Get involved in our workshops
Through writing, our stories will be heard.
‘Darling Darling is a sex worker-led creative project inviting sex workers, former workers, and clients to share their stories through art. Explore Storytelling, Photography and Sculpture, to transform lived experience into creative works that humanise sex work, challenge stigma, and foster connection. No creative experience is needed — everyone’s voice matters.’
Storytelling Workshops
Stories shape the world, and too often, the voices of sex workers are spoken over, misrepresented, forced into the shadows, or erased. These workshops are a reclamation—a space to write, to reflect, to be heard.
Join the Darling Darling journey by sharing your own stories and experiences of sex work. We have opportunities for sex workers, former sex workers AND sex work clients to share stories of the intricacy and beauty of this essential field.
Led by writer, out-and-proud sex worker Dr Hillary Caldwell (author of Slutdom) and sexologist, writer and public health professional Jayne McCartney the workshops are hosted in a warm, inviting and private community venue in Hamilton North, Newcastle.
All materials, conceptual prompts and guidance will be provided in a really safe and low-pressure creative environment.
The workshops are fully catered, providing refreshments and lunches each day.
If finances are a barrier to your attendance, a daily accessibility fee of $80 per participant is offered to you, this can be transferred to you via gift-card OR cash, depending on your needs and preferences.
Some photography, and possibly filming will occur, however your confidentiality and anonymity will be prioritised and maintained.
Our facilitators are trained in first aid, mental health first aid, and trauma informed facilitation.
If you require an AUSLAN or other language translator, friends, support workers and allies are welcome to assist you in being heard.
In Person Workshops - Newcastle, NSW
(For full-service sex workers or former full service sex workers)
We are hosting 5 separate storytelling workshops - you are invited to attend all of them, or to attend just one - or as many as you desire! The workshop series doesn't require that you are available to attend every session. You will need to book into each workshop individually.
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OUR BODIES, OUR STORIES
— Workshop 1 —
Tuesday 21st October
10am until 3pm
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BELONGING AND NOT BELONGING
— Workshop 2 —
Tuesday 4th November
10am until 3pm
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CLIENTS AND RELATIONSHIPS
— Workshop 3 —
Tuesday 11th November
10am until 3pm
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SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES
— Workshop 4 —
Tuesday 18th November
10am until 3pm
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JOURNEYS AND FUTURES
— Workshop 5 —
Tuesday 2nd December
10am until 3pm
Self Guided Writing Course - Online
(For full-service sex workers or former full-service sex workers who live Australia-wide)
Follow this incredible open-source self-guided writing workbook to assist you in sharing your stories
Writing Prompts for Clients
We can’t justify and humanise sex workers, without understanding and humanising those who pay for sex services. We wish to properly understand the benefits of the sex industry on our society, particularly the benefits upon the well-being of clients.
If we can empathise with the needs, desires and experiences of clients, then we can better justify as a society the importance of sex work within it!
(For those who pay for sex services)
Storytelling Workshops — FAQ
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To remain accessible and approachable for all folks, we will also be accepting spoken or oral stories, sketches, scribbles, and doodles. We hope that with more funding, we can create a series of Zines (small, self-published artistic magazines) that carry our stories in diverse ways
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Yes! You do not need to be a fluent English speaker to attend our workshops, you are welcome to attend, and to bring an ally along if you like who might be able to assist in translation.
If you submit a story online in your preferred language, we will also seek translation so that your voice may be heard across multiple languages.
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Yes, our workshops are led by sex workers and allies, who are both face in and face out. We understand the need to maintain a secure, private environment. How we will keep the workshops secure:
We will vet all members enquiring to participate in the workshop.
The venue will remain private to participants up until the day before the workshop.
No unauthorised photography will occur in the workshops.
No external visitors will attend the workshops.
We will facilitate a group agreement on keeping each other safe and private.
We will not share identifying features of participants OR the workshop location on any media. (unless a worker is face-out and consenting to be shared).
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No, the beauty of these workshops are that you can join for as many, or as few as you can. We will be working through a workbook – meaning you can contextualise the content we have traversed week-by-week. It will be possible to dip in and out of workshops as your schedule allows.
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This is SO important, both for your safety, and also for the safety and privacy of those we are writing about. This project is about empowering each other, not incriminating anyone or accidentally throwing people under busses!
Our in-person workshops will guide you on how best to de-identify yourself and your stories.
The online workbook also shares tips and tools for de-identifying characters/ locations etc in your stories.
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We have a budget to assist with helping you access our workshops. We can offer cash or gift-cards to in-person participants who will be attending the workshops.
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We totally understand, we have chosen mid-day Tuesdays as it is often a quiet day “at work” if you are a brothel/ establishment worker. Our workshop times also fall within school drop off and pick up times.
We have really tried to make the workshops as accessible as possible, however this schedule is not going to suit everyone. If you can’t attend one of our Tuesday in-person workshops, feel free to download our online writing workbook and submit to us online ☺
You may book a workshop and then be offered work spontaneously (that happens). We really encourage you to do what is best for you. However! You may meet new friends and community and colleagues at these workshops, which can always open up more opportunities for further work in the future!
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Part of our sign up process asks that participants:
Provide a link to their professional profile (if they have one)
Provide a reference via a link to a colleague, peer or ally who has an online working profile, and their contact details.
Provide evidence of your former involvement in the industry.
Provide the contact name and details of your employer or agent, along with advertising platform, who can vouch for your involvement.
This process might feel a little invasive for some, but what it does is ensure that everyone in the room has a shared experience and a collective sense of respect and safety amongst one another.