Story Factory

Last updated

The Story Factory is an Australian not-for-profit organisation designed to help indigenous and disadvantaged school-aged children (generally 7 to 17 years old) to develop their writing and storytelling skills. The programs run by the Story Factory aim to help young people, particularly those from a disadvantaged or minority background, develop their confidence, creativity and skills in writing. The Story Factory conducts programs at its two creative writing centres, as short and long term residencies at primary and secondary schools, and as one-off visits.

Contents

The Story Factory began in 2012 as the Sydney Story Factory in Redfern, in inner city Sydney. The organisation changed its name to the Story Factory at the opening of their second site in Paramatta to the west of Sydney in October 2018.

Paramatta Creative Writing Centre SF parra workshop.jpg
Paramatta Creative Writing Centre

History

In 2010 the co-founders of the Story Factory, Catherine Keenan AM and Tim Dick, heard Dave Eggers give a TED talk about 826 Valencia and they were inspired to set up something similar in Sydney. They flew to San Francisco and visited 826 Valencia to learn as much as they could about its model. Unlike 826 Valencia, The Story Factory does not provide homework help, but focuses on creative writing. [1] [2]

As a not-for-profit organisation that relies on volunteers and donations for support, it took approximately 18 months to get the first site of The Story Factory operational. The initial volunteers' meeting drew a crowd of 200 people. [1]

Between its opening in 2012 and October 2018, approximately 16,000 students participated in the programs. [3] In 2018 they had 1050 active volunteer writing tutors and were seeing approximately 800 children per week. [4]

Philosophy and operation

The Story Factory focuses on creative writing rather than the homework help provided in the original 826 Valencia program. This philosophy is based on discussion with local teachers who said that there is much less space for creativity in the Australian curriculum now. [1]

The University of Sydney conducted an evaluation of the student involvement in the Story Factory from 2014 to 2016. The study looked at the development of writing skills, self-confidence, engagement in learning, and enthusiasm for creative writing. The study used case study methodology and also pre- and post-program surveys. A total of 88 students were surveyed and from these 10 were the subject of detailed case studies. The evaluation showed that students felt positive about the program and believed it helped with school work. It showed the students gained empowerment and grew in self-knowledge and self-awareness. Students who participated in several workshops grew their creative writing skills often to a higher level than would be expected of their grade or stage. [5] [6] [7]

An evaluation of the in-schools residency programs run by the Story Factory found a "notable shift in writing confidence and enjoyment" in all five schools involved and this was particularly strong among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants. [8]

Former board member of The Story Factory, Professor Robyn Ewing, stated that "education is possibly the most critical factor in alleviating disadvantage, and the Story Factory strives to change the lives of young people, especially those from marginalised backgrounds, through creative writing and storytelling." [9]

The Story Factory is supported by a variety of people. This includes three former Australian Prime Ministers: Julia Gillard and Tony Abbot who appeared is a video for the Story Factory in 2011 [10] and Malcolm Turnbull through the Turnbull Foundation. [11] It has also conducted four art auctions in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017 [12] [13] [14] The auctions have received donations from six Archibald Prize winners: Kathryn Del Barton, Fiona Lowry, Nigel Milsom, Mitch Cairns, Euan Macleod and Wendy Sharpe. [15] [16] [17] In 2017 the auction also included 2016 Archibald Prize finalist Abdul Abdullah, and another 45 artists. [18]

Leadership

Catherine Keenan is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Sydney Story Factory. In 2016 she was recognised as Australian of The Year, Local Hero for her work with the Story Factory. [19] Keenan was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2019 for "significant service to children as an advocate for improving literacy, and to the community of Redfern." [20]

Story Factory Spaces

Martian Embassy, Redfern SF redfern exterior.jpg
Martian Embassy, Redfern

Redfern

The Story Factory first opened in Redfern in 2012. The Story Factory is accessed through the Martian Embassy, whose design was awarded the 2013 NSW Premiers prize by the Australian Institute of Architects. [21] The idea is a spinoff from 826 Valencia that has a Pirate Supply Shop as its front. [10] Keenan stated that the kids and the volunteers loved the design and the staff liked the idea of going to another world. The Martian Embassy is the retail arm of the Story Factory. [22] [23] The shop then opens into the creative space.

Paramatta

Paramatta Story Factory SF parra exterior.jpg
Paramatta Story Factory


In 2016 more than 25% of the students attending the Redfern creative space travelled from Western Sydney. [24] Western Sydney has the largest Indigenous population in the country and many new immigrants. With the assistance of a grant from the Commonwealth Government and other donations, the Parramatta location opened in October 2018. [25] The building at 90 George Street is heritage listed. Refurbishing to make it a suitable workshop space involved consideration of heritage requirements. [26] The space was shortlisted for 2019 public design by the Australian Interior Design Awards [27]

School Residency Programs

The Story Factory runs year long residency programs with local schools, at both Primary and Secondary levels. The first residency program lasted for a full school term at the Briar Road Public School in Campbelltown. [24] In 2017 Canterbury Boys High was given a 12-month Story Factory residency program. [28] The program was recognised in the 2018 NSW Department of Education Minister's and Secretary's Award for Excellence when Canterbury Boys High as awarded the 2018 Secretary's Award for Outstanding School Initiative. [29]

The Year of Novella (YON) and Year of Poetry (YOP) Programs

In 2016 The Story Factory initiated a pilot Novella Program and selected children aged between 12 and 16 to write a novella of between 20,000 and 30,000 words. The works were published by The Story Factory in December 2016. [30]

In 2018, Story Factory began the Year of Poetry; a sister-program to the Year of Novella. The students spend the year writing their own poetry collections which are published alongside the YON students at a joint book launch at the end of each year. As part of the program, established poets such as Jazz Money, Dan Hogan Luka Lesson, Eileen Chong, and Eunice Andrada have visited the students to talk about their work and experiences.

Both programs are continuing, with more students eager to join each year. [31] In February 2023, 30 students across both programs published their own books which they wrote throughout 2022. All novellas and poetry collections are available for purchase through the Story Factory website.

One of the novellas from the program's run in 2017, Coconut Children [32] by Vivian Pham, has been expanded and published by Penguin Random House. [33] Coconut Children has since been made into an audio book.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McSweeney's</span> American publishing house

McSweeney's Publishing is an American nonprofit publishing house founded by Dave Eggers in 1998 and headquartered in San Francisco. The executive director is Amanda Uhle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Northwest College of Art</span> Art school at Willamette University

The Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) is an art school of Willamette University and is located in Portland, Oregon. Established in 1909, the art school grants Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees and graduate degrees including the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) and Master of Arts (MA) degrees. It has an enrollment of about 500 students. The college merged with Willamette University in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Hempel</span> American journalist

Amy Hempel is an American short story writer and journalist. She teaches creative writing at the Michener Center for Writers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Link</span> American editor and author

Kelly Link is an American editor and writer. Mainly known as an author of short stories, she published her first novel The Book of Love in 2024. While some of her fiction falls more clearly within genre categories, many of her stories might be described as slipstream or magic realism: a combination of science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, and literary fiction. Among other honors, she has won a Hugo Award, three Nebula Awards, and a World Fantasy Award for her fiction, and she was one of the recipients of the 2018 MacArthur "Genius" Grant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leah Purcell</span> Indigenous Australian actress, film director and writer

Leah Maree Purcell is an Aboriginal Australian stage and film actress, playwright, film director, and novelist. She made her film debut in 1999, appearing in Paul Fenech's Somewhere in the Darkness, which led to roles in films, such as Lantana (2001), Somersault (2004), The Proposition (2005) and Jindabyne (2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessica Anderson (writer)</span> Australian writer

Jessica Margaret Anderson was an Australian novelist and short story writer. Born in Gayndah, Anderson lived the bulk of her life in Sydney apart from a few years in London. She began her career writing short stories for newspapers and drama scripts for radio, especially adaptations of well-known novels. Embarking on her career as a novelist relatively late in life - her first novel was published when she was 47 - her early novels attracted little attention. She rose to prominence upon the publication of her fourth novel, Tirra Lirra by the River, published in 1978. Although she remains best known for this work, several of her novels have garnered high acclaim, most notably The Impersonators (1980) and Stories from the Warm Zone and Sydney Stories (1987), both of which have won awards. She won the Miles Franklin Literary Award twice, and has been published in Britain and the United States. Jessica Anderson died at Elizabeth Bay, New South Wales in 2010, following a stroke. She was the mother of Australian screenwriter Laura Jones, her only child.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenda Adams</span> Australian novelist and short story writer

Glenda Emilie Adams was an Australian novelist and short story writer, probably best known as the winner of the 1987 Miles Franklin Award for Dancing on Coral. She was a teacher of creative writing, and helped develop writing programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Waggoner</span> American novelist

Tim Waggoner is the author of numerous novels and short stories in the fantasy, Horror, and Thriller genres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">826 National</span> American nonprofit organization

826 National is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students, ages 6–18, improve their expository and creative writing skills. The organization's eight chapters include 826 Valencia in San Francisco, 826NYC in Brooklyn, 826LA in Los Angeles, 826CHI in Chicago, 826Michigan, 826 Boston in Boston, 826DC in Washington, DC, 826 New Orleans, and 826MSP.

Nínive Clements Calegari is an educator in the United States. Following ten years of classroom experience in public schools, she became an author and founded a national literacy program, 826 National. She also founded The Teacher Salary Project. Currently she is the CEO of Enterprise for Youth, an organization that empowers young people to prepare for and discover career opportunities in the San Francisco area through a three-phase program model of job-readiness training, paid internships with college credit, and ongoing career development and networking support.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Crews (minister)</span> Australian Christian minister

William David Crews AM is an Australian Christian minister of the Uniting Church. He is the minister of the Ashfield parish in Sydney's Inner West.

Catherine Bateson is an Australian writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">826 Valencia</span> Educational nonprofit organization

826 Valencia is a non-profit organization in the Mission District of San Francisco, California, United States, dedicated to helping children and young adults develop writing skills and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. It was the basis for the 826 National organization, which has centers on the United States with the same goal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peta Murray</span> Australian writer (born 1958)

Peta Murray is an Australian writer, born in Sydney in 1958. Best known as a playwright, she also writes short stories and essays and is a freelance dramaturg, director and occasional performer. She leads a parallel life as a teacher of creative writing and late-blooming academic researcher, in the higher education sector.

Louise Katz is an Australian fantasy and science fiction novelist and academic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiphanie Yanique</span> American novelist

Tiphanie Yanique from Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, is a Caribbean American fiction writer, poet and essayist who lives in New York. In 2010 the National Book Foundation named her a "5 Under 35" honoree. She also teaches creative writing, currently based at Emory University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suneeta Peres da Costa</span> Australian author

Suneeta Peres da Costa is an acclaimed Australian author best known for her tragicomic novel, Homework (1999) and a novella, Saudade (2018). She began her career as a playwright and also publishes poetry, non-fiction and literary criticism.

Catherine Cole is an Australian author and academic. She lives between Australia, South West France and the UK. Cole's work in the fields of fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and academic writing has been widely published both in Australia in the UK, US, China and Vietnam.

The Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Australian Novelists award was created in 1997 by the newspaper's literary editor, Susan Wyndham and is made annually. The awards recognise emerging writing talent, and are made to writers who are aged 35 years or younger when their book is first published.

Vivian Pham is a Vietnamese-Australian author. In 2021 she won The Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Australian Novelists Award and the Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year for her work.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Sydney Story Factory | Live Better". Live Better. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  2. ↑ "Sydney Story Factory - Dusseldorp Forum". Dusseldorp Forum. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  3. ↑ "'They've got stories in their head': Creative writing program expands to western Sydney". ABC News. 20 October 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  4. ↑ "Home". Sydney Story Factory. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  5. ↑ "Creativity and creative writing: The sydney story factory experience · Australian Association for Research in Education - article abstract". www.aare.edu.au. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  6. ↑ "Sydney Story Factory: Workshop Program Evaluation Summary". ResearchGate. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  7. ↑ Ewing, R; Manuel, J; Mortimer, A (2015). "Chapter 8: Imaginative children's literature, educational drama and creative writing". In Turbill, Jan; Barton, Georgina; Brock, Cynthia (eds.). Teaching Writing in Today's Classrooms: Looking Back to Look Forward. Norwood, South Australia:Australian Literacy Educators' Association. pp. 107–122. ISBN   978-0-977-5468-5-5.
  8. ↑ Wilson, Pete; Fisher, Natalie (2018). Evaluation of Creative Writing In-School Residency Programs; 2017 Primary School Mid-point findings (PDF). NSF Consulting. p. 3.
  9. ↑ "Story Factory tells a strong tale". The University of Sydney. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  10. 1 2 Molitorisz, Sacha (14 October 2011). "How a 10-year-old boy got the PM and Mr Abbott together". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  11. ↑ "Partners". Sydney Story Factory. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  12. ↑ "Cover versions a tribute to strong stories". The Sydney Morning Herald. 29 November 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  13. ↑ "Redfern Story Factory launches childrens' book comp". www.dailytelegraph.com.au. 6 November 2018.
  14. ↑ "Fine Lines | What's On - City of Sydney". What's On - City of Sydney. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  15. ↑ "If you can tell a story..." 32auctions. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  16. ↑ "Fine Lines". 32auctions. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  17. ↑ "Sydney Story Factory - Judge a Book Buy its Cover". 32auctions. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  18. ↑ "Sydney Story Factory: Multicultural heartland set to benefit from writing group". SBS News. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  19. ↑ "Dr Catherine Keenan". Australian of the Year Awards. 2016. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  20. ↑ "2019 Queen's Birthday Honours List | Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia". www.gg.gov.au. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  21. ↑ "Community focused projects take first place at NSW Architecture Awards". News & Media. 28 June 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  22. ↑ "Gift Shop for Sydney Story Factory". martianembassy.com.au. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  23. ↑ "Sydney Story Factory | Things to do in Redfern, Sydney". Time Out Sydney. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  24. 1 2 "Catherine Keenan's year as Australia's Local Hero". ABC News. 23 January 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  25. ↑ "'They've got stories in their head': Creative writing program expands to western Sydney". ABC News. 20 October 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  26. ↑ "Glue Society and Lava team up to launch Parramatta's Dreamlab". Mumbrella. 29 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  27. ↑ "Australian Interior Design Awards". australianinteriordesignawards.com. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  28. ↑ "This school is using Shakespeare slam poetry to get boys to embrace literature". ABC News. 16 November 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  29. ↑ "Canterbury Boys High School wins Award for Sydney Story Factory Partnership!". Sydney Story Factory. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  30. ↑ Morris, Linda (12 December 2016). "Sydney Story Factory takes teens from playground to published authors". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  31. ↑ "Catherine Keenan's year as Australia's Local Hero". ABC News. 23 January 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  32. ↑ Pham, Vivian Pham (2017). The Coconut Children. Sydney: Penguin Random House. ISBN   9780648177845.
  33. ↑ "The Coconut Children ebook by Vivian Pham - Rakuten Kobo". Rakuten Kobo. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.