Cultural Practices
How does your community tell a story that belongs to everyone?
There's more than one good reason to live here.
Anyone can be a storyteller for their town. Answer two or more questions about your town in your own words.
Why this action?
Why this is a challenge
Most towns have an official story: the one on the tourism website or in the council strategy. It usually reflects the people who were in the room when it was written.
The local papers that once carried a town's shared story are thinning out. Between 2019 and 2023 there were 327 closures and cutbacks in Australian news outlets, and 61% were in regional and remote areas.
How this action helps
Anyone can be a storyteller for their town. When newcomers and long-term locals tell the town's story in their own words, the town gets a shared story that includes more of its people. Every story is published on this site, and towns with 10 or more stories receive a results pack of their own stories.
How this action came about
The Cultural Practices focus area was identified during the Ready Communities Flagship Program in Stanthorpe QLD, where community meetings kept returning to the region's arts and the diverse origins of the people who live there.
In the SIITR26 Impact Lab we learned: A region is seen differently from different perspectives. What can we learn from good stories about our community from the experiences of what makes us unique and different?
Sources: Public Interest Journalism Initiative, Australian News Mapping Project (January 2019 to December 2023).
Key dates
- National action commences
- November 2026
- National action concludes
- April 2027
- Monthly webinars
- November, January, February, March, April
- Impact Report
- May 2027
Webinars
All webinars- November 2026Date coming soonCultural PracticesLaunch webinar (1 of 5)Ready Communities and Regionall
- January 2027Date coming soonCultural PracticesMonthly webinar (2 of 5)Ready Communities and Regionall
- February 2027Date coming soonCultural PracticesMonthly webinar (3 of 5)Ready Communities and Regionall
- March 2027Date coming soonCultural PracticesMonthly webinar (4 of 5)Ready Communities and Regionall
Partners
- Challenge partner
- Regionall
From Stanthorpe QLD to the nation
How this focus area developed
Host community
Ready Communities Flagship 2026, Stanthorpe QLDCommunity meetings kept returning to the region's arts and the diverse origins of the people who live there.
Challenge statement
May to July 2026How does your community tell a story that belongs to everyone?
Local stories gathered.
Read the July convening insightsSIITR26 Impact Lab
September 2026Delegates asked for safe places, free to attend, where people can gather and tell their story.
National activation
November 2026 to April 2027There's more than one good reason to live here.
Share your story
Transcripts and meeting insights
July convening insightsThere's more than one good reason to live here.
Share your storyFAQs
Do I need to represent an organisation?
No. Anyone can share a story. Add your organisation if you have one. Every story goes into the national collection and your town's results pack.
What counts as a story?
Your answers to at least two of the six questions, in your own words. Add a photo, or a link to a video, voice memo, song or document if you have one.
Does the gathering have to be a new event?
No. It can be a gathering of its own, or a slot in an event that already runs. It must be free to attend and open to all.
How are First Nations stories handled?
First Nations stories are told under First Nations authority. Hosts invite, and each person tells their own story.
What happens after I share a story?
We check it, then publish it on this page with the storyteller's first name and town. You get an email with a link to it and social media tiles to share.