The project worked with Aboriginal young people aged between 15 and 26 years of age from the Korin Gamadji Institute (KGI). This is described in more detail later in this report. The majority of the Aboriginal population in Victoria is aged 25 and under; they are among the highest users of mobile phones, actively engaging in social media and other online platforms (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) 2010). With the advent of Web 2.0 technologies, Aboriginal youth throughout Australia are increasingly using digital technologies, especially mobile devices and the internet, to produce and tell their stories in ways determined by them (Kral 2010, Edmonds, Rachinger et al. 2012). Currently, the What's ya Story app prototype (the WYS app) developed through this project provides a base for ongoing research concerning the uptake and management of digital technology by Aboriginal young people.
This was the first project to explore digital storytelling as a creative forum for supporting Victorian Aboriginal youth. An innovative collaborative design incorporating digital storytelling workshops and exhibitions will foster digital literacy and promote intergenerational dialogue among Aboriginal participants. A reflexive process of knowledge exchange between partner organisations and Aboriginal communities will develop protocols for supporting Aboriginal control of cultural knowledge in digital stories. The aim was to advance the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal youth, while providing sustainable, culturally aware models for institutions collecting and displaying contemporary digital expressions of Aboriginal culture.