Seeking storytellers for Joondalup Festival

Centre for Stories is seeking EOIs from Joondalup residents to share stories on the theme ‘Better Together’.

December 11, 2023

Centre for Stories, in partnership with City of Joondalup, is excited to announce that we are seeking to train new storytellers who live within the City of Joondalup boundaries or have stories of and about Joondalup, in preparation for the Joondalup Festival in March 2024.

We are seeking to train Joondalup residents with stories inspired by the theme of ‘Better Together‘: true, lived experiences of any or multiple of the following:

a) working together with your community to build something new or improved;

b) discovering and building empathy and connection with others;

c) and/or taking care of our environment (people, places and animals).

Stories can be big or small, but they must be true and have been experienced by you – we ask that you do not submit stories that were told to you by someone else, for example. And remember – the best stories always involve overcoming obstacles or personal growth from challenges.

After considering applications, up to 15 individuals will partake in two 3-hour storytelling workshops over two weeks in February, facilitated by storyteller extraordinaire Colin Archibald. A select few will then be chosen to share their story publicly at the Joondalup Festival’s storytelling event, Colourful Stories (the after show program of How The Birds Got Their Colours), on 12th March 2024. All workshops and events will be held within Joondalup.

All storytellers who speak at the Colourful Stories/How The Birds Got Their Colours event will be remunerated, and all workshop participants will:

learn fundamental storytelling and narrative techniques;
improve their public speaking and confidence;
bond and connect with their Joondalup community;
have a unique opportunity to share their experiences with a wide audience.

If consent is provided by the storyteller, your stories may be recorded and shared online in Centre for Stories and City of Joondalup’s communications.

Expectations of participants:

Commit to attending the two storytelling workshops (3-hours each) on 17th & 24th February 2024;
In principle, be happy to potentially share your story publicly at the Colourful Stories event as part of the Joondalup Festival, and for them to be recorded and shared online;
Commit to practicing your story in your own time in-between workshops;
Come to the workshops with an open mind and a vulnerable heart – ready to talk about your experiences.

Complete the application form below. You will be asked to share a story idea that comes to mind based on the theme of Better Together. Please note that any ideas you submit do not need to be the final story you craft in the workshops – we just want to get a better idea of who you are and your experiences.

If you have any questions about this program, contact Luisa Mitchell at luisa@centreforstories.com.

Application Closing Date: Monday 29 January 2024 at 11:59pm AWST.

Feature image: Sisonke Msimang facilitating her ‘Storytelling Hacks’ workshop, 2023.

Name *

First

Last

Date of Birth *

Email *

Phone *

Post Code / Suburb *

You must be a resident of Joondalup OR surrounding suburbs to participate in this program, OR have a story that happened in Joondalup or surrounding suburbs. Please provide details above.

What story are you interested in sharing? *

Remember that the story should be true, real things you have experienced. The idea(s) you submit here do not have to be the final story you craft in the workshop, but we encourage you to share what ideas come to mind based on the theme. The theme is ‘Better Together’: experiences of working together with your community, discovering and building empathy and connection with others, and/or taking care of our environment.

The workshops are scheduled for 17th and 24th February and are 3-hours long each. They will be held at the Edith Cowan House, Joondalup. Please acknowledge you can commit to attending both workshops below. *

By participating in these workshops, you acknowledge we may ask you to share your story publicly at a live event in the Joondalup Festival on March 12th: *

Do you identify as culturally and linguistically diverse, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, living with a disability, LGBTQIA+, and/or neurodivergent?

Please share as much as you like about your identity if you feel comfortable doing so. Centre for Stories encourages the diverse voices within our community, that have historically been marginalised, to speak up and share their experiences.

What are your pronouns?

What are your accessibility needs (if any)?

Do you have any food allergies and if so what are they?

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