About StoryCasters

StoryCasters is a training hub for future citizen journalists and digital producers.

Diversity Arts Australia developed StoryCasters to address the underrepresentation of young, culturally diverse content producers and critics in the arts and creative sectors. We aimed to address the lack of cultural diversity in the writing, screen, podcasting, journalism, and music industries and to form communities of practice for diverse content creators.

Funded by Create NSW and Multicultural NSW over two and a half years (2019-2021), the first StoryCasters project worked with 65 young people across Western Sydney to develop new skills and career pathways and provide industry experience opportunities. A second successful cohort ran from 2023 – 2025.

Diversity Arts partners with specialist companies and individuals to co-deliver our programs. This ensures excellent continuity and mentorship, as well as industry connections.

The StoryCasters are young creatives (between the ages of 18 and 30) who identify as being from a culturally and linguistically diverse background and/or as people of colour. This includes people from non-English-speaking, migrant, and refugee backgrounds.

StoryCasters 2.0 Program  (2023 – 2025)

• Writing — 20 participants, mentored by Winnie Dunn and Sheree Joseph from the Sweatshop Literacy Movement
• Photojournalism — 12 participants, mentored by Isabella Melody Moore
• Podcasting — 10 participants, mentored by Podcast Producer Nadyat El-Gawley
• Theatre-making — 8 participants, mentored by StoryCasters graduate Pratha Nagpal 

We rounded out the training program with masterclasses from prize-winning author and journalist Simone Amelia Jordan (including industry talks from journalists Antoinette Lattouf and Lillian Saleh) and industry excursions to SBS News and Hachette Australia.

After intensive media training, both StoryCasters cohorts were commissioned to create new content.

In 2023/24, we were excited to work with Multicultural NSW and the The New Point Magazine for our StoryCasters 2.0 program, partnering with Media Diversity Australia and Sweatshop Literacy Movement to deliver this unique program. 

In 2025, StoryCasters continued to strengthen pathways for young and emerging creatives from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, with the program formally concluding by 30 June 2025 following the submission of its final report.

Building on the success of previous years, StoryCasters 2025 delivered targeted training, mentorship and publishing opportunities across writing, criticism, podcasting and photojournalism. A key development in 2025 was the introduction of a new Theatre-Making stream, initiated after StoryCasters graduate Pratha Nagpal pitched a pilot program to DARTS in late 2024. Following budget review and approval, DARTS launched this additional five-week program. The Theatre-Making stream attracted 21 applicants and selected eight participants. Delivered between March and April 2025, the stream culminated in six completed final projects. Outcomes included articles published in Multicultural NSW’s The New Point Magazine and theatre-show pitches designed for future professional use.

Publishing outcomes remained a core focus of StoryCasters 2025. A publishing partnership with Aniko Press, first established during StoryCasters 1.0, was reactivated, resulting in six new book reviews by participants. In addition, multiple pieces were published in The New Point Magazine featuring work from graduates across the Theatre-Making, Podcasting, Writing, and Photojournalism streams.

Through its expanded program model and emphasis on real-world outcomes, StoryCasters continued to serve as a vital pipeline for emerging culturally diverse voices, supporting participants in developing confidence, building professional networks, and publishing across Australia’s media and creative sectors.

StoryCasters 1.0 Program (2019 – 2021)

During the StoryCasters 1.0 training program, participants come together for collaborations, mixers, networking drinks, and online events during the COVID-19 lockdown for StoryCasters 1.0. This results in cross-pollinations, exchanges and collaborations that extend across more than eight weeks of training in different disciplines:

• Writing — 25 participants, mentored by Winnie Dunn and Shirley Le from the Sweatshop Literacy Movement
• Screen — 15 participants, mentored by Maria Tran from Phoenix Eye
• Podcasting — 15 participants, mentored by Podcast Producer Jennifer Macey
• Sounds — 10 participants, mentored by Nicola Morton and Del Lumanta via Information and Cultural Exchange.

We rounded out the training program with masterclasses and industry talks from industry professionals like Oli Chang (of the indie group Animal Feelings) and Anisha Thomas (film music composer, Sound-How) and excursions to outlets like FBi Radio.

StoryCasters 1.0 also included Angeline Barion, Andy Thai, Aseel Harb, Ashleigh Ho, Auatama Iese, Christine Afoa, Elizabeth Mora, Faraaz Rahman, Janette Chen, Karishma Tanvi, Khaleed Al Khawaldeh, May Tran, Md Nurul Hoque, Phoebe Grainer, Rachel Marie, Rameen Malik, Samia Halabi, Stephanie Nguy, Thi Tran, Victoria Zhou, Vivian Duong, Xiaoran Shi and Yenee Saw.