Get ready to dive into a world where words come alive and stories unite us all—Story Week 2024 is making its grand return to Sydney this October! With the theme of ‘Common-Unity’, this year’s festival promises to transform storytelling into an intimate and shared experience, inviting audiences and artists to connect on a deeper level.
Kicking off with a bang, the Australian Poetry Slam finals will spotlight the finest spoken word artists from across the nation. From Queensland’s nerve-wracking showdown on 3rd October to the dramatic Victorian clash on the 5th, and continuing through Sydney and New South Wales on 11th and 12th October, the competition will crescendo at the National Final at none other than the Sydney Opera House on 13th October. Here, Australia’s top 16 poets will battle it out for a coveted international tour, with the audience and judges—picked from the crowd—deciding their fate. It’s poetry at its most electrifying!
For families and the young at heart, the Australian Maritime Museum will host Sea Tales—a delightful foray into oceanic storytelling from 4th to 6th and 9th to 11th October. Guided by poets and musicians like Miles Merrill and Trevor Brown, young attendees will embark on a seafaring journey through Australia’s maritime past. The big question, “Why do we still travel by sea in the age of space flight?” will be artfully explored, culminating in a magical transformation into a humpback whale that closes this captivating tale.
But the storytelling magic doesn’t end there. For those craving a more personal touch, Story Week introduces story dinners in Sydney from 14th to 17th October. These gatherings are designed to break bread and barriers, as participants share personal tales around the dinner table, delving into themes like life-changing moments and cultural appropriation. The finale, Show and Tell on 18th October, will feature the festival’s standout storytellers, merging live performance with music for a night to remember.
According to Miles Merrill, Director of Story Week, “This year’s theme, ‘Common-Unity’, is all about dissolving the traditional barrier between artist and audience. We’re moving beyond the passive consumption of art, creating spaces where people engage directly with each other, whether it’s during a slam or around a dinner table. It’s about making storytelling a community-driven experience once more.”
The festival also boasts a stellar lineup with luminaries like Rob Waters, curating the Blak Out series on 12th October, and Hani Abdile, leading the Chasing Home event on 13th October, which celebrates refugee narratives. Ubud Poetry Slam Champion Lizzie Chan will lend her international flair, performing across several key events.
Presented by Word Travels, Story Week 2024 invites you to step into a realm where stories become extraordinary shared exchanges. Whether you’re cheering at a slam or sharing tales over dinner, this year’s programme celebrates the unifying power of storytelling. Don’t miss out—grab your tickets and full programme details at www.wordtravels.org.au.
WHAT: Story Week 2024: Common-Unity
WHEN: Thursday 3 October–Friday 18 October
WHERE: Various venues across Sydney, with events also in Melbourne and Brisbane