Introducing Symphony of Stories: a collaboration between Story Factory and Opera Australia
04 Aug 2026
This Book Week, young people from under-resourced communities nationwide will gain access to a unique learning experience combining creative writing and opera.
In a first of its kind project in Australia, Story Factory together with Opera Australia, are thrilled to launch a unique suite of free, high-quality creative writing resources for primary school teachers and students to use throughout Book Week.
Featuring live recordings of the Opera Australia Orchestra at Trackdown Studios on Gadigal Land in Sydney, and a teaching guide exploring setting, characters, and plot, these resources are ideal for primary school teachers to use during Book Week from 22 – 28 August 2026, but have been designed for use at any time.
The project aims to make storytelling and opera accessible to all young people across the country, especially those in under-resourced communities who have limited opportunities to quality arts programs.
Of this exciting collaboration, Vanessa Andres, National Program Manager at Story Factory said,
“At Story Factory, we have been working with young people from under-resourced communities since 2012 to help them find and share their voices. Collaborating with Opera Australia has enhanced our creative learning resources by tapping into the arts ecosystem that the young people we work with often miss out on.
“I know firsthand what it is to be a busy teacher in a regional, multi-stage classroom; you need flexibility, and you’re looking for high-quality opportunities for your students.”
“We’re proud to be able to offer our digital content for free and we want these resources to reach as many primary school classrooms as possible.”
Vanessa Andres
Opera Australia’s Head of Education, Learning and Participation, Nathan Gilkes echoed,
“Opera starts with a story, and these resources invite young people to become storytellers themselves. They feature music that is full of emotion, atmosphere and drama, giving students the opportunity to imagine new worlds, characters and adventures of their own.”
“We’re delighted to partner with Story Factory to celebrate Book Week and explore the connection between music, expression and creativity in a way that is accessible to classrooms across Australia.”
Nathan Gilkes
The free resources available via Story Factory Digital’s website consist of a three-part teaching guide, featuring live recordings of the Opera Australia Orchestra. These video clips serve as stimuli for students’ creative writing, as the music supports young people to imagine a setting, characters, and plot for their own story.
Symphony of Stories is available now. Access the resources on Story Factory Digital’s website, ahead of 2026 Children’s Book Week.
Symphony of Stories is part of Story Factory Digital; our online, nationwide arm, where we deliver creative writing workshops live to classrooms over Zoom, to reach students in regional, rural and remote areas.