Overview
Storytelling has long been a way for people to make sense of loss, displacement and change. In this powerful panel discussion, four guests come together to explore how storytelling can support healing, strengthen identity and build a sense of belonging for refugees and their communities.
Drawing inspiration from Belvoir St Theatre’s production Lose to Win, the conversation is facilitated by Jesmine Cheong, Queensland Correspondent for SBS World News, whose career has taken her across regional and metropolitan Australia reporting on stories that matter to multicultural communities.
She is joined by Mandela Mathia, an actor born in South Sudan whose credits include Sami in Paradise and The Cherry Orchard at Belvoir, alongside national tours and productions with Sport for Jove and La Boite. Huda Akhlaki, an emerging performer, creative and youth advocate, brings her experience supporting young people through her work at Multicultural Australia and the Australian Theatre for Young People. Brazil Pele, a Year 12 student and Peace Leadership Ambassador with QPASTT, shares a young person's perspective on identity, belonging and the role of the next generation in building peaceful communities.
Together, the panel shares personal insights into how performance and creative practice can strengthen identity, develop belonging and cultivate understanding.
Curriculum Links
Senior Secondary: English, English as an Additional Language or Dialect, Essential English (Applied), Drama, The Arts (v9.0 Drama), Humanities and Social Sciences
Learning Resources
Panel
Jesmine Cheong (Facilitator)
Jesmine Cheong has spent time working as a multi-platform journalist across Australia, reporting on stories in both regional and metro areas.
She is the current Queensland Correspondent for SBS World News and is passionate about engaging with multicultural communities. As a sole operating video journalist, she has covered breaking news events and travelled across the state to cover in-depth feature stories. Jesmine started her career with the ABC, where she covered international breaking news and worked across several bureaus.
Mandela Mathia
Mandela was born in South Sudan and spent the majority of his childhood years in the north of the country and in Egypt due to the civil war in Sudan. He arrived in Australia in 2008.
Since graduating from NIDA he has appeared in Sami in Paradise, The Cherry Orchard (Belvoir); The Rolling Stone (Outhouse Theatre Company); Prize Fighter (National Tour with La Boite); Othello, Romeo and Juliet and Twelfth Night (Sport for Jove); Macbeth (Sport for Jove) and played Hamlet in Sydney Foreign Actors Association in the production of HAMLET.
Huda Akhlaki
Huda Akhlaki is an emerging performer, creative and youth advocate who graduated from the Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting) program at Queensland University of Technology in 2024. She currently serves on the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP) Youth Advisory Body and maintains a strong presence in community advocacy and youth leadership.
Huda currently works as a Student Support Officer at the Gold Coast Student Hub and within the Youth Team at Multicultural Australia, supporting and empowering young people from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Brazil Pele
Brazil Pele is a Year 12 student and Peace Leadership Ambassador with QPASTT’s Peace Leadership Program, where young people develop leadership, communication, and conflict resolution skills to help build stronger, more connected communities. As a young person from an African refugee background, Brazil brings a lived perspective on identity, belonging, and the role of young people in building peaceful communities.
Outside the program, Brazil is actively involved in football, coaching, church, and community leadership, and is passionate about helping others and creating positive change. He's currently working towards a childcare qualification, reflecting his commitment to supporting young people to grow and thrive.
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