Our Truth Our Way
Truth Telling. Story telling.
This program has currently ended.
Stay tuned for updates
What is Our Truth Our Way?
Our Truth Our Way was a three month intensive workshop for young (18-35) First Nations people to learn and refine truthtelling and storytelling.
Guided by the FYA First Nations team and First Nations media experts Aiesha Saunders and Rachael Hocking, participants engaged in a series of six virtual workshops, where they learned everything from foundational journalism skills and ethics, to legal risk and community protocol, as well as social media content creation, presenting, and podcasting. At the end of the program, participants were supported to produce and publish one original content piece.
The program centred the needs and wellbeing of participants, adapting as necessary to cater to the specific interests of the successful applicants. It also ensured that the group remained connected both virtually and offline.
Why Our Truth Our Way?
Platforming and amplifying the sovereign storytelling of young mob and their calls was critical to achieving social change.
Our Truth Our Way helped build the power of young mob by supporting them to become critical thinkers and fearless truth tellers who dismantled barriers and empowered the future of Black independent media.
How did Our Truth Our Way support young First Nations People?
Through Our Truth Our Way, participants had the opportunity to learn from peers, mentors, and industry professionals the skills needed for truthtelling and storytelling in the media, including:
- Pitching and publishing work
- Writing and Editorial Skills
- Legal Risks and Defamation Knowledge
- Fact Checking in Media
- Social media content creation
- Cross-Generational Storytelling
At the end of the program, participants were supported to produce and publish one original content piece.
Frequently asked questions
Participants were selected in a panel selection by the manager of the Our Truth Our Way program, Tallulah Brown, and the two headers and facilitators, Rachael Hocking and Aiesha Saunders.
Participants were be assessed on the following criteria:
- Aged between 18-35 years
- Must be Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- Passion for truthtelling and storytelling
- Mob who are building their skills in truthtelling and storytelling
- Committed to learning through Our Truth Our Way
- Successful applicants will be notified on the 8 of May.
- Tallulah Brown is a proud Gomeroi and Arab person, currently living on Gadigal land. They work in the First Nations team at FYA as the First Nations Programs Associate.Tallulah has extensive social media experience from Instagram to Tiktok, using these mediums for their own storytelling.
- Rachael Hocking is a Warlpiri woman from Lajamanu, currently living on Gadigal land in Sydney. She is a journalist, curator and presenter who is passionate about sharing First Nations stories. Her work can be found across Black media, from the national Indigenous newspaper Koori Mail to NITV. She is a director on the board for Common Ground and most recently worked as Editorial Coordinator for the 2022-2023 First Nations Media Australia News Initiative program for community reporters.
- Aiesha Saunders has worked within the communications and cultural arts sector for over a decade as a First Nations journalist, project manager, producer, educator, researcher, consultant, and curator. Her work is community and culture focused with truth-telling and self-determined Indigenous advocacy at the core.
Our Truth Our Way is fully funded by FYA. FYA is investing $2.3 million into our dedicated First Nations work over 3 years (2021-2023).
For more information you can contact firstnations@fya.org.au.