Your Voice Matters

Presentation: Your Voice Matters

Intended audience: Year 7 –13
Duration: 1 hour
Technology: projector, screen, sound.
Description: This presentation shows why storytelling is important, using examples of New Zealand and Pasifika storytellers. I also share my own writing journey – of growing up in Māngere, South Auckland, and wanting to be a writer but not thinking I could do it because of my background. I show the young people that their stories are important and need to be heard and that if they want to, they can publish books too.

I thought David’s goal was to motivate us to become better at writing. But then he talked about how we can create stories about our life and our experiences with others. Now I see writing different compared to the way I used to see it. I learnt that writing can inspire others physically and mentally.
Student.
Sancta Maria College

I’ve only just stopped crying. Seriously – I was a mess for most of p 4. Especially loved the way he put time into speaking to them at the end. Made them feel so important. He had them with the pepeha and his gentle demeanour. Does he realise he had some of the most hardcore students eating out of his hand? This was by far the best part of my week.
Keri Urbahn.
Whangarei Girls High School

Cost: $500 plus gst plus travel costs (IRD travel rate – 83c per km). You may be able to get funding assistance from Read NZ Te Pou Muramura.