Postcode Stories: Halfway to Publication!
02 Jul 2024
This year, our Storytelling team has been working with three diverse schools across Western Sydney on an exciting project entitled Postcode Stories, a reflection of students’ lived experience of their local areas.
The three schools involved in this special project are Cambridge Park High, Prairiewood High and Bonnyrigg High, where students have already been working with Story Factory for a number of years.
Paired with celebrated authors Mawunyo Gbogbo and Luke Patterson, and emerging authors Miski Omar and Brendan King, in this unique program students are being guided to create an extended piece of fiction, non-fiction or poetry inspired by their local area.
Students from Cambridge Park High School and Prairiewood High School have already started their work throughout Term 2, and will spend Term 3 refining their writing and putting together an anthology for professional publication.
At the end of Term 2, the midway point of this exciting project, students at Cambridge Park were invited to spend a lesson outside with our Storytellers. Tasked with an exploratory writing exercise beginning at their yarning circle and fanning out in whichever direction they chose, the day was all about giving attention to what they could see, hear, touch, and smell around them.
“Seeing how the students visibly relaxed when we took the workshop outside was just magical. Some who were usually silent and self-conscious became chatty and curious … The time flew by and the class teacher noted how impactful the session had been, in terms of wellbeing as well as creative output.” Storyteller Alice told us.
The school’s playground served as an exceptional muse, igniting ideas about miniature rainforests for bugs, secret networks of tunnels hidden inside hose pipes, and even a spring of youth hidden inside a corymbia.
“These workshops presented a rare and valuable challenge for the Year 10s—to become comfortable with idleness and introspection, and to channel both in various ways. I’ve been especially moved by several of their personal interpretations of the word “home”, from playing the guitar to bushwalking with an uncle,” added Storyteller Marcus.
The project will continue throughout Term 3, and the students’ original writing will be turned into three unique books, including forewords from the established authors who have helped us to deliver this project.
Be sure to check back in as we move forward through Term 3, we can’t wait to share some stellar student writing and these books with you soon!
Postcode Stories is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.
