Story Factory is a not-for-profit creative writing centre for young people, aged seven to seventeen, from under-resourced communities. They believe that all young people, no matter their background, should be given opportunities to develop the communication skills and flexibility of thinking that will allow them to live their lives to their full potential and flourish in a rapidly changing world.
As Strategic Partner, The Balnaves Foundation is supporting the Story Factory in the implementation of their five-year Strategic Plan and to pilot their Community Hubs project. The Foundation’s position as Strategic Partner is born from a long-term relationship, resulting in our first ever grant of untied multi year funding to support Story Factory’s inspirational goals.
Diane Balnaves, Trustee of The Balnaves Foundation said: “When you support an organisation, I think trust is extremely important. Story Factory has earned my trust and the trust of The Balnaves Foundation over a number of years, which is why we chose to support them with our first ever untied multi-year grant. I have huge admiration for Executive Director and co-founder, Dr. Cath Keenan, and have witnessed first-hand the impact and growth of Story Factory. Being a small part of that journey has been inspirational to me.”
Story Factory’s 2023 – 2027 Strategic Plan has 5 key pillars for growth by building literacy in young people and spotlighting their voices through creative writing and storytelling.
- Amplifying young people’s voices and growing impact, particularly in Western Sydney;
- National reach through digital programs;
- Diversity – stronger engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and ensuring more diversity among staff and volunteers;
- Having the right people and structures to support growth and renewal; and
- Ensuring an alignment how the organisation measures success with where Story Factory is headed
With the opening of the Community Hub in Mount Druitt slated for 2026, the Story Factory team will be able to work deeply with schools and community groups in the area to create lasting, meaningful change. Once open the Community Hub will provide a space for students to attend after-school and holiday writing programs allowing young writers an opportunity to explore their creativity, receive feedback and encouragement and build a support network.
Story Factory’s storytelling workshops have been designed by creative writing experts, to build writing skills, confidence and creativity: essential for young people to create a better future. Research shows that quality arts-based learning significantly improves social and emotional wellbeing. The Foundation’s support for Story Factory’s Community Hubs and Strategic Plan allows for this important work to benefit many more children in need.
Prior to the strategic partnership, The Balnaves Foundation supported several projects with the Story Factory. Beginning in 2012 with a six-week program which supported twenty marginalised students to produce their own stop-motion animated films. Their films were screened in the National Centre for Creative Learning at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) for the students’ families and friends.
Furthering this collaboration with the MCA the Unmapping: Charting new paths to creativity project, in 2017 and 2018, provided a workshop for primary and secondary students to develop creative stories alongside mentoring artists and writers. Students explored contemporary art, learnt about artistic practices and themes and were encouraged to translate these explorations into a piece of creative writing.
Over three years, between 2019 and 2021, students were encouraged in Art Write Light to creatively respond to the work of living artists including Ernest Aaron and Blak Douglas. The artists shared their creative process, inspiration and artistic aims with students who then were encouraged to write a piece of flash fiction in response. The project culminated in an exhibition of the artists’ work and the students writing at the end of each year.
Memory River, in 2022 and 2023, was a multidisciplinary art and writing project which aimed to create meaningful engagement with The Female Factory Parramatta’s dark history. Students visited the site where they could interact with the onsite materials, hear stories from former residents and learn First Nations history of the land. Following their visit, the students produced pieces of art and creative writing projects that were displayed in a major exhibition alongside commissioned works by First Nations artists at the Female Factory Parramatta.
Find out more about Story Factory here.