Power to the Story Holder


Our Race continues to break the cycle of green washing, rainbow washing & other forms of Story washing by revealing & addressing exploitative & extractive practices through a shared commitment to safe, ethical Story Telling.

  • What is a Story?

    — A Story is an idea, action, imagination, experience or a combination set of these which are shared with defined or multiple audiences. They come in a variety of mediums and can be short (e.g. a tweet) through to long, extended forms (e.g. a novel - printed literature or film - audio and visual).

    — A Story can tell raw truths and/or powerful untruths, regularly adding to or challenging the dominant, hegemonic narrative.

    — A Story can share Culture. A Story can inform. A Story can connect us all.

  • Who is a Story Holder?

    — Everyone can be a Story Holder.

    — A Story Holder is a person with the lived experience- the owner of their Story.

    — The Story Holder may choose to share their Story or not.

    — When Story Holders speak about communities who have less power than themselves, they must not inflict harm or remove agency from these individuals or communities.

  • Who is a Story Teller?

    — A Story Teller is a person telling the Story Holders' Story.

    — It may be the Story Holder themselves. ​

    — It may also be an organisation, another person, a media company or anyone authorised to re-tell the Story.

  • Who is a Story Extractor?

    A Story Extractor is a person or organisation who takes a Story Holder's Story and uses it for their own benefit, without any concern for the Story Holders' creative control or ownership.

  • Who is a Story Interpreter?

    A Story Interpreter is a person or organisation that tells or creates a Story through their lens or the lens of their organisation without prioritising the Story Holders' creative control and ownership of their Story.

  • Who is a Story Partner?

    A Story Partner is a person or organisation who engages a Story Holder to share their Story and commits to the Transformational Ethical Story Telling Principles (T.E.S.T.)

Our Race - Who Gets To Tell the Story?

Did you know that Story Telling can harm people, place and planet?

Historically, Stories have been used to maintain systems of oppression, perpetuating practices which exclude many of our lived experiences. Unsafe, unethical Story Telling occurs even amongst groups with the best of intentions, leading to Story Washing.

WHO is impacted and HOW?

  • WHO

    Historically excluded people

    Systemically impacted people

    People with lived experiences

    People subjected to high levels of discrimination

  • HOW

    Denied information

    Denied rights

    Underpaid

    Inadequately supported

    Under acknowledged

    Excluded

    Co-opted

“I am not used to studying the subject as I am always seen to be the subject. Participating in Our Race workshops I realised that I am not their subject.”

Story Caretakers empower
Story Holders to create, curate and control their Stories on their terms.

  • IMPLEMENT OUR T.E.S.T. Framework

    T.E.S.T. is an anti-oppressive framework which aims to flip the Story Telling balance of power, where each person’s rights and needs - regardless of their race, ethnicity, language, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, health, ability, economic status or background – must be respected.

    Learn more

  • ENGAGE US IN Collaborative Consult

    Our collaborative consulting prioritises the experiences of individuals who are significantly impacted by Australian workplace practices. We collaborate with organisations to reflect upon, review, and transform their story-telling approach, prioritising the interests of the communities whose stories are being told. Our services are based on our TEST framework, which includes cultural audits and strategies for cultural and community engagement and policies.

    Learn more

  • BOOK OR ATTEND A Story Caretaker Workshop

    We develop all our workshops with the aim of creating meaningful, transformative change. We are not here to tick boxes or provide palatable answers which create more harm to traditionally excluded communities. Instead our objective is to design and develop workshops as part of a broader strategy to address systems of oppression.

    Book a Workshop

Your story is important.
Your story has value. You are the expert.

  • ATTEND A Story Holder Workshop

    Story Holders have historically been excluded and commodified for their Stories. The goal of these workshops is to equip you with the knowledge and tools to better advocate for creative control and ownership of your Story. These workshops are FREE for all Story Holders as we believe it is the responsibility of Story Partners to provide this training.

    Book a Workshop

  • BE EMPOWERED Support & Resources

    We seek to flip the prevailing power imbalance of our social environment through the development of tools and techniques to enable Story Holders to be the creators and directors of their own stories thereby deriving the maximum benefit from the process.

    Learn more

  • JOIN OUR COMMUNITY Story Telling Circle

    The Story Telling Circle is a place for reading and sharing stories.

    Learn more

Story Caretakers in the making...

Story Telling Circle

  • Read

    Stories have power. Stories are important. Stories have value. You are the expert. Stories can be harmful. Stories can trigger. Stories can heal. You and your Stories have the power to create change and reclaim power.

    Browse the blog

  • Listen

    Listen to captivating discussions that transcends borders and generations, reminding us of the universal power of personal narratives.

    Explore Episodes

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