Feel inspired with six raw and personal stories on the topic of DISCOVERY, in all its shapes and forms.
Please join us for an inspiring evening that will make you laugh, cry, and view the world in a different light.
When: 11 June 2026, 6:00pm - 9:00pmAEST
When: Cuppa TV, Suite 2, Level 1/300 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo NSW 2000, Australia
International Towers community offer:
Enjoy 10% off your ticket by entering the code INT TOWERS at checkout. The discount will be applied instantly when booking.
About the event
Stories that Stir® events are designed to break down barriers, stir conversation, and inspire positive change.
Come and listen to six storytellers, who will each share their 10-minute raw and personal story on the theme DISCOVERY in all its shapes and forms.
Tickets include a delicious grazing table to enjoy before the storytelling begins and during intermission. Food allergies are catered to.
Meet your Storytellers
Hard Things – Karen Wong
Karen was a good Chinese daughter, a loyal friend and protective big sister waitressing at her parents' restaurant. She grew up to be a fair boss, loving wife (twice!) and a crunchy-hippy mum who, ironically, can't cook. She did, mostly, the right thing, smiled at everyone and life was actually pretty good. The only thing was, she felt invisible most days and had no idea who the fuck she really was until she had to put on her big girl pants.
Unwritten Skin – Ronie Zuze
Ronie was born with a visible intersex variation and grew up facing rejection from their family and society. In 2017, they found strength and belonging at the African Intersex Movement Conference, which inspired them to start the Intersex Community of Zimbabwe. Speaking out for intersex rights led to threats and a near-fatal attack, forcing Ronie to flee. Today, they’ve found safety, freedom, and acceptance in Australia.
Hidden Brother - Jennifer Chate
Jenny shares the story of her brother Paulie, who vanished from her life after her first day of school, sparking her terrifying discovery about the world. Years later, she uncovers the truth: Paulie is alive, living with disability. Through a relationship built mostly without words, she makes deeper discoveries about joy, humour, and love, realising that the fullest lives are not measured by independence, but by connection.
The Real Me – Jasper Vallance
If life's journey is about discovering your true self and your potential, Jasper has travelled through limiting beliefs for most of his life, including struggling with a stutter. Yet through discovering Burning Man in Australia and stepping into the role of a purposeful party organizer, he unlocked a whole new level of himself and his creative potential.
Forgiving Mum – Gina Toms
Gina spent years believing she was ready for love, until a psychic prediction led her somewhere unexpected. Confronted with the truth that her struggles traced back to her estranged birth mother, she chose to face the one person she had avoided for decades. In a single, confronting meeting, Gina uncovers a painful childhood wound, and discovers that forgiveness isn’t about the past, but the freedom to love again.
Proust – Maralyn Nash
When a handsome Ghanaian man literally danced his way into Maralyn’s life in the 80s, it created quite a stir for her conservative parents, who were raised in a very micro-cultural, white, Australian country town. Her parents came around, and after a blissful seven-year romance, including a six-month trip discovering Africa, they decided to get married. This is when things turned pear-shaped, as after marriage and giving birth to their beautiful son, the dynamic shifted, and Maralyn found herself in a relationship riddled with coercive control. Eventually, Maralyn broke free, although their love never died. This is a story of culture, courage and the bonds of love that keep us discovering new things about ourselves.
* Trigger warning: Story content may include sensitive topics such as trauma, suicide, violence etc.
*18+ event