Fairfax Youth Initiative 2021

Everyone has a story to tell. We want to hear yours.

You’re invited to join the Murray Mallee’s army of young storytellers!

Learn how to create stories, hone your performance skills, and share your own stories with your community.

Across August – October 2021, FYI is offering online mentorship in storytelling to 25 young people living in the Murray Mallee region.

Take part in an online storytelling mentorship with Fairfax Youth Initiative!

This mentorship will provide you with tools and techniques in crafting and delivering truthful and engaging stories from your own lived experience. You will gain access to coaching with professional storytellers, build your skills in performance, and connect with like-minded creative young people.

All storytellers will present in an online showcase for family and friends in September.

At the conclusion of the mentorship, storytellers will take part in a film project in October to bring their stories to the big screen.

You will work with a film crew on location in your community to record your story for the camera. These recorded stories will be shared in a screening event in Robinvale in November – a special night of storytelling open to the whole community.

Mentorship includes:

  • Group workshops to build skills in the art of storytelling, including creative thinking, finding inspiration, writing and performance. Workshops will be led by storytelling experts in theatre, film, TV, and radio.
  • One-on-one mentoring sessions with a professional storyteller to workshop your ideas, and develop your story to be delivered to an audience
  • Rehearsal and performance practice in preparation for the online showcase and piece-to-camera
  • Opportunities to share your story, in the online showcase and through a piece-to-camera, shared in special community screening event
  • Access to a digital community of like-minded creative young people living in the Murray Mallee
  • A digital toolkit of resources to support your learning
  • A formal commitment of 10-15 hours across August – September. Mentor sessions and workshops will take place on weeknights across 4 weeks. Some work will be required in your own time.
  • There is no cost to participate, and the mentorship is completely online via Zoom – so you can participate from your own home.

Key Dates:

  • Expressions of Interest open: 22 July 2021
  • Expressions of Interest close: 11 August 2021
  • Storytellers selected: 12 August 2021
  • Mentorship commences: 16 August – 10 September
  • Virtual Storytelling Event: 14 September
  • Film project: 4 – 18 October (dates Covid dependant)
  • Community Screening: Mid-Late November (dates Covid dependant)

Who can apply:

Anyone aged 13-25 living in the Murray or Mallee regions

This includes current high school students, Fairfax alumni who have participated in FYI in previous years, and anyone who is new to participating in FYI.

We are interested in hearing from a diverse group of young voices, and encourage young people from all cultural backgrounds to apply. Young people with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds are particularly encouraged to apply.

**Young people no longer living in the region are still encouraged to apply, provided you are available to travel back to your community for the film project in October.

How to take part

Fill out the Expression of Interest form, including a brief written response, or a short video or voice recording.

Note: the purpose of the EOI is just to give us an idea of who you are, and what you want to say.

Need more info? Check out this video from our Creative Team explaining what it’s all about:

/Public Release. View in full here.