Program overview 

SMALL STORIES is a collaborative initiative between Centre for Stories and My Place, designed to create more inclusive, accessible opportunities for storytelling by and with people with intellectual disabilities and communication needs (ID/CN).

Supported by the Department of Communities Innovation Fund, this two-year project uses a human-centred co-design approach to develop a storytelling framework that honours the diverse ways people think, feel and communicate. Rather than fitting storytellers into traditional structures, Small Stories reimagines what storytelling can look like — prioritising expression, connection and choice over convention.

The program pairs experienced storytelling facilitators with individual participants in one-on-one sessions. Together, they explore how to shape and share stories — real or imagined — using whatever form suits the storyteller best. This might be spoken word, movement, sound, writing, digital media or a combination of many.

At the heart of Small Stories is the belief that every story matters — no matter how big or small — and that storytelling is not just about being heard, but about being understood.

The framework is dynamic and evolving, shaped by ongoing feedback and the lived experience of participants. As the pilot progresses, each story helps us refine and strengthen a model that supports self-expression, creativity and inclusion.