May 18, 2023

We are thrilled to welcome Jasmyn Hutin. Get to know more about our new Youth Storytelling Program Co-ordiantor. 

Tell us a bit about your past career and how it led you to join the Centre for Stories?

As with most good things, this role wasn’t something I was seeking out; rather, it appeared, and felt like something that made perfect sense. I’ve always alternated between two quite different career paths, teaching and writing communications for not-for-profits. I still love doing both of those things, but joining the Centre gives me the chance to combine my favourite elements of each: working with young people and sharing true stories for a purpose. 

What’s something surprising that people might not know about you? 

Probably not much! I’m usually more at risk of over-sharing. 

Ok, I’ve never told anyone this because it’s so cringy. But I’m constantly drafting song lyrics in my mind. Not for myself (I can’t carry a tune, even in dreams) but in my secret fantasy world, I like to pretend I’m a ghost writer for popstars with great voices. 

As you begin working with the Word Up program at the Centre for Stories, what are you most looking forward to achieving or experiencing?

I wish Word Up had been around when I was struggling to make it through the day in high school. It teaches skills that it took me the last twenty years to learn. So, I’m looking forward to all the special little moments along the way, when you can almost pinpoint the second a young person unlocks something within themselves and realises their own potential. Even more than the shared pride in the end result, these are the moments that keep bringing me back to teaching. I also love the banter and insight into the lives of teenagers today. 

Share a story with us about your most memorable travel experience? Who were you with, and what made it so memorable for you?

One that comes to mind is from back in 2010, when I spent a few months in Kenya with my partner. An old friend from Uni invited me to volunteer with him at the Storymoja Festival, where he was launching his first book. We were lucky to meet the incredible dub poet Benjamin Zephaniah and so many other talented writers from around the world. But the highlight was the open mic competition. This is probably the first time I really experienced storytelling as an artform, and I still remember being so moved by the young man from Kibera, who won a trip to perform in the US.