About Us
Our Purpose
To create a vibrant, inclusive arts and cultural organisation that uses storytelling to inspire cohesion and understanding through rich and diverse programs.
Open Mon – Thur. Contact us today.
Founded in 2015 by John and Caroline Wood, the Centre for Stories is a vibrant, inclusive literary arts and cultural organisation.
The Centre uses storytelling to grow skills and confidence, inspire understanding and promote community cohesion.
Our work is about more than words. We are led by and empower storytellers and writers whose experiences and perspectives may have been historically disempowered and disenfranchised.
With a focus on cultural diversity, we create opportunities for storytellers and writers who are underrepresented in Western Australia’s creative sector. In sharing their stories with arts and community audiences, we drive social change.
Read our Reforming Literature: National Cultural Policy Submission to learn about our beliefs on the literature and publishing industry in Australia.
What we do
Our services are aimed at helping individuals and organisations tell stories that engage, inform, and influence. The Centre provides a variety of services and amenities to people, community groups, government agencies, and the corporate sector. These include:
- Storytelling training and services
- Writing Programs for emerging, mid-career and established writers
- Producing writing and storytelling workshops, panel conversations and other events
- Print, online, audio, and video-storytelling production services
- Professional development training for teachers, writers, and oral storytellers
- Mentoring for emerging practitioners
Past clients
We have worked with the Department of Health, Youth Link, North Metropolitan Adult Migrant Education Program, City of Wanneroo, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art, Curtin University, and others.
Annual Reports
Help us do more
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.
Our team
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Caroline Wood
CEO & Co-Founder
Caroline is a member of the Australia Council Board of Creative Australia and Encounter Theatre. In 2023, Caroline was appointed as a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia for significant service to literature as a publisher, and to the community through a range of roles. She is the co-founder of Margaret River Press and the Australian Short Story Festival, and has served on the boards of Amnesty International Australia, the Small Publishers Network, the Margaret River Augusta Tourism Association, and PEN Perth. Caroline’s areas of expertise include leadership, management, publishing, writing and literature, non-profit governance, fundraising and sponsorship, advocacy and social change.
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Robert Wood
Program Director – Writing and Publications
Robert Wood is responsible for developing partnerships with artists and social change organisations; planning writing, publishing and mentoring programs and implementing best-practice models that improve wellbeing. His concepts include Backstories and Portside Review.
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Logan Griffiths
Program Co-ordinator – Writing and Publications
Logan Griffiths coordinates the signature writing program, Writing Change, Writing Inclusion. She also coordinates the quarterly digital journal Portside Review and oversees production of the Centre for Stories’ print publications.
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Luisa Mitchell
Community Development Coordinator
Luisa Mitchell develops the partnerships, staff and services arm required for our oral story collections, training and workshops. Luisa’s background is in writing, film and community arts.
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Nadia Heisler
Program Co-ordinator – Youth Storytelling
Nadia Heisler is originally from Brazil and has been living in Perth since 2011. A former journalist in her home country, she had countless jobs in Australia. Nadia is an accomplished writer and oral storyteller. She has shared her story at Centre for Stories Backstories festival and at Perth Festival’s Day of Ideas, at CAN’s Making Time and at Town of Victoria Park’s VIBE Arts Season. She also won third place in the Armadale Writers’ Award and has reviewed for Books and Publishing and she has had her stories published in Under the Paving Stones.
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Zhanna Needham
Finance Officer
Zhanna Needham has over fifteen years’ experience as an accountant and finance officer for large corporations, small business, and not-for-profit organisations. She is responsible for preparing budgets, financial reports, and processing payments.
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Pranay Singh
Marketing Officer
Pranay Singh is the primary coordinator of Centre for Stories’ social media and marketing strategy.
Our Board
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Jane den Hollander
Chair
Professor Jane den Hollander AO was Vice-Chancellor of Deakin University from 2010 until 2019, and Interim Vice-Chancellor of the University of Western Australia in 2020. In 2019 she received an Order of Australia for distinguished service to tertiary education and was named in the Victorian Honour Roll for Women. Jane has done significant work to ensure equal opportunity for learners and working women as well as working to better enable the arts in regional communities.
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Neil Fernandes
Deputy Chair
Neil Fernandes has held a number of senior positions in the vocational education and training sector over 30 years. He was the Managing Director of the former Central Institute of Technology between 2005 and 2016, and served as the Deputy Director-General (Training) in the Department of Education and Training.
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Charlotte Solomon
Secretary
Charlotte Solomon is a human rights lawyer working in Elder rights, advocating for older people experiencing all forms of elder abuse to live with dignity and respect. Charlotte worked previously across a wide range of roles in Commonwealth and State government agencies.
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Raj Thethy
Treasurer
Raj Thethy is the Chief Financial Officer at Youth Focus. Raj has had over 23 years experience in the not-for-profit, public, and private education sectors. His responsibilities have covered financial accounting, strategic planning, market and competitor analysis, and business improvement and development.
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Julie Beeck
Board Member
Julie Beeck has enjoyed a fulfilling career delivering market research and marketing strategy over the last 30 years. Most recently Julie was Executive Director at Metrix Consulting for ten years, and prior to this was Australian Managing Director of global consulting firm Synovate (now Ipsos).
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Randal Humich
Board Member
Randal Humich is a property investor and developer who runs a family office based in Fremantle. His work has led him to be a supporter of the arts and he believes that arts and culture are the key to reviving the City. Randal also provides advice and support to other non-profit organisations.
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Simone Flavelle
Board Member
Simone Flavelle brings a wealth of experience in the theatre and screen industry, with over 30 years of involvement. As a co-founder of DADAA and Diversity Manager of Screenwest, she produced inspiring digital projects and worked closely with artists with disabilities.
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Sisonke Msimang
Board Member
Sisonke Msimang is a storyteller and writer. She is the author of two books and until recently was a columnist for The Guardian. Her fortnightly column Ms Understanding tackled race and racism. She recently joined the human rights and social impact team at KPMG after six years as the Centre for Stories as head of oral storytelling. Sisonke developed the Centre’s oral storytelling methodology and training package. She has curated three Festival of Ideas and Literature for the Perth Festival. She was Executive Director for Open Society Initiative in Southern Africa and Gender Advisor at UNAIDS.
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Casey Mulder
Board Member
Casey Mulder is a Ballardong Noongar woman from Western Australia. She is a Secondary English teacher and Student Services leader within schools. Casey has a keen interest in First Nations storytelling in all its forms. In 2022, she received a Creative Development Scholarship from Magabala Books to complete an editing mentorship at Night Parrot Press. She recently completed a Writing Fellowship at the Centre for Stories in Perth, to work on a memoir manuscript, and was the First Nations Editor for Westerly Magazine. She is joint co ordinator of the First Nations Write Night group at the Centre for Stories.
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Elissa Crowther-Pal
Board Observer
Head of Global Investment Services providing investment opportunities and services to self-directed HNW wholesale and sophisticated clients of Private Wealth, Westpac Group. Leading experienced and specialist teams including the Chief Investment Office and our investment research team dedicated to sourcing, selecting and monitoring investment opportunities for our clients, as well as a national team of senior investment specialists, product management and development managers, market execution trading team for both domestic and offshore markets, and investment operations. Extensive international experience in the US, Australian and UK financial services markets with broad and deep expertise in investment advisory, banking, asset management, investment consulting, online trading, alternatives, research, superannuation, wealth management, platform and private client businesses. Experience working with self-directed HNW/UHNW families, investors and advisors servicing HNW clients.
Partnerships
Our partnerships are collaborations that fund us, work with us, share expertise, and support us in delivering our objectives. Thank you to each of our partners for their ongoing support and contribution.
If you’re interested in partnering with the Centre for Stories, please Get in touch.
