Multicultural Storytimes
St Kilda Festival special storytime
The whole team is gathering for a special session at Big Festival Sunday at the St Kilda Festival.
Join us at O'Donnell Gardens at 10 am.
The presence of people from diverse cultural backgrounds enriches Port Phillip. We are the proud home of people from over 164 different birthplaces. Our residents speak 126 different languages.
We believe creating culturally safe spaces and opportunities for language use help our diverse communities continue to connect with their heritage. This is why we host Multicultural Storytimes.
Our Multicultural Storytimes
We’re working with Space2b to bring you Multicultural Storytimes in four languages – Amharic, Arabic, Hindi and Mandarin.
Our storytimes 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 their own and other cultures. Plus, families will have the chance to connect and access important Council support services.
Storytime schedule 2025
Amharic storytime at Emerald Hill Library
All sessions are from 12 to 1 pm.
- Wednesday 5 February
- Wednesday 19 February
- Wednesday 5 March
- Wednesday 19 March
- Wednesday 2 April
- Wednesday 7 May
- Wednesday 21 May
- Wednesday 4 June
- Wednesday 18 June
Plus special session for Eid-al-Adha on Saturday 7 June at 11 am at South Melbourne Market.
Arabic storytime at Emerald Hill Library
All sessions are from 12 to 1 pm.
- Wednesday 12 February
- Wednesday 26 February
- Wednesday 12 March
- Wednesday 26 March
- Wednesday 23 April
- Wednesday 14 May
- Wednesday 28 May
- Wednesday 11 June
- Wednesday 25 June
Plus special session for Eid-al-Adha on Saturday 7 June at 11 am at South Melbourne Market.
Hindi storytime at St Kilda Library
All sessions are 11 am to 12 pm unless another time is noted.
- Monday 10 February
- Monday 24 February
- Saturday 15 March 3 to 4 pm (special session for Holi Festival)
- Monday 24 March
- Monday 12 May
- Saturday 17 May 3 to 4 pm (extra session)
- Monday 26 May
- Monday 23 June
Plus special school holiday session on Sunday 13 April at 11 am at South Melbourne Market.
Mandarin storytime at Port Melbourne Library
All sessions are 11 am to 12 pm.
- Friday 14 February
- Friday 28 February
- Friday 14 March
- Friday 28 March
- Friday 9 May
- Friday 23 May
- Friday 13 June
- Friday 27 June
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.
Each storyteller will bring their own expertise and flair to their sessions.
Meet our storytellers
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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.
Khadra – Arabic Storyteller
Originally from Somalia, Khadra arrived in Australia in 2006 on her own and has since built her family here. She has always called the City of Port Phillip home, making it her second home and a place close to her heart.
Khadra has a passion for cooking and being with children, which is why storytelling has become such a joy for her. It allows her to connect with children and share stories in her native language, Arabic. She also finds fulfillment in teaching children about different cultures, helping them appreciate the richness of diverse nationalities and traditions.
Khadra is deeply grateful to Space2b and the City of Port Phillip for giving her the opportunity to share her knowledge and make a meaningful impact in the community.
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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