14 June 2019

Toolkits Poetry and Digital Stories – 2019 Toolkits

Express Media is excited to open applications for the last two streams of Toolkits for 2019. Toolkits is a rigorous 12-week program for writers aged 30 and under to develop their skills in a unique and exciting online environment.

In Season 1, Express Media opened applications for Toolkits: Memoir, Toolkits: Graphic Narratives and Toolkits: Fiction. Each program included one-on-one mentoring and feedback from an established writer, specialised presentations from guest artists and the opportunity to network with other young people working in the same literary form.

In 2019, Toolkits: Memoir was facilitated by award-winning writer and editor, and author of No Country Woman, Zoya Patel. It ran from Tuesday 12th March to Tuesday 28th May.

Toolkits: Graphic Narratives was facilitated by well respected comics artist, editor and author of Guidebook to Queer Jewish Spirituality, Mira Schlosberg. It ran from Wednesday 3rd April to Wednesday 19th June.

Toolkits: Fiction will was facilitated by Jennifer Down, author of Our Magic Hour and Pulse Points. It ran from Thursday 18th April to Thursday 4th July.

Headshots of Zoya Patel, Jennifer Down and Mira Schlosberg

In Season 2, Express Media is opening applications for Toolkits: Digital Storytelling and Toolkits: Poetry. Each program includes one-on-one mentoring and feedback from an established writer, specialised presentations from guest artists and the opportunity to network with other young people working in the same literary form.

Toolkits: Poetry will be facilitated by Melody Paloma, an established poet, editor and critic living in Melbourne, and author of In Some Ways Dingo (Rabbit). It will run from Thursday August 22nd to Thursday November 7th.

Toolkits: Digital Storytelling will be facilitated by Jon Tjhia, the Wheeler Centre’s Senior Digital Editor. It will run from Tuesday August 20th to Tuesday November 5th.

Participants will also have the chance to learn from some of the best working writers in the country, with Toolkits Live guest artists presenting online sessions for the next generation of Australian writers.

Toolkits is first and foremost a practical initiative and young writers will be encouraged to write, workshop and edit their writing throughout the course. Toolkits is also open to all young writers including high school and university students, regardless of level of written experience. Young people living in outer-metropolitan, regional and remote areas of Australia are encouraged to apply, all you need is motivation and an internet connection.

Applications for Toolkits Digital Storytelling and Poetry are currently open.


Toolkits is generously supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund. Toolkits: Live is presented by Express Media in partnership with Regional Arts Victoria as part of the Arts Connect Series funded by the Federal Government’s Regional Arts Fund.


Toolkits: Poetry is presented by Express Media, in partnership with Australian Poetry. Toolkits is generously supported by The Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.