Parliament launches 2026 Yarning Competition to amplify First Nations student storytelling

An Australia-wide storytelling competition aimed at elevating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student voices has opened for entries, offering young people a national platform and the chance to have their work showcased at Parliament House.

The Yarning Competition invites First Nations high school students from across Australia to share stories and perspectives through creative formats including visual art, text, photography, video or audio. The competition themes include Country and Connection, Identity and Culture, Family and Community and Reconciliation.

In a statement announcing the launch, the Department of the House of Representatives said the program is designed to connect young people with the work of the Australian Parliament while highlighting the strength and diversity of First Nations storytelling.

Speaker of the House Milton Dick said the competition is intended to recognise emerging artists and support the sharing of ideas as much as finished artworks. “The Yarning Competition is a wonderful new program where we recognise the emerging talent of our First Nations artists and young people from across Australia” he said. “Yarning was designed to give young First Nations people a platform to share not just their artwork but their ideas and perspectives.”

Three winners from each year-group category (Years 7/8, 9/10 and 11/12) will receive an expenses-paid trip to Canberra, including flights and accommodation, plus a prize pack. Winning works will be exhibited at Parliament House, while competition entries are set to be displayed online to ensure broader access and visibility for participants and communities.

Supporters say the initiative matters because it creates a structured national pathway for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to present cultural narratives in their own words and styles, while also being recognised in a high-profile civic setting. The competition’s design reflects growing attention on creating spaces for youth-led storytelling that is not confined to formal academic writing and can incorporate community knowledge, art practice and lived experience.

Entries close in May, and organisers are encouraging schools, families and community organisations to support young people who want to participate. The competition comes amid ongoing national discussion about how institutions can engage respectfully with First Nations voices – not as consultation afterthoughts but as leaders and storytellers shaping Australia’s present and future.