Oral Story Training

In a world where loneliness and mental illness is on the rise, storytelling helps people to self-reflect, build new positive narratives of past experiences, and gain hope for a better future. Our workshops have been shown to:

• remind ourselves of our shared humanity and values, building points of connection and community;
• build a stronger sense of meaning and self-worth, reminding us that our voices are powerful and valuable;
• improve participant’s mental wellbeing;
• build confidence, communication and public speaking skills;
• present an engaging, human-centred face to participant’s clients and colleagues;
• develop empathy by sharing diverse stories.

Our commercial offerings focus on storytelling as the key to driving growth through leadership, and communication. We offer:

Storytelling training

Learn to share authentic stories from the heart in our group storytelling workshops. We work with groups between 5 and 15 people for in-depth workshops with planned outcomes (eg workshops running over multiple weeks and stories recorded at the end). The perfect number of participants is roughly 6-8 people.

For half-day, one-off workshops, larger numbers of people can participate. Here are some of the ways our storytelling training can support you:

• Empowerment and wellbeing – the number one outcome from our workshops we hear about is a stronger sense of empowerment, ownership over our own stories and feeling re-energised, proud and self-aware.
• Strategy & Leadership – support employees in understanding and committing to shifts in work practice and culture, communicate your vision, strengthen trust and renew relationships for your team, or plan your next strategy through the lens of sotrytelling.
• Building empathy and connection – sharing stories invites participants to become vulnerable in ways they might not have before and experience new levels of bonding and community connection. We can encourage stronger values of respect, cultural awareness, safety and anti-racism in your organisation or workplace by focussing on stories that improve self-reflection and empathy.
• Advocacy – help your clients learn how to tell trauma-informed, strength-based stories that still advocate for change in relation to lived experience.

Story sharing

We provide a platform for your story in multiple ways:

• Story collections & podcasts – We can record the audio of final stories and share them in a complete story collection on our website and/or podcast, which will be promoted on our social media and e-newsletter, reaching thousands of new listeners. Podcasts include additional voice-over narration and original background music.
• Video recording & photography – We offer high-resolution portrait photography and can offer stories to be filmed by a professional videographer for an additional cost.
• Print anthologies – Want a beautiful coffee book or anthology of the stories, transcribed and written down, with original designs, photography and/or illustrations? Get in touch.
• Artistic outcomes – We have a range of trainers who practice in different art forms. We can combine oral storytelling with an art outcome for participants like painting, poetry or photography for those seeking a different angle of engagement.
• Events – We can host all kinds of public or private events to showcase your new talented storytellers; here at Centre for Stories or at your own venue of choice. Our signature Backstories Festival is run in people’s backyards in local suburbs. Contact us to find out more.

Previous clients we’ve provided story training for include Foyer Oxford, Nyamba Buru Yawuru, Indigenous Desert Alliance, Follow The Dream Albany, Telethon Kids Institute, Anglicare WA, Uniting WA, University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Rio Tinto, Communicare Academy, Aranmore Catholic College, Yule Brook College and the Town of Victoria Park.

“Over the last few years I have engaged several external consultants to run Three-Minute Thesis preparation and oral presentation workshops (including from major brand consultants, science communication and academic consultants), all of which have been good. But I have to say that Centre for Stories have delivered the most effective workshops we’ve had. The content was well planned, on topic, succinct and with plenty of opportunities for students to workshop ideas for their talks.”

– Tania Lerch, Research Training Officer, Curtin University

“The storytelling workshops I did with Centre for Stories gave me a lot of the confidence I’ve needed to keep saying yes to more opportunities in the advocacy sphere and to be better able to dictate where I can draw the line of what I’m willing to share. Recently I did a did a press conference with Channel 10 about my experiences and it especially helped using the skills I learnt from your workshops that I don’t have to go into the nitty-gritty details of my life to be able to relate to people. Rather, speaking around the issue of homelessness instead of speaking directly to it, both advocates for change while keeping myself safe. This has helped immensely.”

– Lana Moon, Shelter WA storyteller and housing advocate

Community Organisations & Not-For-Profits
Join us in learning the art and science of oral storytelling in small-group sessions, either in a 3-hour one-off sessions, or in multiple 1-hour sessions spaced out over a longer period of time. Learn to tell stories in ways that are authentic to your organisation’s goals, clients, and personality style. Previous topics or themes we have done with community organisations include stories about surviving, finding hope, and breaking the rules. We also provide professional development storytelling to help individuals enhance their employability and thrive in the workplace.

Corporates and Universities
Centre for Stories offers a range of corporate services for leaders and executives. These focus on effective communication strategies and storytelling techniques that drive growth, create change and deliver results. We offer traditional storytelling training, group leadership sessions, and/or individual coaching for those seeking tailored feedback.
Previous sessions we have done with corporate and university clients include stories about respect, safety, and transforming commercial objectives into human-focussed stories.

Schools and Youth
Did you know we also deliver oral storytelling and creative writing for young people in high schools, called Word Up and Write Up? And an extracurricular program for those beyond school, called The Spark?

After a workshop with us, we say goodbye for now but not forever. The Stories for Good Alumni Network is a place for past storytellers we have trained, who also identify as CaLD, First Nations, LGBTQIA+, living with a disability or experiencing financial or housing distress, to stay in touch with Centre for Stories and receive support in their ongoing storytelling journey.

By signed up to receive updates from us, you may receive paid speaking opportunities, invitations to alumni networking and professional development workshops, one-on-one career advice or further story training.

To sign up, please email luisa@centreforstories.com with information of the specific Centre for Stories workshop you attended and organisation who arranged it for you.