Centre for Stories

Story Hour is Centre for Stories' regular monthly podcast where we sift through our archives of recorded stories to bring you up to an hour of diverse, intriguing, and real experiences from (extra)ordinary people. This month's theme is GENDER. Just as culture and society is fluid and complex, gender is a spectrum subject to the eye of the beholder and how the person identifies themselves. Gender-b...

Story Hour is Centre for Stories' regular monthly podcast where we sift through our archives of recorded stories to bring you up to an hour of diverse, intriguing, and real experiences from (extra)ordinary people. This month's theme is ROOTS. Our roots influence our values, our beliefs, and the way we navigate the world. In this episode, we delve into the journeys of individuals as they navigate t...

Story Hour is Centre for Stories' regular monthly podcast where we sift through our archives of recorded stories to bring you up to an hour of diverse, intriguing, and real experiences from (extra)ordinary people. This month's theme is PREJUDICE, a deeply ingrained aspect of the human experience. Our stories show how prejudice manifests in myriad forms across societies and cultures. It's the lens...

Story Hour is Centre for Stories' regular monthly podcast where we sift through our archives of recorded stories to bring you up to an hour of diverse, intriguing, and real experiences from (extra)ordinary people. This month's theme is LOSS. Through personal narratives and shared reflections, we confront the complexities of grief, acknowledging its presence as an inevitable part of the human journ...

Story Hour is Centre for Stories' regular monthly podcast where we sift through our archives of recorded stories to bring you up to an hour of diverse, intriguing, and real experiences from (extra)ordinary people. This month's theme is TRANSITION. Transition is the silent conductor orchestrating the symphony of life, guiding each individual through the ebb and flow of change. It shapes our identit...

After ending an abusive and unhappy marriage, Rachel Farnay decided to become an IT and STEM teacher. She hoped that through teaching, she would never be lonely again. Soon she found that it was the students who would give her a joy and meaning she had never experienced before. Funded by City of Joondalup and produced by Centre for Stories, Colourful Stories is a collection of experiences set to t...

After a shock diagnosis of a brain tumour, Natalie Bock's surgery left her vulnerable and isolated at home while she recovered. She couldn’t work, she couldn’t live, and as she wasn’t technically a ‘senior’ or ‘living with a disability’, many support services wouldn’t help her. Desperate, she decided to make friends in unexpected places. Funded by City of Joondalup and produced by Centre for Stori...

This story was shared by Jenny Martin. Here, she shares how after her divorce, she entered the ‘age of invisibility’ as a single woman in her 50s and struggled through anxiety and depression. Her saving grace was an unexpected place – Mullaloo Beach. Funded by City of Joondalup and produced by Centre for Stories, Colourful Stories is a collection of experiences set to the theme of ‘Better Together...

This story was shared by Jerome Masamaka. Jerome shares how as a young boy growing up in Ghana he accidentally killed his clan’s sacred totem bird – the sparrow. The guilt and anxiety that plagued Jerome kept him up at night and would eventually influence the writer he would one day become. Funded by City of Joondalup and produced by Centre for Stories, Colourful Stories is a collection of experie...

Story Hour is Centre for Stories' regular monthly podcast where we sift through our archives of recorded stories to bring you up to an hour of diverse, intriguing, and real experiences from (extra)ordinary people. This month's theme is LANGUAGE. Language, the very fabric of human connection, holds within it a myriad of stories, experiences, and emotions. It serves as a vessel for our thoughts, a m...

Content Warning: Domestic violence, suicidal ideation, drug use. This story was shared by Bianca, who escaped an abusive relationship and quit drugs after falling pregnant. And yet her ex-partner still refused to leave her alone. Struggling with a broken legal system, it was the love for her children that kept her going in the darkest times. Funded by Anglicare WA and produced by Centre for Storie...

Content warning: Suicidal ideation. Story Hour is Centre for Stories' regular monthly podcast where we sift through our archives of recorded stories to bring you up to an hour of diverse, intriguing, and real experiences from (extra)ordinary people. This month's theme is LOVE. Love, the essential force behind all human experience, shapes our identities, fuels our passions, and binds us together in...

Content Warning: Family and domestic violence. This story was shared by Lisa Dodson, who escaped an abusive relationship and started a new life with her children. Still under constant threat and struggling to find a place to rent in the cost-of-living crisis, this is how Lisa found a light at the end of the tunnel. Funded by Anglicare WA and produced by Centre for Stories, Against All Odds is a co...

Content Warning: Substance abuse/drug addiction. This story was shared by Tanya Smith, who shares how just one person viewing her as a human being helped her to overcome a drug addiction and find meaning in her life. Tanya now helps others recovering from substance abuse at Doors Wide Open. Funded by Anglicare WA and produced by Centre for Stories, Against All Odds is a collection of lived experie...

Story Hour is Centre for Stories regular monthly podcast where we sift through our archives of recorded stories to bring you up to an hour of diverse, intriguing, and real experiences from ordinary people. This month's theme is HOME. What does home mean to different people? What is it like to craft a new one for yourself, or to find belonging in your old one? What is it like to not have a home at...

This story was shared by Nigena author and historian Dr Cindy Solonec. Cindy’s story is about the passing of her Aunty Edie and how the health system didn’t address her cultural and spiritual needs. This story was recorded at the Joondalup Reception Centre in September 2023 and made possible with funding from the Australia Communities Foundation. Photo credit: Duncan Wright. To find out more about...

This story was shared by Whadjuk Nyungar Elder Dr Gerrard Shaw. Uncle Gerrard’s story is a warning that the injustices of past government policies must never happen again – and what it looks like when government works together with Aboriginal communities. A warning that this story contains reference to the Stolen Generations. This story was recorded at the Joondalup Reception Centre in September 2...

This story was shared by Wardandi Bibbulmun artist and singer Jarred Wall, otherwise known as “Boox Kid”. Jarred’s story is about his growing unease with the youth justice system and his discovery of strength and unity in Nyungar language and song. This story was recorded at Edmund Rice Centre Mirrabooka in October 2023. It was made possible with funding from the Australia Communities Foundation....

This story was shared by Ballardong Noongar writer, editor and teacher Casey Mulder. Casey’s story is about her first experience as a graduate teacher working in the remote Aboriginal community of Halls Creek in the Kimberley. This story was recorded at Centre for Stories in September 2023 and made possible with funding from the Australia Communities Foundation. Find out more about Hear Our Voice...

This story was shared by Ngarluma filmmaker and dancer Perun Bonser. Perun’s story is about how he decided to use film and art to show Australia there are different stories about Aboriginal people – more than just the dominant narrative given by the mainstream media. This story was recorded at Edmund Rice Centre WA in October 2023 and made possible with funding from the Australia Communities Found...

This story was shared by poet and Indian Australian author Lakshmi Kanchi. Lakshmi’s story is about how her newfound sense of belonging in the Perth wetlands came under threat during the Roe 8 highway development proposal. This story was recorded at the Joondalup Reception Centre in September 2023 and made possible with funding from the Australia Communities Foundation. Lakshmi has also shared her...

This story was shared by Bardi storyteller and navy veteran Ron Bradfield. Ron’s story is about how a chance meeting with a stranger led to a trip down memory lane into the multicultural heritage and harmony of Broome in the 1950s. This story was recorded at the Chinese Moon Lantern Festival in the Scarborough Community Hub, September 2023. It was made possible with funding from the Australia Comm...

This story was shared by Whadjuk Nyungar descendent and writer Luisa Mitchell. Luisa shares how a cultural trip with relatives turned sour one night when two police showed up at their caravan park with questions. Luisa also produced the Hear Our Voice project and is a coordinator at Centre for Stories. This story was recorded at Centre for Stories in September 2023. It was made possible with gener...

Katelyn is an award-winning goalkeeper for the ParaMatildas. Founded in 2019, the ParaMatildas is Australia’s first national team for women and girls with cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury and symptoms of stroke. Katelyn recently won the inaugural ParaMatildas Player of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Tournament after a silver medal winning run in their first international Women’s World Cup cam...

Mikayla is a sports scientist and educator. A woman of many talents, she is currently completing her PhD studies at Notre Dame University in gender equity in soccer. She also works as a strength and conditioning coach for Fremantle Dockers in the AFLW, and as a mentor for young girls in soccer through the Gaining Ground. Game Changers is a collection of stories from WA elite athletes past and pres...