In the lead up to launching a new Community Hub in Western Sydney, Story Factory has been busy connecting with young people in Mount Druitt over the past year, building a unique, tight-knit community of young writers.
Early last year, Story Factory began offering creative writing workshops at Learning Ground, a community centre in Bidwill, Mount Druitt.
While the workshops were slow to start, word soon got around, and young people were drawn to the safe and welcoming space.
By Term 3, a fun and supportive group had formed of predominantly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.
“It has become a little family, a small writing community,” says Chloe Lamayo, who runs the after-school writing workshops at Learning Ground. “I think it’s quite unique, it’s something kind of special.”
Each of the participants grew in confidence and became more engaged in their writing after taking part in a range of writing workshops that spanned ghost stories, superheroes and sci-fi haiku poems.
“I like reading my story out to others and Story Factory helps me feel better about my writing,” says one of the students.
“Seeing the same kids turn up week after week was really beautiful,” Chloe says. “We saw them change and grow so much in such a short time… I always wonder what it will be like if we see them for years. It will be really incredible.”
Story Factory has centres in Redfern and Parramatta, and opening the Community Hub in Bidwill by mid-year will help it reach more students in the area.
Free after-school creative writing workshops will be offered throughout the week to primary and high-school aged young people.
Stay up to date on the Community Hub opening via @sydneystoryfactory or the Sydney Factory website.
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Poem by Cooper, Year 9
(written in an after-school Story Factory program at Learning Ground)
1.
Aliens leave our earth
after seeing what we use our tech for
(stupid AI videos)
2.
The mothership has gone
a weight has lifted off earth
but the streets are quiet
3.
They left me deserted
I only wanted to help
sympathy left me here
4.
There must be survivors
I’m not sure they’d understand
my kind does not compare
5.
We could never compare
the human kind is complex
ever thirsty to expand
