Learn how to shape stories that are strategic and ethical to influence real change.

A practical training for people with lived and living experience who want to share impactful stories with intention and confidence.

Develop strategic and ethical storytelling skills to create narratives with intention and confidence.

Stories grounded in lived experience can highlight important issues in ways that information, statistics and expert analysis alone cannot. They can shift understanding, influence public discourse and strengthen movements for change.

But not all stories are equal.

People with lived experience are often invited to share their story without equal involvement in shaping the communications or advocacy strategy around it. Too often, their stories are overlooked, simplified or reshaped when working with organisations, media or movements. As a result, stories can drift beyond the original intent or comfort of the person sharing them.

This training focuses on storytelling techniques and processes that are both strategic and ethical. Participants strengthen their communication skills, apply practical frameworks, and explore safety and support considerations to navigate storytelling on their own terms.

What you’ll learn

● What strategic storytelling is and why it matters

● Practical tools to develop purposeful and compelling stories, including values-based messaging, narrative structures and language techniques

● Different ways you can use storytelling with organisations, media, policy, and broader social movements

● Ethical considerations in storytelling, including power, extractive practice and consent.

What to expect

This is a safe, reflective and practical learning experience. The training will run over three two-hour sessions, including theory presentations, group discussions, and individual writing exercises. The three sessions are:

Session one – Introduction to strategic and ethical storytelling

Session two – Crafting compelling narratives

Session three – Workshopping your story

By the end of the workshop, you’ll walk away with:

● A clearer understanding of strategic storytelling to support social change

● Ideas on how to apply your story within public discourse, organisations or movements

● A toolkit of storytelling frameworks and techniques

● Greater confidence to share your story with safety and purpose.

We cap group sizes so everyone can participate fully and build confidence in their own approach. Because participants may be discussing their own experiences during the workshop, sessions will not be recorded. Core content can be made available under specific circumstances.

About the facilitator

Kate May is an Associate at Common Cause and a lived experience advocate across women’s health, chronic pain and disability. She brings both professional expertise and lived experience insight to her work, shaped by years of navigating chronic illness alongside roles in public health, communications, research and policy.

Kate has long written about her experiences and has contributed publicly to campaigns, research, policy development, speaking and media engagement. She has collaborated with organisations including the Australian Women’s Health Alliance, Women with Disabilities Victoria, Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, Migraine World Summit, and the Faculty of Pain Medicine.

NOTE: Our courses are designed to support organisations and advocates working toward social equity, environmental justice and community wellbeing. We take seriously our responsibility to provide a safe space for all participants, and reserve the right to politely decline offering places in our workshops to certain organisations. If you're unsure if your organisation is suitable for the training, please get in touch.

UPCOMING workshops

june 2026 - tickets available

Our first Lived Experience Storytelling workshop will take place over 3 consecutive Zoom meetings on Wednesday in June 2026:

• Session 1: 10am-12pm AEST, Wednesday 10th June 2026

  Session 2: 10am-12pm AEST, Wednesday 17th June 2026

  Session 3: 10am-12pm AEST, Wednesday 24th June 2026