Change the Story

How has English dominance marginalised First Nations knowledges?We hear from Gudanji/Wakaja author and academic Dr Debra Dank about how Aboriginal people’s expressive practices and deep relationships to Country are being erased.How can we learn to listen to Country, to the ‘non-human utterances’ of birds, the wind, the rain?And how do we listen to Country with our whole bodies, not just our ears?Can we discover our own embodied wisdom, and how does this relate to our sense of belonging on this continent?GuestsCarmine Gentile is an Associate Professor (Faculty) within the School of Biomedical Engineering (Faculty of Engineering and IT) at the UTS. He leads the Cardiovascular Regeneration Group, working on 3D bioprinting and stem cell technologies both at the Heart Research Institute and UTS.Debra Dank is a Gudanji/Wakaja and Kalkadoon woman from the Barkly Tablelands in the Northern Territory. Dr Debra Dank is an Enterprise Fellow with the University of South Australia.For 40 years Deb has worked in various roles in primary, secondary, and tertiary education in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory in urban and remote contexts.She worked to establish the Indigenous Literacy Foundation which included extensive work with remote communities to develop a robust but flexible service delivery model that supported place-based, community-identified responses to literary needs in early childhood education, provision of appropriate literature for remote communities, and the production of reading material for English as a Second language contexts.Reference: Terrraglossia is published by Echo Publishing.Leah Subijano (she/her) is a Filipino-Australian, multidimensional soul, and a fierce advocate for racial justice and gender equality. She loves to deep dive into all things social justice, spirituality, and dismantling systems to birth a new Earth. Leah believes that drumming and dance are decolonising and embodiment tools that help people reconnect with themselves, their ancestral wisdom, community, and the natural world.Odette Subijano is Leah’s mother.CreditsThis series was produced on the Lands of the Gadigal People, the Cammeraygal People, the Darug People, and the Guringai People.Host: Elaine LafortezaProducer: Masako FukuiWith the support of Jane Curtis and Sarah Gilbert of UTS Impact StudiosTile artwork by Alexandra MorrisThis podcast was created by the UTS Multicultural Women’s Network and is part of the broader UTS Acknowledgment of Country in Our Languages project.

What does embracing multilingualism sound like?In this episode, we hear from two poets who challenge the dominance of English by creating bold, multilingual poetry.How do these poets use language to disrupt, to heal, to remember, and to imagine a different, more ethical way of belonging in Australia?GuestsEsita Sogotubu hails from Fiji and is the Employability Manager at UTS Careers. Her traditional roots are in Vunuku, Moala, Lau with maternal links to Nayavu, Wainibuka, Tailevu. She is a former international student who has over 15 years experience as a career development practitioner.Nadia Niaz is the author of The Djinn Hunters and the founding editor of the Australian Multilingual Writing Project. Her work explores multilingual creative expression, translation, ‘belonging’ and relationships with place. She is a Lecturer in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Melbourne.Anne Casey is originally from the west of Ireland and now living in Australia. She is the author of six poetry books. Her work is widely published and awarded internationally, ranking in The Irish Times’ Most Read. She has a PhD from UTS where she teaches creative writing. Prankqueans are an ensemble of artists inspired by ancient Celtic mythology to celebrate all things female and Irish Australian. CreditsThis series was produced on the Lands of the Gadigal People, the Cammeraygal People, the Darug People, and the Guringai People.Host: Elaine LafortezaProducer: Masako FukuiWith the support of Jane Curtis, Sarah Gilbert of UTS Impact StudiosTile artwork by Alexandra Morris.This podcast was created by the UTS Multicultural Women’s Network and is part of the broader UTS Acknowledgment of Country in Our Languages project.

What happens when we say an Acknowledgement of Country in our mother languages?Would it feel different? More meaningful?Does it change the way we connect to First Nations peoples and cultures?We discovered that a multilingual Acknowledgement opened a door to deeper, and sometimes difficult conversations about colonialism, race, and what it means to belong in Australia today.GuestsViolet Laforteza Kennedy is Elaine’s Daughter.Maria Eleanor Carbonell is Elaine’s Mother.Nema Madnani is a higher education professional with experience in student equity, project co-ordination and community engagement. In her past roles, she contributed to initiatives focused on inclusion and reducing barriers within education. She cares deeply about staying connected to her cultural roots and family, and believes that honouring where we come from shapes how we show up for our communities.Carmine Gentile is an Associate Professor (Faculty) within the School of Biomedical Engineering (Faculty of Engineering and IT) at UTS. He leads the Cardiovascular Regeneration Group, working on 3D bioprinting and stem cell technologies both at the Heart Research Institute and UTS.Esita Sogotubu hails from Fiji and is the Employability Manager at UTS Careers. Her traditional roots are in Vunuku, Moala, Lau with maternal links to Nayavu, Wainibuka, Tailevu. She is a former international student who has over 15 years experience as a career development practitioner.Students at Marrickville West Public School.Aunty Glendra Stubbs is the Elder-in-Residence at UTS, and is a proud Wiradjuri woman who brings over 40 years of experience in providing cultural guidance, mentorship, and practical support to individuals.Lachlan McDaniel is a proud member of the Kalari Clan of the Wiradjuri Nation. He currently serves as Associate Dean of Research at the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research at UTS. His doctoral research examines the revitalisation of the Wiradjuri language and culture through community-driven initiatives reconnecting people to Country, tradition and identity.CreditsThis series was produced on the Lands of the Gadigal People, the Cammeraygal People, the Darug People, and the Guringai People.Host: Elaine LafortezaProducer: Masako FukuiWith the support of Jane Curtis, Sarah Gilbert of UTS Impact StudiosArtwork by Alexandra MorrisThis podcast was created by the UTS Multicultural Women’s Network and is part of the broader UTS Acknowledgment of Country in Our Languages project.

Around 350 languages are spoken in homes across Australia, yet we see ourselves as an English-speaking country.And we tend to understand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures primarily through English and Western concepts.Let’s challenge this dominance of English.My Language My Country is a six-part series that asks what changes when we approach Country through the many languages we speak.Why is English dominance a problem?How are cultural ideas and concepts embedded in language?And what does embracing multilingualism look and sound like?Why is it important for migrants and new settlers to support First Nations language revival?We explore how people are engaging with First Nations ways of being, building solidarities, and imagining what ethical belonging might look like.CreditsThis series was produced on the Lands of the Gadigal People, the Cammeraygal People, the Darug People, and the Guringai People.Hosted by Elaine Laforteza and created by the UTS Multicultural Women’s Network.The producer is Masako Fukui.This podcast is part of the broader UTS Acknowledgment of Country in Our Languages project, featuring an audio library of Acknowledgments in 40+ languages, as well as videos and stories highlighting why this practice matters.My Language My Country is the first season of UTS Impact Studios’ Change the Story podcast.Special thanks to An Le, Lucie Vayriot, Leah Subijano, Melissa May, Tiffany Dimmack, Claudia Taranto, And Jane Curtis, Sarah Gilbert of UTS Impact Studios. Artwork by Alexandra Morris.

Life’s Lottery is changing.Change the Story is the next chapter - a podcast about what it takes to create real social change.Where Life’s Lottery explored how inequality shapes our lives, Change the Story asks the next question: what are we doing about it?Hosted by Amy Persson from the University of Technology Sydney, hear stories from people working to change systems from the ground up: community leaders, researchers, activists and practitioners.Through short series and special conversations, you’ll hear big ideas, urgent debates, and practical examples of community-led solutions in action.Coming soonMy Language My CountryAround 350 languages are spoken in Australian homes every day.How can language reshape how we connect with Country and First Nations cultures?CreditsChange the Story is produced by UTS Impact Studios, and is made on Gadigal Country in Sydney Australia.