Storytelling for Healing | Digital Stage

Storytelling has long been a way for people to make sense of loss, displacement and change. In this powerful panel discussion, four guests come together to explore how storytelling can support healing, strengthen identity and build a sense of belonging for refugees and their communities. Drawing inspiration from Belvoir St Theatre’s production Lose to Win, the conversation is facilitated by Jesmine Cheong, Queensland Correspondent for SBS World News, whose career has taken her across regional and metropolitan Australia reporting on stories that matter to multicultural communities.  She is joined by Mandela Mathia, an actor born in South Sudan whose credits include Sami in Paradise and The Cherry Orchard at Belvoir, alongside national tours and productions with Sport for Jove and La Boite. Huda Akhlaki, an emerging performer, creative and youth advocate, brings her experience supporting young people through her work at Multicultural Australia and the Australian Theatre for Young People. Brazil Pele, a Year 12 student and Peace Leadership Ambassador with QPASTT, shares a young person's perspective on identity, belonging and the role of the next generation in building peaceful communities. Together, the panel shares personal insights into how performance and creative practice can strengthen identity, develop belonging and cultivate understanding. Content Warning: This video contains references to death and violence and the discussion of trauma. Curriculum Links: Senior Secondary: English, English as an Additional Language or Dialect, Essential English (Applied), Drama, The Arts (v9.0 Drama), Humanities and Social Sciences. Presented by QPAC in association with Multicultural Australia. Recorded at Cremorne Theatre, QPAC, on Yuggera and Turrbal Country, for Digital Stage.