The last day of the school term can be exhausting for parents, kids and teachers alike. For ABC broadcaster Sarah Macdonald, the last day of school was particularly memorable. It started with her leaving a tin full of Afghan money at the school office and ended with police being called amid fears of a terror attack. This story was first told at The Full Catastrophe , a live storytelling event at Giant Dwarf, Sydney....
The best of Australian storytelling... true stories, told live, from the mountains to the sea, across the desert and right around Australia. This season we're talking about strangers and how planned or unexpected encounters can turn our lives upside down. You'll hear five stories about those we invite into our homes, those we can't keep out... and others whose suggestions take us far from our comfort zones.
We all have ways of dealing with grief. As a child, Jessica Ferrari felt so responsible for others feeling sad about the death of her father that she decided to tell them she was "over it". Years later, she discovered it's really okay to feel sad.
Recovering from a particularly nasty skiing accident, Charles Edwards takes up a friend's offer to join her on a Pacific island holiday. Little does he know it will lead to naked sailing and letting go of his dignity while hobbling on crutches, in front of guests, at a Vanuatu beach resort.
Hearing the words "I love you" from her mother when she was a child sent a chill of dread through Louise Newton-Keogh. They were a warning sign of trouble ahead ... that her mother, who suffered from bi-polar disorder, was about to sink into another episode of mental illness. Louise and her siblings learnt to cope but the impact has been long-lasting. Warning: This episode refers to mental illness. For more information or support contact Lifeline 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659...
As a Chinese-Australian growing up in Canberra, Kwong Yue Yang felt anything but cool. A maths nerd with a bowl haircut, Kwong struck on a plan to become a cool kid. He'd track down Jackie Chan, his movie star idol, at a local restaurant to get a picture and an autograph. But rustling up the courage to pull it off was entirely another thing.
When nine-year-old Elyse receives a thank you note from a fairy for building a miniature palace, it sparks a pen pal friendship that leads to schoolyard adoration and shared secrets. But then on holidays, the truth is revealed about her new friend, shattering a childhood dream.
The best of Australian storytelling ... true stories, told live, from all around Australia. This season we're talking about the difficult task of "letting go", in all sorts of ways. Of grief, or the fear of hearing the words "I love you". You'll hear five incredible stories about how getting over long-held habits and stumbling blocks can reveal new ways to see ourselves. The series is out on August 13.
Elliana Lawford is a Wiradjuri and Anaiwan woman from NSW, but people think she’s white because she has pale skin. On her journey to self acceptance, Elliana finds a creative way to consolidate her identity and bury shame forever. This story was first told at SPUN Stories, a live storytelling podcast created in Darwin by StoryProjects.
As a child in Palestine, Bilha Smith was shunned. She learned early on what it was like to look and feel different. Years later, when she looked more ‘normal’, she found that, inside, she still felt ‘different’. Bilha realised that being comfortable in your own skin can be a lifelong journey. This story was first told at SPUN Stories, a live storytelling podcast created in Darwin by StoryProjects.
Can you ever be too helpful? Yes, you can ... Sinead Bevan has the story to prove it. Sinead agrees to be a beauty salon demonstration model for a new technique called 'sugaring'. It involves hot wax, sugar and a Brazilian. As she lies down in front of a large group of students and dutifully ‘butterflies’, she reflects on the cost to her body of being so helpful. This story was first told at Barefaced Stories, a live storytelling event and podcast. *WARNING: This episode contains strong language...
Do you remember your first ever haircut? Bali Padda does, but not for the reasons you might expect. The actor and diversity advocate tells us about an unlikely life-changing experience involving scissors and a very big bunch of hair. This story was first told at Queerstories, a national LGBTQI+ storytelling project and podcast.
We all experience our bodies differently. We have our favourite bits, our less favourite bits and, sometimes, the bits that don’t feel part of us. Cassie Workman, a multi award-winning comedian and storyteller, shares her story of realisation and the journey to acceptance. *WARNING: This episode includes strong language and discussions of suicide. This story was first told at Story Club, a live storytelling event and podcast at Giant Dwarf, Sydney. For more information or support contact Lifelin...
The best of Australian storytelling ... true stories, told live, from all around our Great Brown Land. This season we’re talking about skin - feeling comfortable, or not so comfortable, in your own skin. And the things we put on our skin, like fake tan ... or sugar mixed with wax on our nether regions! You’ll hear five stories celebrating the things we do to feel closer to who we really are.
Leah Purcell's purpose had always been to look after her mum. And while she had dreams of the big city and becoming an actor, being a Goa-Gunggari-Wakka Wakka Murri girl from the bush made that unlikely. Leah had a baby at 17 with an abusive man which made her acting dreams impossible. That was until her mother's greatest gift, her death. Warning: This episode contains some swearing. This story was first told at The Wheeler Center Gala in Melbourne, in 2018. The Producer for the ABC was Emma Gib...
Gus Fitzgerald was just 10 when he was swept out to sea in rough and wild surf conditions. His father calmly followed, walking down the beach. Then Gus realised, his dad wasn't going to save him. It was up to him. When he lost his father to cancer, Gus had to learn another lesson, how to stay afloat without him altogether. Warning: This episode contains some swearing. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners are also advised it includes the name of someone who has died. This story was fir...
"I could grow old with you, you know, I could really grow old with you," Tim Bishop's partner said to him. This was in the early days of their relationship, and Tim knew he was in for something. His man was from Cabbage Tree Island and knew his land as the land of his people since time immemorial. But one day it came time for Tim to take a road trip back to his man's family alone. Warning: there is some swearing in this episode. This story was first told at Queerstories , a national LGBTQI+ stor...
It was while he was high on LSD on the day of his wedding to Jenny that David Marr had a realisation: he was gay. David knew what he’d done was wrong, marrying was a mistake. Despite this devastating insight, he felt an absolute calm, almost relief. While he was a passionate advocate for the 2017 marriage equality plebiscite, David wasn’t sure he wanted to get married again. Warning: there is some swearing in this episode. This story was first told at Queerstories , a national LGBTQI+ storytelli...
May 28 was a bit of a blur for Bridget Judd. She remembers her mum's phone call and that she knew when she answered the news wasn't going to be good. She had lost her beloved father. Being a journalist, Bridget is used to finding the language to describe events. But this time she found herself in silence and unable to find the words to speak. Warning: this episode contains references to suicide, which may cause distress. This story was first told at SPUN Stories a live storytelling podcast creat...
Losing a lover, losing a father or even losing yourself. What happens when your world gets turned upside down? And how often do we actually talk to each other about loss? In this series of Tall Tales & True, five people share personal stories of the transformation that can come from grief and loss. All five episodes will be available on Tuesday, July 23.
The least "Christmasy" member of the Sara family finds joy after deciding to get the most out of life at the behest of a loved one.
Sophie Townsend totally owns being a really crap driver but strangely misses the disharmony it could cause.
Jamie Cook's Scottish family test family dynamics with a board game that involves the matriarch using really crass words. This story was first told at Barefaced Stories, a live storytelling event and podcast.
Sarah Macdonald's childhood memories of Christmas are of her father having to leave to deliver the baby Jesuses.
How a Christmas wrapping (not rapping) competition became an all-out war for the Hobba family.
Just in time for Christmas mayhem, a brand new series of festive-themed stories.
Tracey Spicer tells how her "Brisbane bogan" upbringing prepared her for the challenges of working in the media.
Luke O'Brien survived drugs, crime and jail to lose the most important person in his life.
Fiona Scott-Norman tells of being raised in the English middle-class, colonial way of emotional detachment and her family lineage of blocked artists.
Darren Percival embarks on a road-trip to make sense of his life and the world and to find the truth he needs to speak.
