TRACKS Community Connectors™

Stories. Culture. Connection. Community.

Across Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities hold deep knowledge, strong relationships and powerful stories.

Yet many of the conversations that matter most often happen away from offices, meeting rooms and formal services. They happen on verandahs, around campfires, on Country, at community events and in everyday life.

TRACKS Community Connectors is a BushTV initiative that trains and supports local storytellers to strengthen culture, community connection and communication through storytelling.

Rather than focusing on problems, Community Connectors focus on people, relationships, strengths and stories.

They help communities document local knowledge, celebrate achievements, preserve culture, support community projects and create opportunities for local voices to be heard.

At the same time, regular community engagement helps build stronger connections between people, organisations and services, creating opportunities to identify emerging challenges and respond early.

Why Storytelling?

Storytelling has always been one of the most powerful ways knowledge is shared.

Stories teach.

Stories connect.

Stories strengthen identity.

Stories help communities understand where they have come from and where they are going.

When local people are supported to tell local stories, communities become stronger.

TRACKS Community Connectors builds on this simple idea.

The Community Connector Role

Community Connectors are local people trained and supported by BushTV to:

• Record stories, interviews and local knowledge

• Support Elders to share cultural knowledge

• Create community media and digital content

• Capture community events and activities

• Support youth storytelling projects

• Document local achievements and successes

• Build connections between generations

• Strengthen communication across communities

• Identify opportunities, concerns and emerging issues through everyday conversations

Community Connectors are not outside consultants.

They are local people working within their own communities.

More Than Media

While Community Connectors develop practical media and storytelling skills, the program is about much more than cameras and content.

It is about building trusted local networks.

It is about creating opportunities for people to be heard.

It is about strengthening community participation and local leadership.

It is about helping organisations understand what is happening on the ground through genuine relationships and regular engagement.

The stories collected can support:

• Community planning

• Cultural preservation

• Youth engagement

• Education

• Workforce development

• Community development

• Social and emotional wellbeing initiatives

• Health promotion and prevention activities

• Advocacy and communications

A Community-Based Approach

Many programs arrive in community with a predetermined agenda.

TRACKS Community Connectors starts with listening.

By creating space for stories, conversations and relationships, communities can identify their own priorities, strengths and opportunities.

This approach creates a stronger foundation for long-term social, cultural and community wellbeing.

What Communities Gain

• Local employment opportunities

• Storytelling, media and communications skills

• Stronger community participation

• Increased cultural knowledge sharing

• Greater youth engagement

• Stronger communication between organisations and communities

• A growing archive of local stories and knowledge

• Increased visibility of local achievements

• Better understanding of emerging community needs and opportunities

• Stronger pathways for collaboration and support

Our Vision

To create a network of local storytellers across Australia who strengthen culture, connection and community through the power of story.

Because strong stories help build strong communities.

Reach out to Tom Hearn – BushTV Founder below.