The Stuff of Tales was a strategic partnership designed to develop and promote access to, and engagement with, small museums in the New England North West. Writers collaborated closely with each museum to deliver professional development workshops and create stories inspired by objects chosen from their permanent collections, with a particular focus on engaging young people. The project culminated in the creation of an online storybook, a collection of youth-generated zines, and a marketing campaign targeted at the cultural tourism market.

Regional writers Sophie Masson, John Heffernan, Ian Irvine, Beattie Alvarez, Fiona McDonald, and Bronwyn Parry worked alongside volunteers from six museums: The Land of the Beardies History House in Glen Innes, the Powerstation Museum in Tamworth, McCrossin’s Mill in Uralla, Saumarez Homestead in Armidale, The Roxy Museum in Bingara, and the Railway Journeys Museum in Werris Creek. These writers also facilitated youth creative writing workshops in their respective communities.

The project provided a unique opportunity for communities to support their local museums and to explore and celebrate the distinctive hidden treasures within their collections.

The Stuff of Tales was supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.

Created by High School students from Glen Innes, Bingara, Tamworth and Quirindi