Multicultural Storytimes
Port Phillip is enriched by the presence of people from diverse cultural backgrounds. We are the proud home of people from over 164 different birthplaces, with our residents speaking 126 different languages.
We believe creating culturally safe spaces and opportunities for language use - like our Multicultural Storytimes - help our diverse communities continue to connect with their heritage.
A new chapter in Multicultural Storytimes
We’re working with Space2b to bring you a new series of Multicultural Storytimes in four languages – Amharic, Arabic, Hindi and Mandarin.
Storytimes begin in the third week of August (12 to 16 August 2024) and will offer fun stories read by native language speakers.
It's the perfect place for children aged five and under to develop their language skills while exploring and connecting with both their own and other cultures. Plus, families will have the chance to connect with one another and access important Council support services.
Each of the storytimes will occur fortnightly and will be delivered according to the below storytime schedule.
| Language | Time | Date | Place |
| Amharic | 11 am to 12 midday | First and third Wednesday of every month | Emerald Hill Library – 195 Bank Street, South Melbourne |
| Arabic | 11 am to 12 midday | Second and fourth Wednesday of every month | Emerald Hill Library – 195 Bank Street, South Melbourne |
| Hindi | 11 am to 12 midday | Second and fourth Monday of every month | St Kilda Library – 150 Carlisle Street, St Kilda |
| Mandarin | 11 am to 12 midday | First and third Tuesday of every month | Port Melbourne Library – 333 Bay Street, Port Melbourne |
Note: This schedule may be subject to change. Please continue to refer back to this webpage for updates.
About the storytellers
To run specialty storytimes it takes special storytellers. We’ve partnered with Space2b to hire, train, mentor and support storytellers to provide culturally safe and inclusive storytime sessions in-language and in English.
Each storyteller will bring their own expertise and flair to their sessions.
Meet our storytellers
Nejat – Amharic Storyteller
Originally from Eritrea, Nejat later moved to Australia and had two children. She used to take her children to storytimes when they were young to help them learn English and now she is excited to bring her language and culture to her very own storytimes. The Multicultural Storytimes program has helped Nejat to feel a deeper sense of belonging, as she knows that her language and culture are recognised and valued in her community and she can’t wait to connect and share her culture with others.
Elly – Arabic Storyteller
Elly began travelling around the world about 10 years ago, carrying with her a rich Russian-Persian heritage and a deep passion for storytelling. Her travels have blessed her with a wealth of stories from different countries, that she hopes to share through her storytime sessions. In her culture, stories are passed down through families and are used to preserve heritage. Elly hopes to bring this way of celebrating and preserving culture to local families through her own storytelling.
Rohini – Hindi Storyteller
Rohini is a passionate storyteller with over 12 years of experience, who recently moved to Melbourne from India. She brings a rich cultural heritage to her storytelling sessions, focusing on simplified Indian stories, mythological tales and using language elements like counting in Hindi. Rohini also uses movement and music and aims to make it easier for children to read and speak Hindi. Committed to community outreach, she looks forward to building lasting relationships with local families.
Sirui – Mandarin Storyteller
Sirui is a Mandarin native speaker from Nanjing, China, and an emerging creative practitioner and arts educator. She is currently completing her studies at the University of Melbourne and her creative works have been featured locally and internationally. Sirui is passionate about developing creative programs for local youth and storytelling, especially through Kamishibai. She is excited to use her creative skills to contribute to the local community.
Partners and funding
This program couldn’t be delivered without support from Space2b, Better Health Network and FKA Children’s Services and the funding provided by the Victorian Government.
Space2b have their own webpage for the Multicultural Storytimes program, click here to check it out.
Library-run storytimes
Our libraries also offer in-language storytimes at four of their branches – Albert Park, Emerald Hill, Port Melbourne and St Kilda.
These include weekly sessions in English and monthly sessions in Portuguese, German, Spanish and Russian, which are also suitable for children aged five years and under.
For more information, visit their LOTE Storytimes webpage.
Contact us
Our Family Services team is here to help.
Send us a message on My Port Phillip.
Phone: 03 9209 6777