Do You Have a Story to Tell?

ABC’s Heywire competition has been run each year in partnership with the Australian Government since 1998. It provides people aged 16-22 living in regional or rural Australia with the chance to share their experiences of life in regional Australia and over 11,000 young Australians have taken part. Applications for Heywire are now open and entrants have the chance to win a lifechanging trip to Canberra for the Heywire Regional Youth Summit in February 2020.

Anyone with a story to tell about life outside of the big cities is encouraged to enter, with entries of any medium accepted, including text, video, audio and photo. Forty winners will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the Heywire Regional Youth Summit and will take part in workshops. The Summit gives winners an opportunity to inspire each other, develop ideas and share stories to help make life in regional Australia even better.

Past winners have used Heywire as a springboard to make positive change in their communities by exploring issues around agriculture, mental health, youth employment, disability and strengthening culture, just to name a few.  At the summit, winners ideas will be developed and have a chance to become reality through the Heywire grant program run by the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal.

Minister for Agriculture, Bridget McKenzie encourages young people to get involved and share their stories. “We’re proud to celebrate the stories of a new generation of Australian storytellers. I am always inspired by the depth of capacity of young people from rural and regional Australia. Heywire helps to showcase the next generation of young leaders. There is a positive future for the regions with young leaders so passionate and proud of where they come from.”

Former Heywire winner, Bethany Evans, says “It’s an enormous privilege to be a Heywire alumni and to see how the program has continued to grow and give young rural Australians a platform for discussion and change. For me, my experience as a Heywire winner reaffirmed how lucky I am to call rural Australia home despite the unique challenges we face. The opportunity to meet and form lasting friendships with other rural youth from across Australia has been priceless. The sense of empowerment and conviction that rural voices matter and deserve to be heard at all levels of Australian society is something that has stayed with me always.”

Further information and application details are available on the Heywire website and entries close on the 16th of September.