An update on the Takeaway Creatives Grant winners

25.08.20

With the cancellation of in-person appearances at schools, libraries, and festivals due to COVID-19, the ASA wanted to help authors and illustrators to deliver their workshops and presentations online. Thanks to the generosity of the Australia Council for the Arts, we received funding to offer Takeaway Creatives Grants: $1000 grants for 14 individual creators to set themselves up for virtual appearances.

We caught up with our grant winners to see how the funding has helped them to pivot in an increasingly digital world.

Tristan Bancks

Award-winning children’s and teen’s author, Tristan Bancks was no stranger to creating digital content with a background in filmmaking and acting, but used his grant to bring to fruition a digital literacy project he’d been dreaming about for nine years.

“I picked up new skills in presentation and video production, and, from late September, I hope that the project will be making a positive impact on the literacy and writing education of Australian kids.”

Keep up to date with Tristan’s project here.

Charlotte Barkla

Children’s author, Charlotte Barkla, used the funding to purchase lighting and microphones to deliver high quality virtual sessions with libraries and schools. Additionally, she devoted time towards developing digital videos to supplement her author talks, including recorded science experiments to use for her science-themed sessions.

“The feedback I had from the libraries where I ran the virtual author talks has been great so far, and I’m looking forward to connecting with more schools and libraries in the future.”

Find out more about how you can book Charlotte for an appearance here.

Ann Bolch

When lockdown restrictions began in March, writer, editor and mentor, Ann Bolch had been brewing an idea - producing a short course in editing fiction:

“It blended all of my skills - a pinch of skilled facilitation, a large scoop of fiction know-how and a heaped desire to swap knowledge with others. When Takeaway Creatives was announced, I had already run a beta-course, which was so well received it seems right to ask for financial support to make a second. I’m pleased to say there’s an appetite for working editors and literature graduates to join a small, compassionate online group that challenges and supports participants to read, appraise, discuss and provide feedback on work written by real, live writers.”

Ann has used her funding to run the course twice already, and a third course will be going ahead in mid-September. Find out more here.

Aleesah Darlison

Aleesah Darlison, multi-published, award-winning author of over 50 picture books, chapter books, novels and series for children and young adults, used her grant to purchase lighting, equipment and software. 

“The ASA Takeaway Creative Grants has been invaluable for me. I’ve been able to transfer my face to face presentations online in a polished and seamless way. I’ve also been able to revamp my website and create high-end classroom resources and digital assets that have lifted my books and my author branding.”

Check out Aleesah’s revamped website here.

Daniel Gray-Barnett

Award-winning illustrator and author, Daniel Gray-Barnett, also used his grant to purchase digital equipment and a pop-up banner to help polish his online appearances to a professional standard.

“I feel better prepared and more confident to take on all manner of online author appearances. My first series of online workshops with the new equipment is this week! Thank you to the ASA for the grant, it’s been incredibly beneficial in helping me to step up my online game.”

See Daniel’s stunning illustrations, and find out more here.

Sue Lawson

When COVID-19 hit, and book launches, signings and school visits were cancelled, Sue Lawson, award-winning author of books children and young adults, decided to combine her writing and radio skills to create a vodcast (video podcast) - Portable Magic. Named after the famous Stephen King quote in On Writing, “Books are a king of portable magic”, each week the vodcast features an interview with an author or illustrator about their work, influences and new releases.

“The ASA’s Takeaway Creatives Grant allowed me to replace my outdated MacBook Air. Not only are the Portable Magic interviews better quality, but so too is the video and audio for school visits. I’m immensely grateful and loving being able to support fellow book creators in this way.”

Watch an episode of Portable Magic here, or find out more about Sue here.

Suzanne Leal

Author, presenter, and chair of the fiction and poetry panel for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, Suzanne Leal, used the Takeaway Creatives Grant to assist with the cost of updating her website to a platform that better showcased her online work. 

“My new website is now live and has been generating interest in my work and my online presentations. I have continued as an online host of Thursday Book Club with Suzanne, a weekly book club I started during the April lockdown, and have scheduled guest writers to join us over the coming months. Each week I send out a newsletter with book recommendations and news about writing and the literary community. I am also a regular online guest for book clubs who have chosen to read my new novel, The Deceptions. I continue to facilitate online in-conversation events with authors, most recently for Canberra Writers Festival, BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival, Gleebooks and Avid Reader.”

See Suzanne’s fantastic new website here, and find out more about Thursday Book Club with Suzanne here.

Oliver Phommavanh

Oliver Phommavanh, author, stand-up comedian, and regular presenter at writers festivals and schools, has been able to successfully pivot to online appearances using his grant.

“I am grateful for the Takeaway Creatives Grant, it has definitely been a blessing during these times. The grant has allowed me to deliver quality video and audio, thanks to the camera and microphone that I was able to purchase. This new set up has given me more opportunities to reach out to a wide range of people across Australia through virtual festivals and remote school sessions. It will also make my author visits future-proof, as I am now better prepared to do better online sessions.”

Find out more about Oliver, and his hilarious, high-energy virtual author visits here.

Michael Pryor

Acclaimed science fiction / fantasy writer, and author of over 35 books, Michael Pryor used his grant to both pivot to online appearances and to begin a new project:

“I’ve already used some of the Takeaway Creatives Grant money to upgrade my webcam and, since then, I don’t have to negotiate with the other people in my household for the use of the single, outdated webcam we have. I’ve also ordered good quality equipment so I can begin my podcast recording that will introduce and extend the major Fantasy epic I’m working on.”

Michael was also recently a guest of Sue Lawson’s Portable Magic vodcast. Find out more here.

Alicia Rogerson

Alicia Rogerson is an artist and illustrator whose creative work resides in collections across the world. She has used her Takeaway Creatives Grant to expand her reach online, purchasing video equipment to film presentations about her artwork and projects. The first video she released was a film about the ‘paint by numbers’ wall mural she painted at her local Community Centre: 

“In my presentation through Zoom I was able to engage with the audience and then share my presentation virtually. I was able to incorporate a slideshow with images and mockups of three intended designs which would then go out to a public vote.

Additionally I have been filming time-lapse videos, personalising some talking videos (where I talk or answer questions directly to social media) and presenting my work in a more casual manner.  It has led to a stronger connection with my followers and engagement, as well as an increase in enquiries for workshops, private tuition, online art sales and potential future projects with clients.  As a side note I now have teachers from primary schools who follow me and are using the illustrations I’m in the process of creating as inspiration for their projects in their classrooms.

Achieving that grant inspired me to continue my COVID pivot and reenergise me to try new things to find new income sources and embrace the new normal. My once empty schedule is now booked until the new year and it feels like I have a team behind me cheering me on.”

Alicia is also planning to release online workshops in 2021. Find out more here.

Hayley Scrivenor

Writer, teacher, presenter and interviewer, Hayley Scrivenor has used her Takeaway Creatives Grant to pivot to online teaching and workshops:

“I felt incredible fortunate to receive a Takeaway Creatives Grant at a time when I’m transitioning to teaching online. It felt like an affirmation that shifting my practice - helping others find the energy and enthusiasm to keep writing via virtual means, instead of face to face - was a good decision.

I’m pictured here with my new ring light. This money has also helped pay for my time and for the development of my website and booking page. I’ll be presenting a workshop made possible by the grant at Heroines Festival in October, centred on approaching writing as a layered process and pushing through the imposter syndrome.”

Se Hayley’s website for more details.

Dee White

Multi-published children’s and young adult’s author and writing mentor, Dee White used her Takeaway Creatives Grant to upgrade her equipment in order to both promote her new book releases and produce writing tip videos:

“Winning the grant allowed me to buy a new laptop and produce author promotional and writing tips videos to spread the word about my two new COVID releases, Beyond Belief and Eddy Popcorn’s Guide to Parent Training. It also enabled me to produce virtual backgrounds and other tools to improve my delivery of virtual author visits.”

Find out more about Dee’s writing, author visits and tip videos here.

Greg Woodland

Releasing a book and garnering the requisite promotional momentum during the pandemic was never going to be an easy task, but author, screenwriter and director Greg Woodland used his Takeaway Creatives Grant to do just that:

“I’ve used the grant to update my laptop for Zoom and Facebook launches, which I’m now getting the hang of - and even enjoying. I’m finding online launches of my debut novel, The Night Whistler, and book interviews of which I’ve done several now, much easier after the lessons from the ASA digital creative seminars. And I’ve upgraded not just the camera composition, but the backgrounds in my office, now replete with a shelf of my book in plain sight.”

Read more about Greg Woodland and his debut novel, The Night Whistler, here.

Michelle Worthington

International award-winning children’s author, businesswoman, speaker and coach Michelle Worthington has used the funding to support local creatives and to inspire children: 

“I have been able to set up a home office and produce a series of Youtube videos to help introduce children to local and national authors, as well as inspire them to follow a creative industries profession. It has allowed me to successfully pivot my business to accommodate an online audience. I am working together with both local and national artists and have the opportunity to conduct online school visits to replace face to face events to replace the income lost due to COVID restrictions. It has been challenging to learn how to do lighting, video editing and social media marketing but it made me realise that I am able to reach a far broader audience and better engage with my target market if I have a professional, well equipped studio for online interactions. I am looking to increase my online presence and continue to promote the arts to the next generation."

Read more about Michelle’s offering here.