Oct 1, 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Mount Lawley

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Backstories is a multi-sited storytelling festival located in the suburbs of Western Australia. Spend a lazy afternoon with friends and family in the comfort of your neighbour’s backyard to listen to two trained storytellers. Pack a picnic, bring something to sit on, and put your mingling hat on – it’s going to be a rippa arvo!

Featuring storytellers Gary Steadman and Franchesca Walker, with music by Jocelyn’s Baby, and facilitated by Vuma Phiri.

Organised in partnership with the City of Bayswater.

WHAT TO BRING

Bring your own snacks, drinks, or a picnic dinner. Please make sure you bring a picnic rug or a lawn chair to sit on as seating is not provided.

A NOTE ON ATTENDANCE

The exact location of this event will be emailed to ticket holders on Thursday 29 September. Please check your junk mail as our emails often find their way into spam/junk.

ACCESSIBILITY

Backstories is located in residential backyards so we cannot guarantee that all backyards will meet your access needs. We would like to make Backstories accessible to as many people as possible and encourage you to get in touch by phone or email to discuss your access needs. If you require an Auslan interpreter, please contact us by Friday 23 September on (08) 9328 1443 or at [email protected]

THANK YOU

Backstories would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors, the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, City of Bayswater, City of Stirling, City of Fremantle, Town of Victoria Park, and Centre for Stories Founders Circle.

Follow Backstories on Instagram @backstoriesperth.

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  Gary Steadman

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  Gary Steadman works in community services and he's worn many hats during his career – manager, actor, microbiologist, and social worker. His story is about how he navigated his divorce with his husband, and what he learnt from his marriage.

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  Franchesca Walker

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  Franchesca Walker (Ngāti Rakaipaaka, Ngāti Pāhauwera, Pākehā) is a writer and storyteller living on Whadjuk Noongar land. Born and raised in Aotearoa New Zealand, she arrived in Australia after her father had what can only be described as a mid-life crisis and decided that his life passion really lay in driving trucks in WA mines. This life-changing decision might be why Franchesca writes memoir—as a show of thanks (or is it punishment?) to her father for exposing her to the Perth way of life. It also doesn’t hurt that her father and the rest of her family are infinitely more interesting than any characters that could come from her own mind. Franchesca’s work has most recently been performed as part of Baredfaced Stories and published by the Centre for Stories.

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  Vuma Phiri

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  As a young woman living in Perth, Vuma has always found herself engaging with the stories around her as a form of entertainment, learning and to gain empathy. Her life began in storytelling, from the origin of her name, to living with parents who collect novels to add to their bookshelves at home. Migrating to Australia at the age of 7, Vuma has always felt disconnected to the stories from her home country, Zambia, and from the African continent overall. Vuma created her Instagram book account, @diaspora_reader, in 2019, to share reviews and recommendations for books she has read. In deciding she wants to read more from African authors, Vuma is hoping to bring other avid readers alongside her, so we can learn and share the works of Africa’s finest writers.

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We’re on a mission to create a diverse, inclusive, and cohesive society through the art of storytelling. Join us in supporting emerging artists and sharing powerful stories from across our community.

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