Big hART partners with artists and communities to run projects that empower communities to change through the arts. We employ the arts because we know it's the most effective way to engage participants from every walk of life and also be heard at the level of government policy. Big hART believes that it's possible to produce quality art and effective social change at the same time. Possible? Make that necessary.

We help communities learn skills in a variety of art forms: film, theatre, music, text, and new media, to name a few. We organise workshops 'on the ground' to build our ideas with community participants, helping them to tell their own stories. At the same time, Big hART builds relationships with media, arts organisations, and the three tiers of government to ensure that those stories are getting heard.

Big hART projects tackle a wide range of serious issues. We are not afraid to engage with the complex challenges of life for many of Australia's most marginalised communities. We believe that complex problems require complex solutions. Some of these challenges have included:

• Domestic violence in isolated communities
• Teenage mothers and early childhood education
• Prevention of gun related violence
• Young fathers in juvenile justice
• Prevention of social space violence
• Indigenous language loss
• Drug and alcohol misuse
• Homelessness
• Social inclusion
• Public housing
• Climate change and drought
• Youth suicide
• Racial tension

Too often, we encounter these issues framed as narratives of despair with no way out. Big hART is there to help communities change the story.