Finding Our Voices: Connecting Young People through Story

Proudly supported by VicHealth’s ‘Reimagining Health’ fund, this project complimented Project Ready’s nurturing and practical approach, by creating space for groups of young people to share their stories and connect with each other.

We delivered one incursion to each of the 20-odd Project Ready groups, spread across regional Victoria, with some in metro Melbourne. Each incursion included a Playback show providing space for the young people to share their stories and hear from each other, and an interactive workshop which built teamwork and deep listening skills. The workshops used play and storytelling to support adaptability, to support young people to appreciate their personal strengths, and to develop communication skills and self-esteem. Playback theatre techniques build community and practical life skills in a way that is playful and highly accessible.

Feedback from facilitators included:

I have never seen Anna (name changed) participate in any activity so fully. Usually when she speaks about her mum, she storms out of the room, but she was able to stay, share, and feel heard. I almost cried. These kids need this, this works for them.

At first I really didn’t know what it was going to be, but that was amazing. I hope there is more funding.

and

Hamish (name changed, 15 years) ALWAYS wears his mask & NEVER speaks. However, he engaged during the performance, sharing a bit about how it feels to be blank inside his head sometimes, and continued to contribute throughout the workshop. This was really unusual, and amazing to see.

We are passionate about working with young people at Melbourne Playback. We see first-hand how impactful it is to give young people the opportunity to share their experiences and truly be heard, with no judgment, no ‘solving’.

A school newsletter published this article about the project:

This project was supported by: