Creative Pathways Parramatta
Are you a writer, podcaster, or visual storyteller (eg. photography, digital stories) based in Parramatta?
Creative Pathways Parramatta is a paid opportunity to develop your voice, build your portfolio, and tell stories about the place you live.
We’re looking for emerging and early career creatives from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to create original work that reflects the cultural life of Parramatta, its people, its artists, and its communities.
Whether you work in writing, audio, or visual storytelling (eg. photography, digital stories), this program supports you to shape an idea and bring it to life, with mentorship, editorial support, and a paid commission.
What you’ll do
If selected, you’ll develop and produce one original commissioned work in one of the following formats:
- Article (800 words)
- Podcast segment or interview (5 to 10 minutes)
- Photo essay (minimum 8 images)
Within these formats, your work might take the form of a feature, interview, review, or cultural story focused on Parramatta’s creative life. We are also open to digital stories and other creative content approaches where appropriate.
What you’ll receive
- Paid commission ($500 per work, industry-aligned)
- Editorial and production mentorship
- Structured feedback and development support
- Publication and exposure through Diversity Arts platforms and partner networks (publishing partners include Better Reading, with more to come)
This is a chance to build confidence, gain experience, and share your work publicly.
Who should apply
This program is for culturally and linguistically diverse creatives who are:
- Writers, podcasters, photographers, or visual storytellers (eg. photography, digital stories)
- Emerging or early career practitioners
- Living, working, or studying in the Parramatta LGA
If you have a story you want to tell about Parramatta, we want to hear from you.
Program timeline
- 22 May 2026 – Applications close
- 3 June 2026 – Participants announced
- June to July 2026 – Mentorship and editorial planning
- August to September 2026 – Development, workshops, and feedback
- November to December 2026 – Final works published
About the program
Creative Pathways Parramatta is delivered by Diversity Arts Australia and funded by City of Parramatta. The program supports pathways into cultural journalism and storytelling, including writing, audio, and visual work such as photo essays, creating space for voices that are often underrepresented in the arts and media. This program is a StoryCasters extension project.