Digital literacy is often considered to be lacking in Aboriginal communities, yet even on the most remote communities smartphones can be seen everywhere. Additionally, arts centres often have laptops, iPads and cameras available for community use which is often only hampered by a lack of skills and confidence in those wanting to use them.

Storytelling is seen as being at the heart of social change and yet despite the recent increase in solidarity for Aboriginal communities under threat of closure, most Australians still have no idea what it’s like to live on country with very few having had the privilege of visiting in person.

This project aims to bring these two strands together, utilising the technology that you carry in your pocket (or whatever is readily to hand) to build a legacy of strong Aboriginal digital storytellers for social change.

Using the reallybigroadtrip bus, homeJames, we will travel to ten regional and remote Aboriginal communities over a four month period, April-August 2016.

At each community we will begin by screening social change films such as “Talking Straight Out”, a short documentary about the Kupa Piti Kungka Tjuta women from communities near Coober Pedy who fought - and won - a campaign against uranium waste dumps between 1998-2004.

Then, at each of our ten locations, we will run a week of free digital storytelling workshops/production processes leading to at least one screening per community of the films they have made locally. Alongside these production processes we will run digital literacy (social media, blogging, privacy etc) and grassroots organising workshops. The most enthusiastic producers from each location will be invited to come to the next location to help run the program.

Anticipated outcomes:
* ten communities better equipped in digital literacy, digital storytelling and grassroots campaigning;
* increased networking between Aboriginal communities;
* short films for international distribution.