celebrate this almost-forgotten moment in local history. aiucentre.wordpress.com
Working on both of these projects has reminded me over and over again that representation is not just about fictional characters; it is about honouring real lives, shared histories, unsung courage and overlooked contributions.
Representation, Bystander Action and the Power of Storytelling
As an active bystander specialist, storytelling plays a huge role in the training I deliver to my clients. Learning about bystanders throughout history, people who stepped up, spoke out or quietly protected others has always inspired me and I love that I get to bring these stories to the boardroom. Their stories remind me that ordinary people can make extraordinary differences, often through small, courageous actions.
What inspires me even more is watching the people I train go on to take their own everyday steps to interrupt discrimination. When someone tells me they challenged a harmful comment, supported a colleague or changed a decision because of something they learned in training, it shows me how powerful everyday bystanders can be.
Their actions become part of a growing chain of change. Representation returns to the centre again: when people see examples of inclusion, they feel more able to find courage within themselves.
This is why storytelling sits at the heart of my facilitation style. Stories are memorable. They move people. They open doors to empathy. They help us understand that inclusion, equity and discrimination-prevention are human experiences, not tick-box exercises.
Representation in literature taught me this early in life, and now I use storytelling to help others become active bystanders in creating safer and fairer work environments.
Representation as Belonging
For me, representation is ultimately about belonging. It is about that moment when someone sees themselves fully and authentically in a story. Not as a side character, not as a stereotype, but as a whole person.
When our stories are reflected back to us, they confirm that our experiences matter. They validate our identities. And they make futures that once felt distant suddenly feel reachable.
My journey from searching for a glimpse of myself in books to helping others see themselves in the stories we share today continues to guide my work every day. My involvement in With Women and Sister Rosetta at Chorltonville deepened my commitment to ensuring that every community’s voice is not only heard but honoured.
Because once we see ourselves in stories, we begin to understand that we belong in every space even those we never saw growing up.
Learn More About the Projects
You can read more about With Women here:
https://www.manchester.ac.uk/about/news/oral-histories-of-black-and-asian-midwives-inspire-new-generation/
And find out more about Sister Rosetta at Chorltonville here:
https://aiucentre.wordpress.com/2018/01/26/sister-rosetta-at-chorltonville/