StoryCasters

Cast the Net, Tell the Story – Become a StoryCaster

StroyCasters podcasting cohort in the Information and Cultural Exchange recording studio with trainer and Colour Cycle podcast producer, Jennifer Macey

StoryCasters is a unique training and mentorship hub for future citizen journalists and digital producers in four disciplines: writing, podcasting, film and sound. Since 2019, the project has created a community of practice for 65 young emerging producers from Western Sydney and profiled 100+ culturally diverse artists from across New South Wales.

Meet the team! Bottom (L to R): Del Lumanta (Music trainer), Sonia Mehrmand (DARTS, StoryCasters Producer); Top (L to R) Shirley Le and Winnie Dunn (Sweatshop, Writing trainers), Nicola Morton (Music trainer), Jennifer Macey (podcast trainer) and Maria Tran (Phoenix Eye, Filmmaking trainer)

 

Project Timeline

In 2021, Diversity Arts launched the StoryCasters website to host the multitude of stories, articles, interviews and video content. Many of these stories are also featured on our Creative Lives page of this website. To meet the StoryCasters and find out more about the project, visit https://storycasters.net/

In 2019, we kicked off the project with a cohort-wide meet and greet StoryCasters Mixer, held at Information and Cultural Exchange. Participants and trainers from all 4 training streams groups got to meet and mingle, and take part in a group brainstorming activity. This was the beginning of some great collaborations!

In 2020 and 2021, we moved the program online and adapted the program to be delivered during a global pandemic.

Delicious catering from Southern Soul, vegan soul food
The evening was DJ’d by Alyssa Yang
StoryCasters podcasting cohort in the Information and Cultural Exchange recording studio with trainer and Colour Cycle podcast producer, Jennifer Macey

Who are the StoryCasters?

They are bold, creative and hungry for accurate, nuanced representation. They’re interested in media – you live it, breath it, and now they want to create it. 

StoryCasters are young people (between the age of 18-30) who identify as culturally and linguistically diverse or as a person of colour, including people from non-English speaking, migrant and refugee backgrounds.

What is the StoryCasters program?

Diversity Arts partnered with specialist companies and individuals to co-deliver programs. This also ensured greater continuity and mentorship, as well as industry connections. The full cohort met together for exchanges and collaborations, and were brought together for Mixer events and, during the Covid lockdown, for online events. This resulted in cross-pollinations, exchanges and collaborations that extended across more than 10 weeks of training in different disciplines:

  • Writing — 25 participants, mentored by Winnie Dunn and Shirley Le from Sweatshop Literary Movement
  • Screen — 15 participants, mentored by Maria Tran from Phoenix Eye
  • Podcasting — 15 participants, mentored by Podcast Producer Jennifer Macey
  • Sounds — 10 participants, mentored by Nicola Morton and Del Lumanta via Information and Cultural Exchange.

We rounded out the program with Masterclasses and Industry Talks from industry professionals like Oli Chang (of indie group Animal Feelings) and Anisha Thomas (film music composer, Sound-How).

Following the intensive training, the StoryCasters cohort were commissioned to create new content. While some commissions have been delayed due to Covid, many have been published or aired in literary and media platforms and radio.

 

 

Who’s involved?

This project is an initiative of Diversity Arts Australia, with support from Create NSW and Multicultural NSW.

Partners include Information and Cultural Exchange, Phoenix Eye, Sweatshop Western Sydney Literacy Movement and FBi Radio.