The Youth Storytellers & "
Warriors of Awareness"
Role in Committing: Co-creators, Experts, Performers, Teachers
The Spirit They Bring
They bring their whole, authentic selves: their pain, their resilience, their humour, and their dreams. They have the courage to break the silence around suicide and transform their personal stories into medicine for others. Through the process of creating a play, a book, a mobile workshop, and a film, they become expert communicators, critical thinkers, and compassionate leaders.
Key Characteristics
Courageous Vulnerability: They dare to speak the unspeakable in a circle of trust, giving others permission to do the same.
Resilience: They are "the women who hold things together," showing up even after facing trauma, disaster, and personal hardship.
Critical Analysts: They learn to contextualize personal trauma within collective history, identifying risk factors and protective factors with a sophisticated understanding.
Media-Literate Advocates: They become comfortable with various forms of media—stage, page, and screen, understanding how each can be used to command attention and spark conversation far beyond a single performance.
Peer Supporters: They naturally become "little role-models," coaching and supporting each other, squeezing a hand during a difficult line on stage, and celebrating each other's successes.
Cultural Embodiments: They carry their identity with growing pride, weaving words from their language and teachings from their families into the work.
Community Builders: Whether quiet or bold, these youth are intentional about forming genuine friendships and nurturing belonging, not just among peers, but within their own tribe and sisterhood. Recognizing that loneliness and bullying can lead to devastating outcomes, they reach out to include those on the margins. Through shared experiences at Stardale, many find their first Indigenous friends and cultivate a sense of tribal connection. They become skilled at fostering safe spaces where everyone feels seen, supported, and welcomed into the circle.
What to Look For in Your Community
Create a safe, non-judgmental space. Listen more than you talk. Honour their stories as sacred gifts. Believe in their expertise and provide them with the tools (cameras, recorders, notebooks, stages) to turn their truths into art. It is important to recognize and value their time, courage, and professional contributions – when their work extends beyond participation in regular classes or rehearsals, such as public performances or significant creative collaborations, honoraria may be offered as acknowledgment. This gesture is meant to validate their impact and, when possible, support their families, while ensuring clarity that attending classes or rehearsals did not include payment.