City of Fremantle
Coastal Charm
The City of Fremantle is one of an increasing number of local communities who are working together to acknowledge previously untold or unrecognised parts of their local histories in relation to Australia’s relationship and history with First Nations people.
We are seeking stories from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian people about difficult truths and reimagined futures to be included as a part of our upcoming Backyard Truth-Telling events across May 2026 in partnership with Centre for Stories.
These are done in Centre for Stories’ Backstories Festival style, a multi-sited storytelling program that brings truth-telling into the outdoor spaces and backyards of Walyalup residents to provide an opportunity for local communities to come together to connect, learn and listen to storytellers share their lived experiences, in their own voices, and in their own way.
If you’d like to have a yarn with us about the program, or if you’d like some help filling out the form below, please feel free to contact the Centre for Stories at info@centreforstories.com or call (08) 9328 1443.
According to Reconciliation Australia, truth-telling is any activity or process that seeks to recognise a fuller account of Australia’s history and its ongoing legacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Truth-telling comes in many diverse forms – there is no single way to do it.
Truth-telling must have the intention of creating positive change and challenging the status quo, from the personal to the systemic level.
Truth-telling is not a ‘one-off’ event but an ongoing process of dialogue and engagement – an intergenerational project of change.
Truth-telling is a shared responsibility that involves both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to create healing, in recognition that our history is shared and truth-listening is as important as truth-telling.
No. You are in control of your story at all times.
It is fine if you want to share your story initially and then change your mind later as your story develops.
However, please do not apply if you have no intention of sharing your story publicly at all, as we want to ensure people who want to tell stories do not miss out on this opportunity.
Yes, absolutely.
Centre for Stories trains people to share a short, spoken-word story based on your lived experiences, between 5 to 10 minutes long, that is structured with a beginning, middle and an end.
We encourage you to listen to other example stories first to get a better idea of what your story might sound like.
You decide what story you share, as long as it is true, something that happened to you and not someone else’s story.
The workshops are grounded in truth-telling and therefore we are looking to select people who want to share stories of how Australia’s past is impacting their present, contemporary injustices, First Nations strength, innovation and resilience, and ways forward to building better futures for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
While we would prefer that you attend the group sessions, we understand the timing or accessibility of the group workshops may not be possible for everyone. Centre for Stories may be able to support you to craft your story in an individual session.
You own your story. If you share your story at an event, it may be recorded and filmed in both audio and film formats for digital sharing online, as long as you give consent.
Your story is licensed to the City of Fremantle and Centre for Stories, and we cannot profit or share your story in any way that you have not consented to. Your story will sit on the Centre for Stories website and may be promoted across both City of Fremantle and Centre for Stories social media platforms.
You can choose to revoke your story and ask for it to be removed from our digital platforms at any time.
City of Fremantle and Centre for Stories staff will attend, as well as your family and friends (all storytellers get reserve tickets for their community).
Other attendees are members of the public and we encourage local residents of Walyalup to this free and accessible event. If your story features strong advocacy and you would like support inviting policymakers or other influential people, we can discuss this with you.
Explore the City of Fremantle’s Truth-Telling program to find other events and opportunities to engage.
Centre for Stories is running the First Stories project in 2026 and supporting First Nations people to safely share their lived experiences to diverse audiences. If you are a First Nations person with a story to share, we will try to support you – please email info@centreforstories.com
You must have permission or the right to share ICIP in your story. If your story features ICIP, such as language, music, dance, art, or cultural knowledge, please let us know whether you own this ICIP or have gained permission to share it.
In your consent form, you can indicate to us whether you would like an ICIP Notice statement added to your story. This will tell viewers who owns your story and who they need to contact to share it any way.
You are able to create a unique ICIP Notice statement or use a standard one we can add for you.
