“Share your voice and together let’s celebrate the unique stories of regional Australia!”
Wodonga teenager and Heywire alumni Solange is encouraging all young people from regional communities across Australia to participate in the 2025 ABC Heywire competition, which officially opens today.
Reflecting on her own experience as a Heywire winner and her participation in the Regional Youth Summit, Solange knows first-hand the incredible opportunity Heywire provides in sharing your story.
“Your story, my story, they all matter and could be an inspiration to someone, somewhere.”
Solange’s inspiring story of fleeing a war-torn country is one of resilience and overcoming challenges. Despite her family being separated across three continents, they have managed to stay connected to each other and their culture.
Now the ABC wants to add to that canon of work and unearth more stories from across regional Australia. The national broadcaster is calling on young people aged 16-22 to share their experiences of living outside the capital cities for the opportunity to have their stories featured on the ABC.
You can submit your entries in any format—writing, video, photos or audio—at abc.net.au/heywire/competition. Entries are open now and will close on 1 September 2024.
For more than 26 years, Heywire has empowered individuals from across regional Australia to speak up about the issues they care about.
For Kenneth, Heywire was a transformative experience both personally and for his community. Kenneth is from Burringurrah, a small, remote community in Western Australia. He cherishes its natural beauty and cultural heritage, but it faces significant challenges due to uranium-contaminated water.
Sharing his story has given him the confidence to advocate for a sustainable solution. Moreover, Heywire has given him the skills to step into a leadership role for other young people in his community.
“I didn’t realise the impact that sharing my story would have on my community. The other kids have been watching me, have seen what I have done, that I got my Year 12 certificate, have applied to the police cadets and am now working. They are now coming to school. They want to do the same.”
Kenneth continues, “My grandparents, my aunties and uncles are so proud that I have spoken about our little community. Their respect is everything.”
Solange and Kenneth are two of 35 winners from across Australia who worked with ABC producers to have their stories featured across ABC platforms including ABC TV, RN, local radio, triple j and iview.
Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health, Emma McBride wants young rural and regional Australians to get involved and enter the competition.
“Young people in rural and regional Australia have important stories to share, honest stories about what life is like for them in regional Australia,” Assistant Minister McBride said.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to amplify the voices of the next generation of young Australians, to empower them to speak out about issues that are important them.”
ABC’s Managing Director David Anderson encouraged all young Australians living in regional communities to share their stories.
“Heywire continues to be a powerful platform for the ideas and stories of young regional Australians. The ABC is proud to provide the opportunity for these future leaders and storytellers to have their voices heard nationally.
“For 26 years, Heywire has provided unique pathways for young rural Australians to share their views and perspectives and has fostered the storytelling and leadership skills of this next generation. We can’t wait to see what new stories will be uncovered this year.”
Submit your entries through the Heywire website by September 1, 2024.
Heywire acknowledges the support of the Australian Government through the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts; Department of Health and Aged Care; Department of Employment and Workplace Relations; the Office for Youth and AgriFutures Australia.
