01 / CULTURAL ROOTSConnect with
Connect with
your heritage.
Explore family stories and traditions through guided conversations with relatives or community elders.
MELBOURNE, VICTORIA
Your culture.
Your story.
Your voice.
Helping young Melburnians connect with their heritage, tell their own stories and bring generations together through creative storytelling.
HERITAGE · CREATIVE SKILLS · YOUTH LEADERSHIP
Our stories belong here.Own your
story.
story.
Melbourne is made of many stories.01 / OUR VISION
Remember our roots.Create our stories.Connect generations.
WHO WE ARE
Culture lives on
when young people
make it their own.
Empower Culture & Youth Association Inc. is a Victorian incorporated association based in Melbourne, with a focused vision: cultural empowerment through youth-led storytelling.
We want young people from multicultural backgrounds to see their heritage as a source of creativity, confidence and connection. Our proposed approach brings young people and older generations together to explore family stories, learn creative skills and share culture on their own terms.
A story might begin with a family recipe, a home language, a journey to Melbourne, a song or an everyday tradition. Young people choose what matters to them and how they want to tell it.
How we plan to empower cultures01
Preserve family
stories.
02
Build creative
confidence.
03
Share culture
on your terms.
HOW CULTURAL EMPOWERMENT HAPPENS
Listen to your roots.
Create your own voice.
Culture grows stronger when people can understand it, express it and pass it on. Our proposed activities connect those three steps.
02 / CREATIVE CONFIDENCETurn stories
Turn stories
into skills.
Learn photography, audio or short filmmaking, then create a story in your own style and language.
03 / SHARED UNDERSTANDINGBring generations
Bring generations
together.
Share selected stories at a youth-led community showcase, with each storyteller choosing what is public.
This is our proposed approach. The pilot is in development; delivery and participation details are not yet confirmed.
OUR FIRST PROPOSED INITIATIVE
Our Stories,
Our Melbourne.
PROPOSED PILOT · SEEKING SUPPORT
An eight-week cultural storytelling concept for young people aged 13–17 from multicultural backgrounds in Melbourne.
WHO IT'S FOR
Multicultural young people, 13–17
PLANNING SCALE
One small cohort, up to 15 people
FORMAT
Weekly creative workshops
LOCATION
Melbourne · venue to be confirmed
Find the story.
Explore identity, choose a story and plan a respectful conversation with a family member, elder or community member.
Learn the craft.
Try photography, sound recording and short video. Learn interview techniques and choose your creative format.
Create with care.
Develop a short story with creative support. Decide what to include, secure permissions and add context or captions.
Share & reflect.
Help shape a local community showcase, share only what you choose, and reflect on the skills and connections gained.
A concept to shape together. Cohort size and timing are planning targets. Venue, funding, access support, consent and child safety arrangements must be confirmed before enrolments open. No dates are currently advertised.
Help develop the pilot
Your roots.
Your creative voice.
Your creative voice.
MELBOURNE, THROUGH YOUR EYES
A family recipe.
A home language.
A story worth keeping.
Living between cultures can mean carrying more than one story of home. We want to make space for young people to explore that experience without having to fit a single idea of identity.
The proposed pilot would welcome stories in English or home languages, and different creative formats. Participants would guide how their stories are used. Translation and access needs would be planned with the community and available funding.
Share an idea for the pilot FOR PARTNERS & FUNDERS
Help the next
generation tell
their own stories.
Support could make the pilot possible: creative facilitators, an accessible local venue, basic recording equipment, language support and a community showcase. We welcome funding and practical partnership conversations.
Discuss the storytelling pilotOUTCOMES WE WOULD WORK TOWARDS
01
Cultural confidence
Use optional before-and-after reflections to understand how participants feel about their heritage and their ability to express it.
02
Practical creative skills
Track participation, skills practised and participant-approved stories completed across photography, audio or video.
03
Connection across generations
Gather participant and family feedback on conversations, shared learning and the community showcase.
These are proposed measures, not results already achieved. A project budget, delivery team, safeguarding plan and reporting arrangements will need to be agreed before delivery.
HELP SHAPE OUR FIRST CHAPTER
Start with your story.
Young people, families, cultural groups and creative partners: tell us what would make this pilot meaningful for your community.
YOUR CULTURE. YOUR CHOICE.What story would
What story would
you want to tell?
If you're aged 13–17 and from a multicultural background in Melbourne, share your ideas for the proposed pilot. This is a conversation about future activities; enrolments are not open.
Let's talkCONNECT WITH THE ASSOCIATION0432 682 127 Melbourne, Victoria
Call to discuss a cultural story, the proposed pilot, creative mentoring or a potential partnership.
A FEW THINGS TO KNOW
Curious?
You're welcome.
Who would the pilot be for?
The proposed pilot is for young people aged 13–17 from multicultural backgrounds in Melbourne. Families, elders and cultural community members could contribute to stories with permission. The final eligibility and participation arrangements will be confirmed before enrolments open.
Can I join the pilot now?
Enrolments are not currently open. The pilot is a concept seeking community input, partners and funding. Call 0432 682 127 to discuss your interest. Dates, venue, cost and access arrangements are not yet confirmed.
Do I need creative experience or fluent English?
The concept is designed for beginners and different forms of storytelling. We intend to welcome home languages alongside English. Language and access support will depend on the final project plan and funding, and should be discussed with us before participation.
Would my family story have to be public?
No. The proposed approach puts choice and consent at the centre. You would choose your story and what you want to share. Permissions, story ownership and any guardian consent requirements would be clarified before activities begin.
How can an organisation support the pilot?
We welcome conversations about funding, creative facilitators, venue access, recording equipment, language support or community connections. Call 0432 682 127 to discuss the proposal and request the legal, governance and delivery information you need.