Unfold:

Exploring your story through creative practice.

Unfold is a storytelling course focussed on techniques in narrative photography, personal essay and memoir, and poetry. First offered in English and Arabic in partnership with Zara’s House—Refugee Women and Children’s Centre, Jesmond, NSW, March-June 2021.

Unfold aims to empower participants ‘as protagonists and producers of their own stories’ (Lenette et. al 2019) by offering an introduction visual and verbal storytelling forms and fostering an encouraging environment for creative expression.

The course mobilises personal knowledge through creative forms by facilitating:

  • Self-expression—promoting a sense of personal agency and therapeutic reflection through narrating life stories.

  • Self-exploration—articulating aspects of identity, personality, perspective, and experience.

  • Dialogue—cultivating a responsive audience and supportive relationships among participants.

  • Resistance—creating counter-narratives to institutional forms of testimony and public/political discourse on refugees.

  • Attention to human rights issues—cultivating voices of witness to speak to a public realm where refugees are often silenced or misrepresented.

Results: In the first offering of Unfold, we met for six sessions in person and communicated in an online group chat, sharing writing and photography prompts and responses. In person, we had 6-10 attendees.

Credits: Photography Instructor: Katrina Flett Gulbrandsen; Writing Instructor: Alissa Herbaly Coons; Arabic Interpreters: Fatima Mardenli and Rasha Qutishaf

(Rasha)
(Shadia)
(Rasha)
(Fatima)

Antor

I found people celebrating in front of our house.

And the local butcher holding a big, sharp knife.

And my uncle - who brought Antor to our place, holding his head, walking him to the butcher.

I saw my grandparents wearing white, like angels, smiling.

I realised what was going on. I ran towards my uncle.

I cried and screamed.

I held on to Antor.

I yelled “stop, please stop! Don’t slaughter my friend!”

 

Lebanese Muslim migrant (Childhood memory of Eid al Adha)

Credits: Photos—Rasha Qutishaf (Ramadan at home, seagull watcher), Shadia Kalash (sun and rocks), Fatima Mardenli (train portrait). Poem—Antor, Fatima Mardenli