The Indigenous Storytellers Scholarship, an initiative by Façon Magazine and supported by Greater Bank, has introduced its mentors for the 2025 program.
Now in its third year, the program empowers Indigenous storytellers from across New South Wales by providing resources and industry guidance to support their creative aspirations.
This year’s mentors include a lineup featuring Casey Donovan (Music), Samantha Harris (Fashion), Kassidy Waters (Dance), Rheanna Lotter (Digital Art), Melissa Greenwood (Art Painting), Cassie Leatham (Accessory Design) and Marley Morgan (Photography), with additional mentors for Writing and Film to be announced.
These accomplished individuals will play a pivotal role in guiding and inspiring each of the nine finalists, with an aim of nurturing and amplifying Indigenous voices across diverse creative industries.
Casey Donovan, the Scholarship’s music mentor, is one of Australia’s well-known First Nations artists.
In support of the scholarship, Casey said she believes this is an opportunity for people to learn and grow and have another voice and helping hand.
“I think that through this mentorship, it’s really important to have truth and honesty and transparency into what the world can be like, but also finding the positives. I think throughout my career I’ve been able to find those positives and be able to step up, ask questions and grow,” Casey said.
“You’re continuously growing in this industry, and I think that it’s really important to have open doors and open conversations with people.”
The program will award one recipient with $10,000 and each of the eight finalists with $1,000 each to support their creative aspirations, provided by Greater Bank.
All nine finalists will also have the unique opportunity to receive mentorship from a leader within their specific field, further enhancing their growth and impact in the creative landscape.
Façon Australia’s Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Lara Lupish said the program and calibre of mentors has continued to grow each year.
“Having such incredible mentors joining our program this year ensures our creative finalists are supported by some of the best in their industries,” Lara said.
“Each mentor brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise, ensuring the scholarship finalists receive invaluable insights and guidance.”
The Indigenous Storytellers Scholarship is dedicated to fostering creativity and providing a platform for Indigenous voices in various creative sectors, including music, fashion design, dance, writing, accessory design, film, art painting, digital art and photography.
Indigenous individuals who reside in NSW are invited to submit their applications online until the deadline on 1 May 2025, with the scholarship recipient to be announced on 10 July at an event during NAIDOC Week.
IMAGE | 2024 winner of the Indigenous Storytellers Scholarship, Ruby Shay.
