Dimitria Panagiotaros

Dec 27, 2024 | abc.net.au | Dimitria Panagiotaros

On Gunaikurnai Country in Victoria's Gippsland a dance group is keeping 60,000 years of history and brotherhood alive. Meet members of the Boorun Boys Dance Group — young men learning traditional songlines and creating their own. William, 19, has lived in Gippsland his entire life. He grew up practising cultural dancing with his brother, father, and uncles as a way to honour their ancestors and reconnecting with the culture that was taken from their people.

Nov 28, 2024 | abc.net.au | Dimitria Panagiotaros

Millie was on the couch when her mum came home "fidgety and anxious" insisting they had to pack the car and leave. At 15, she was aware that things weren't great at home, but she never thought they'd be forced to leave, or that returning home wouldn't be an option. "All [Mum] said was it was unsafe to be at our house, and the police were involved," Millie said. Millie's mum told her to "pack enough for a day or two". She packed as she would for a sleepover. "We thought we would come back," she said.

Aug 4, 2024 | abc.net.au | Dimitria Panagiotaros

As the world's attention is on the Paris Olympics, 17-year-old Malachi has his sights set elsewhere — on making his mark at the 2032 Brisbane Paralympic Games. Despite the Games being eight years away, Malachi trains daily, calling the local athletics track in Lismore his second home. "I feel like it's where I belong," he says.

Jul 21, 2024 | abc.net.au | Dimitria Panagiotaros

Artesia had always struggled to understand people. She'd watched their behaviour and tried to mimic it, hoping to fit in. But she'd never quite got it right. She said it was only after she began seeing a psychologist at the age of 13 that she was first introduced to the term 'autism'. "I didn't know anything about autism, but I became curious," she said. Artesia has a different understanding of social norms, communicating, and expressing empathy. But learning about 'autism' felt like a breakthrough.

Jul 7, 2024 | abc.net.au | Dimitria Panagiotaros

For Arielle, discovering romance novels was like uncovering a new world. At 15, she belongs to a new generation of romance readers who have fallen in love with the genre after finding it online. Instead of browsing her parents' bookshelf or wandering down bookstore aisles, Arielle's introduction to romance was a little more contemporary — a book recommendation on YouTube. "I had never read a romance book before," she said.