Youth change life through telling own tale

Made possible thanks to a $9,000 Dooleys Clubgrant, the not-for-profit Story Factory’s staff say all of the students’ stories matter.
“We work with young people to write their own stories, imagine their own worlds and see themselves as authors who have a voice worth sharing with the world,” a spokesperson said.
“The benefits can last a lifetime.”
Rosy Montana, Head English teacher at Holroyd High, said students built a strong rapport with the ‘storytellers’ who found ways to connect with them in the online world and in person during workshops.
“I think that Story Factory is so successful as it gives students an opportunity to see themselves as something they may never have considered – writers,” she said.
“Even more that just writers, they themselves become storytellers of their own experiences and imaginations.
“Our students have been able to see the real power in their words. As their teacher, I love the hope and confidence it gives them knowing that they are writers, published writers, with us as the listeners.”
Story Factory’s Russell Smith ran a workshop called ‘Inside Outside’ that gave students an opportunity to look beyond everyday appearances and imagine other peoples’ experiences.
“They then had to create a range of work including monologues and short fiction,” he said.
“We also ran ‘InstaPoetry’ that introduced students to the genre and helped them practise a variety of poetic techniques and forms.
“The students engaged really well and produced some great work, it was fantastic.”