Tell your story, your way: the ABC Heywire competition is back for 2022
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We all have a story inside of us but not all of us are given the opportunity to share these funny, embarrassing, motivational or challenging anecdotes with the world—but if you’re aged between 16 and 22 your time to shine has arrived.
The Heywire competition is back open for 2022.
Heywire is a lived experience storytelling competition for young people who live in regional, rural or remote Australia (and yes, our bush capital does count!). Run between the ABC, the Australian Government and Agri Futures Australia, it’s a chance for your voice to be heard.
“We exist to elevate and celebrate the voices of young people, who might not have the easiest access to the media and conversations that shape their lives and communities. So, we try and open the door for them,” past winner and now Heywire producer Katie McAllister explains.
“Regional, rural, and remote Australia is not a homogeneous thing. It’s thousands of kids with different experiences and lives, and different experiences of place and opportunity. There’s no right way. There’s no one Heywire story or formula. It’s about giving young people the opportunity to tell their story their way,” explains Katie.
If you’ve lived it, they want to hear it. Accepting entries in whatever format suits you best—text, video or audio—unfortunately, that does mean the Dungeons and Dragons fanfiction that you’ve been writing doesn’t make the cut, but the story of why you write it does.
“Just go for it! No story, big or small is unsuitable for entering Heywire.”
This is the advice from Canberra’s 2021 winner, Joji Hamlyn-Harris to those thinking of entering this year.
Worried you have nothing to say? Don’t despair. Katie not only runs workshops in local schools but also offers workshops for the public to help you find your story.
“Sometimes when you say ‘lived storytelling’, people go “Oh well my life’s boring, I have nothing interesting about me” and that’s just a lie… If that’s the place where you’re like “This sounds fun but not for me,” that’s what the workshops are also here for. They will take you through a process that helps and shows you that you are interesting and complex and fascinating and have lots of stories to share if that is something you’d like to do,” says Katie.
Canberra winner from 2019, Kelsang Dolker urges all young people to get out of their comfort zone and share their story because she believes that everyone has at least one to share.
“Honestly speaking, being one of the Heywire winners is a proud moment for both my family and myself. Coming to Australia from a different background and not knowing English that well, really dropped my confidence level. I was very shy to speak to people because I was scared that they were going to make fun of me or laugh at me. But Heywire taught me that anyone can be different and that you shouldn’t be scared but I was able to come out and speak in front of people with the help of the teammates and mentors I had. I don’t think I can ever forget that,” explains Kelsang.
Explaining that the program is an important booster for young people’s sense of self and their confidence, Katie believes the importance of Haywire extends beyond the prize: working with ABC to have your story featured.
“To have a random ABC producer come into a school and say you matter, you and your stories are complicated, and that complexity has a space here to be seen and celebrated and heard, what that does for young people and their self-esteem is crucially important,” says Katie.
“I also think it’s important for policymakers and broadcasters and other people living in the community. Often, it’s only the loudest voices, or the people who know how to use the system that can get their message across and if you don’t have that knowledge, it can be hard to do that.”
“You deserve a seat at the table and a way to tell your story in the same way that anyone else does. Your perspective is so important. We’re supposed to be reflecting as the ABC, Australia to Australians, and that’s a very multicultural and diverse and rich picture that needs to be reflected,” says Katie.
Applications close Friday 16 September. For more information visit abc.net.au/heywire
