Change the Story

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?
Guests
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.
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.
Credits
This series was produced on the Lands of the Gadigal People, the Cammeraygal People, the Darug People, and the Guringai People.
Host: Elaine Laforteza
Producer: Masako Fukui
With the support of Jane Curtis, Sarah Gilbert of UTS Impact Studios
Tile 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.
Guests
Violet 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.
Credits
This series was produced on the Lands of the Gadigal People, the Cammeraygal People, the Darug People, and the Guringai People.
Host: Elaine Laforteza
Producer: Masako Fukui
With the support of Jane Curtis, Sarah Gilbert of UTS Impact Studios
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.

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.
Credits
This 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 soon
My Language My Country
Around 350 languages are spoken in Australian homes every day.
How can language reshape how we connect with Country and First Nations cultures?
Credits
Change the Story is produced by UTS Impact Studios, and is made on Gadigal Country in Sydney Australia.

Jeni Whalan hosts a discussion on the recent commitments from both NSW and Victoria to deliver a year of universal play-based learning for children in the year before they start school.
As well as transforming early childhood education, the goal is to build the sector workforce and further boost productivity by better supporting working parents.
Leslie Loble, the co-chair of the Council on Early Childhood Development and Amanda Robbins, Managing Director of Equity Economics, outline the significance of the announcement and what it’s going to take to deliver this ‘triple dividend’ over the next ten years.
New name
This podcast is now called Change the Story.
For more information about the original Life's Lottery season 2, see https://www.paulramsayfoundation.org.au/news-resources/lifes-lottery-backing-kids
Credits
Produced by UTS Impact Studios
Executive Producer: Olivia Rosenman
Audio Producer: Nicole Curby
Researcher/writer: Jackie May
Theme music and Sound Design: James Milsom
Graphic design: Celia Neilson