Get the appShontae Iafeta is building practical experience while she studies journalism. She feels a strong commitment to regional reporting and believes it matters to the communities it serves. Iafeta is known for forming genuine relationships with the people she interviews. She holds the view that everyone deserves a chance to have their experiences shared publicly, and she often points to the idea that everyone has a story worth telling.
Students at Dapto Public School have won a national title at the Wakakirri story-dance festival for their stage performance based on the works of Beatrix Potter. The production beat more than 100 other performances. More than 100 students in Years 3 to 6 rehearsed during class time, lunchtimes and weekends, with teachers, parents and carers helping with sets, costumes and music. Creative director Jane Nordstrom said the students were overjoyed when they heard the news. The school has taken part in the festival for 18 years.
Warialda's Louisa Gilmour has received the 2026 Audi Foundation – Country Education Foundation Community Alumni Champion Award at NSW Parliament House. The award recognises her work promoting regional Australia through storytelling and the creative arts. Country Education Foundation chief executive Wendy Mason praised Gilmour for sharing regional stories and highlighting challenges such as drought and isolation. Gilmour said she wants rural Australia represented authentically by people who understand it. She now works at Spectrum Films at Disney Studios in Sydney.
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Get the appPrimary school teacher Peter Convy has begun writing children's stories. The idea took shape during a walk with his daughter, who was searching for a four-leaf clover.
Palliative Care ACT has launched A Moment in Time, a free storytelling service for people in the ACT with life-limiting illnesses. Participants can record an audio recording, a digital book, or both. They are matched with a trained volunteer who works with them over six to eight sessions, and they decide what is included. The service is open to people of any age. Palliative Care ACT CEO Paul Arztenhofe said the idea grew from his memories of his late father's stories, and the service also hopes to add video in the coming years.
A hands-on workshop called The Narrative Lab will run at the Brimbank Community and Civic Centre in Sunshine on Saturday 24 October, from 10.30am to 4.30pm. Facilitated by the Beginning Project, it will teach young people storytelling skills and how to use digital media to shape how their communities are seen and heard. Topics include practical digital storytelling techniques and the role of storytelling in community representation. Tickets cost $10 and include lunch, with support available for those facing financial hardship.
Moorabool Shire will host a series of music, poetry and storytelling events in Bacchus Marsh, Ballan and Blackwood throughout November. The Hide + Seek Presents program features touring artists and local creatives, with a focus on First Nations music and creative writing workshops for young people. Mayor Steve Venditti-Taylor said the program is designed to spark conversation and connection across generations. Events include Thin Red Lines at Ballan Mechanics Institute Hall on 7 November, and the spoken word salon Better Off Said at Bacchus Marsh Town Hall on 20 November.
The Spirits of Cooktown, a theatrical event held in Cooktown’s Pioneer Cemetery, concluded its third year with two performances attended by 153 people. Presented by Box Jelly Theatre Company, the event brought local history to life through storytelling, music, and theatre. Audience members praised the production, with some sharing emotional responses to the stories. The event is a community-driven initiative, involving local performers, volunteers, and researchers, with historical support from the Cooktown History Centre.