About Sharing Stories

SharingStories is a digital online project in which young people in remote indigenous communities are being taught how to produce and upload their own online content.

This process enables children to find a creative voice with which they can explore, tell and share their own stories as well as participate in the creation of cultural recordings with their own elders. The project is currently being set up in Jilkminggan, Wugularr and Maningrida school in the Northern Territory, Bidyadanga and Nyikina Mangala School in the Kimberley, Tikari Tarapur and Buddha's Smile School in Varansi India and with a group of children in Iquitos , Peru.

SharingStories is in it's third year and involves a continuous refreshing and extending of skills. It  also involves, where possible, the training of community facilliators and endeavours to link participants  with mainstream media producers such as National Indigenous Television (NITV) and ABC Online so that content produced can potentially move into the mainstream media. SharingStories is about supporting self representational creative processes and sharing as well as providing a broader platform for the voice of young indigenous people in remote areas.

Further funds are needed for the projects development , if you are interested in assisting either through financial, product or training support please contact project co-ordinators Liz Thompson - liz@sharingstories.com.au or Gavin Spokes - spokes@sharingstories.com.au

SharingStories cultural facilitators and steering committee members

Liz Thompson

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Liz Thompson has been a producer of media for over two decades, creating stories for radio, television and the print media, often in collaboration with indigenous and marginalised communities. SharingStories Digital Online Project grew out of a desire to facilitate a self representational process, in which the tools are handed over and young people are able to tell their own stories. Stories told  in the manner they choose to tell them, about the things they choose to share. It’s hoped that the project will  ultimately include children from diverse social, religious, political and ethnic backgrounds, functioning as a creative space in where they can learn about each others lives and experiences. In this manner, as well as the obvious development of digital story telling skills and the creative delights  offered, The hope is that  SharingStories  develops better understanding, providing greater insight into each others lives  in a manner that promotes  respect for difference.

Other work: Sharing Our Stories , a series of books borne out of a collaboration between Liz and six indigenous communities in the top end, won the 2009 Australian Awards for Excellence in Educational Publishing, voted the best resource produced across primary , secondary and tertiary publishing in the country. Series 2 has just commenced. Liz's films have won numerous awards, Breaking Bows and Arrows which explored reconciliation in Bougavinlle after the civil war won the United Nations Media Peace Award for Best Television, The AIBD World Award for the Promotion of Conflict Resolution and the Grand Jury Prize at the 3rd International Festival of Oceania Documentary Film ( FIFO). She has produced numerous feature length programs for ABC Radio National as well as online content, written for international print media and published over thirty books. She is currently completing a doctorate at UTS exploring the most effective ways to establish self sustaining digital story telling projects for indigenous communities.

Gavin Spokes

Gavin Spokes is a creative producer with a vast array of life experience. Formal education in Applied Science (Geology) developed his ability to analyze situations, media, people, places and stories with a uniquely methodical and pragmatic perspective. Having shifted across to the arts some six years ago when he entered the music industry as a festival director, Spokes has continued to move through a variety of roles, blending management, producing, filmmaking and photography. Intrigued by the simplest of stories, he has a strong sense of the capacity for great learning from experiential interaction. He is an avid promoter of web-based media, passionate about it’s ability to break down otherwise impenetrable social barriers. He aspires to be an advocate for those in the wider community that previously have not had a voice, nurturing otherwise hidden talent to harness opportunities and realise their potential.

Thanks

SharingStories would like to thank all those who have so generously given time and energy to the realisation of this project, particularly the projects sponsors who have made it possible, but also all those who have contributed creative ideas , thoughts and skills to the project without remuneration. In that realm we would particularly  like to thank Simon Green who has been actively  engaged in creative dialogue and   technical development since the projects conception and Simon Coate who has graciously and endlessly supported  the endeavour in a manner that has allowed for it’s manifestation.

Huge thanks  to  George Hiley for website development, Alison Hughes and Anne Laure Cavigneaux for design, Matt Smith for ongoing technical assistance,Tracey Holloway, Zoltan and Jason Matthews for help with training programs, Alex Boston, Tom Holt, Sienna Coate Thompson and Indigo Coate Thompson.

Thanks also to Professor Sisir Basu and the students at Banaras Hindu university for maintaining the Tikari Tarapur element of the site, to Daisy and Rajan Kaur Saini Ajan for all their work at the Buddha's Smile School , to Carlos, Juan Carlos and Justin Touyz for maintaining and developing the Iquitos content and to all the staff, teachers and principles that have supported and assisted and continue to assist in the creation of content in the indigenous Australian communities that are involved in the SharingStories Digital online project.