With a jam-packed agenda of immersive story dinners, oceanic storytelling and the long-awaited Australian Poetry Slam National Finals (13 Oct) in Sydney, audiences are in for a lively celebration of spoken words and shared human experiences.
Story Week 2024 is set to take place this October in Sydney, centred around the theme of Common-Unity, where storytelling becomes an intimate shared experience. This year’s program moves beyond traditional boundaries, bringing audiences and artists together in ways that foster deeper connections.
From Australian Poetry Slam finals to immersive story dinners in Sydney, Story Week 2024 promises a unique and transformative celebration of live storytelling.
Audiences can look forward to the Australian Poetry Slam finals, where the best spoken word artists from Queensland (3 Oct), Victoria (5 Oct), Sydney (Oct 11) and New South Wales (12 Oct) will compete for a place in the National Final at the Sydney Opera House (13 Oct). After traveling across their respective states, unearthing talented poets from country towns to urban centres, the finalists will have just two minutes to impress audiences and judges—who are chosen from the crowd. The National Final will feature Australia’s top 16 poets, with one winner earning an international tour that includes stops at prestigious festivals like the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival and the Singapore Writers Festival.
Families are invited to take part in Sea Tales, a free, oceanic storytelling program at the Australian Maritime Museum (4-6 Oct, 9-11 Oct). Poets and musicians, led by Miles Merrill and Trevor Brown, will transport young audiences through Australia’s maritime history, answering the question, “Why do we still travel by sea in the age of space flight?” Through the journey, participants will even become part of the performance, transforming into a humpback whale as the grand finale unfolds.
For those seeking more intimate experiences, Story Week introduces a series of story dinners in Sydney, bringing people together around a table to share personal stories and reflections. These dinners, held on consecutive evenings (14-17 Oct), explore themes ranging from life-changing moments to cultural appropriation, encouraging participants to open up in a communal setting. The finale, Show and Tell (18 Oct), will gather the best storytellers from the festival, creating a night of live performance and music that will leave audiences inspired.
Event Details:
Dates: Thursday 3 October–Friday 18 October
Ages: Various
Location: Various venues throughout Sydney