Art & CultureDigital Sovereignty
Painting the Dreaming in Pixels
Tommy explores how digital tools can carry the same cultural weight as ochre on bark, and why young artists need both.
TP
Tommy PriceAlice Springs, NT
Alice Springs sits at the heart of Australia, surrounded by the MacDonnell Ranges and 60,000+ years of continuous culture. Our first stop brings us into partnership with Central Australian communities, where we're collecting stories, training community members in digital sovereignty tools, and building the foundation for everything that follows. The red dust, the night sky, the warmth of shared meals: this is where the journey begins.
Stories from This Place
The Stories
Read story
Data SovereigntySelf-Determination
Data Sovereignty Starts at Home
David explains why remote communities must own their data, and what happens when outsiders control the narrative.
DC
David CampbellAlice Springs, NT
Youth & EldersDigital Literacy
Teaching Kids to Tell Their Own Stories
Sarah describes the moment a shy teenager picked up a camera and started documenting her grandmother's cooking.
SM
Sarah MitchellAlice Springs, NT
Country & LandCommunity
The Night Sky Over Hermannsburg
Under a canopy of stars, community members gather to share stories that have been told in this same place for millennia.
DC
David CampbellAlice Springs, NT
Field Journal
Reflections
“Met the most incredible Elder today. Her stories stretch back five generations. She spoke softly but every word carried the weight of country.”
- BKMarch 2026
“The red dust gets into everything. Even the recording equipment. But somehow it feels right, like the land is leaving its mark on our work too.”
- BKMarch 2026
“Kids taught me three words in language today. They laughed at my pronunciation but the joy in sharing was unmistakable.”
- BKApril 2026
“Sitting under the river red gums at sunset, listening to stories that have been told in this same spot for thousands of years. Humbling beyond words.”
- BKApril 2026
People We Met
The Storytellers
The voices behind the stories. Each person carries a world of knowledge.
TP
Alice Springs, NT
Luritja
Tommy Price
Artist and storyteller working at the intersection of traditional painting and digital media.
3 stories
SM
Alice Springs, NT
Pitjantjatjara
Sarah Mitchell
Youth worker and digital literacy trainer helping young people document their stories.
5 stories
DC
Hermannsburg, NT
Western Arrernte
David Campbell
Community leader and advocate for data sovereignty in remote communities.
2 stories
Join the Journey
Every stop brings new stories, new connections. If you're in Alice Springs, NT or know someone who should be part of this, reach out.
Want this for your community?
Empathy Ledger turns your community's stories into searchable knowledge, beautiful reports, and fundable impact evidence. No app install, no training required.
Free for community organisations