Bringing creativity to the Northern Rivers youth

The Byron Writers Festival may have been cancelled for 2020 but they are still looking the future of young authors with their StoryBoard program.

StoryBoard is a free creative writing program for children in NSW Northern Rivers run by the Byron Writers Festival. It has now received funding to purchase a second bus that will enable them to develop their high school program and extend their primary school program across the region. They have received $187,000 in funding from the NSW government that will assist them in producing and presenting workshops to students by professional authors and illustrators in a virtual space and face-to-face when schools are back. They aim to reach 3,000 yang people over the next two years.

‘The funding will support StoryBoard in presenting fun-filled workshops by professional authors and illustrators for young writers in the Byron and Lismore Shires in 2020 and 2021,’ said Story Board Project Manager Gabby Le Brun.

‘This work seems particularly poignant at this moment in time, when children and young people are physically separated from their peers, and it is vital that they have the opportunity for connection, collaboration and a sense of belonging,’ she said.

‘Whilst current COVID-19 restrictions are in place regarding face-to-face gatherings, this funding will help StoryBoard to deliver programs to young people in the virtual space.’

The funding was announced by NSW Parliamentary Secretary for the Arts Ben Franklin.

‘With the new funding, StoryBoard will deliver 32 one-off high school and primary school events, eight focus school events (two schools, four visits each), and more than 20 masterclass events,’ Mr Franklin said.

‘Students will be able to access resources and publish their stories and teachers will be able to undertake professional development opportunities,’ Mr Franklin said.