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ABC Regional Storyteller Scholarships Announced

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This year’s ABC Regional Storyteller Scholarship has been awarded to two content makers with disability from regional NSW and Queensland.  Catherine Mahony of Newcastle and Marlena Katene of the Gold Coast won their scholarships ahead of a strong pool of applicants nationally.

The scholarship provides an opportunity to showcase the talent and creativity of emerging content makers with disability in regional and rural Australia.

Now in its second year, it has been expanded to two awards per year thanks to the Australian Government matching the ABC’s funding commitment, announced in December last year as part of celebrations to mark International Day of People with Disability.

Catherine Mahoney said the scholarship would enable her to explore and share the social issues facing people with disability from an authentic perspective.    Marlena Katene said she hoped to develop a series about accessibility at music festivals and gigs for people with a disability.  “I love telling stories.  I am keen to highlight how easy it can be for us all to develop more inclusive and accessible venues for people with disability,” she said.

Assistant Minister for Social Services, Housing and Disability Services, Sarah Henderson, said: “The talent displayed has been outstanding.  Both winners are passionate storytellers, sharing powerful and positive stories.”

Acting Director of ABC Regional & Local, Judith Whelan, said the scholarship had an important place in the hearts and minds of our regional team.  “Through the wonderful contributions of our first scholarship recipient in 2018, Eliza Hull, we have been able to bring audiences stories about disability, produced by people with disability.  Stories that would otherwise not have been told.”

Both recipients will spend three months working with ABC content makers in a regional ABC bureau to help develop their storytelling and content-making skills.

You can check out 2018 Scholarship winner, Eliza Hull’s eight-part RN series here and her online ABC Life articles here and here.

For more information

John Woodward
Lead Communications, ABC Regional & Local
+61 2 8333 2621
woodward.john@abc.net.au

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