Scribblers Report - 2019

ARTISTIC REPORT

Scribblers Festival, 2019. Photographs By Taryn Hays.

Andy Griffiths Event, 2019. Photographs by Shosh Kruger.

Conversation Caravan, 2019. Photographs by Bridget Turner.

Table of Contents —

Director’s Reflection

The Young Adult Program

page 6

page 38

Impact Summary

The Golden Pen Award

page 8

page 39

At a Glance

The YA Collective

page 12

page 42

The Golden Feather Hunt

Conversation Caravan page 45

page 16

Healthway Schools Program

page 46

page 21

Creative Schools Cases

page 23

page 50

Secondary Program

Marketing & Media

page 24

page 54

Family Program

Brand

page 27

page 56

Bringing Families Together

Digital Communication

Printed Communication Recipe for Creativity

page 62

page 34

Media Appendix Word Play

page 68

page 36

The Legacy page 70

A Very Big Thank You

PHILIP ARDAGH FESTIVAL AUTHOR

page 57

page 30

2019

“Reading someone else’s words is the easiest way of walking in someone else’s shoes. And if you can read, you can put yourself in their mind, so you are sharing someone else’s experience and I just think that’s one of the most important things there is.”

Primary Program

page 74

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A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR

DIRECTOR’S REFLECTION ‘It all begins with an idea, scribbled on a napkin…’

new programming stream centred on young adult literature. However, despite this growth (in audiences and program) the experiences

These words were spoken by 2019 Scribblers

remained intimate for audiences and artists

Festival author Megan McDonald to a room of

alike.

Scribblers Report 2019

900 enraptured 8 – 10 year olds explaining the magic behind her hilarious bestselling books.

There were rock star moments of course, who

Much like the stories created by Megan

knew a maths teacher from Sydney would have

McDonald, the 2019 Scribblers Festival began

such a magnetic pull on high school students

with ideas scribbled in notepads, jotted

from around Western Australia, but once they

down on the back of envelopes, or grown from

set eyes on Eddie Woo they were cheering

conversations with readers and writers. The

as if they were at a rock concert. Eddie’s

unifying theme to these random scribblings

inexhaustible enthusiasm was intoxicating,

was the idea that storytelling is transformative,

showing the enduring power of communication

whether it is being read aloud to from a much

and the beauty of the world reflected through

loved writer, or seeing a story unfold through a

numbers. There were also quiet moments, the

series of sketches.

youngest of our festival guests listening to much loved Australian icon Alison Lester on the

By their very nature festivals are temporary

laps of their parents who grew up having her

moments of celebration, a coming together of

words read aloud to them each night before bed.

the community for a collective experience. And yet the legacy of Scribblers Festival is much

Once again Scribblers Festival was a joyful

more than the sum of its parts, it is seen in the

celebration of the magic of storytelling;

way that young people think about creativity;

an opportunity for families to experience

by their desire to read more, create more, by

the alchemy that occurs when writers and

the way they consider the stories they have

illustrators bring their work to life. And, circling

to tell about themselves and their place in the

back to Megan McDonald’s sage words, it was

world, and their agency to do so. It is from this

an opportunity to encourage Western Australia’s

generation of storytellers that big advances in

future storytellers to take note of their ideas,

the world will be made, and Scribblers is an

the sometimes crazy but full of imagination

opportunity to ignite their creativity.

thoughts that come into their head, because they may just be the genesis of something much bigger.

Scribblers 2019 was bigger, with more libraries on board for the Golden Feather, new venues

Katherine Dorrington

to meet demand for the schools program,

Festival Director

a new writing competition for teens, and a

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SCRIBBLERS IMPACT SUMMARY

BY MATHILDA JOUBERT

5. Enhanced creativity

Wider impact

15. Impact on community cohesion

Festival was a vibrant celebration of children’s

“They got to tap into the creative side of the

Apart for the impact on children and young

“Highlights were the incredible team behind

literature, art and imagination. Data from

brain, rarely (sadly) tapped into.” (Teacher)

For the second year in a row the Scribblers

3,316 surveys and attitudes collected over the

it, the huge embrace from the community, the happy kids, the inspiring artists and the sense of local and inventive spirit.” (Volunteer)

five days of the Festival and during follow-up

6. Improved confidence

teaching practice of visiting teachers, on

research with schools revealed that Scribblers

“They have gained major inspiration and bucket

families and on the wider community.

2019 had a positive impact in five domains:

loads of self-belief.” (Teacher)

impact on children and young people, impact on

12. Impact on authors & artists

authors and artists, impact on teachers, impact

7. Enriched career aspirations

on families and impact on community cohesion.

“It made me want to become an author so bad.”

people who create the stories they adore. It

Follow-up surveys also indicate that the impact

(Child, 8)

makes the idea of being an author or illustrator

is lasting long after the visit to the Festival.

Scribblers Report 2019

people, Scribblers had a positive impact on the participating artists and authors, on the

“I love that children are so excited to meet the

Creativity

Perseverance

real. The children get to ask questions and learn

1. Enjoyment

8. Developing connections with real-life authors & illustrators

about what it takes to be a writer or illustrator

“Fantastic event. The kids (and parents) really

“To actually meet authors - to know that they

the authors and illustrators to meet them too.

enjoyed ourselves.” (Parent)

exist!” (Teacher)

I feel like I have the best job in the world and

2. Improved attitudes to reading, writing and drawing

9. Improved attitudes to science & mathematics

“They want to write and draw more. They are

“I didn’t know maths can be this much fun.”

looking at things differently. They see art as

(Year 6, Iona College)

and they also get to see the joy that it gives

Writing Skills

being able to show kids that is such a privilege.”

something worthwhile. It has opened them up to

(Author)

Visual Literacy Skills

Social Connection

13. Impact on teachers “Personally, listening to the authors discuss how they create and write their novels was very

reading a wider range of books.”

10. Valuing perseverance

powerful. That most definitely has changed my

(Home School Parent)

“They learnt that perseverance and hard work is

teaching when looking at narrative writing.”

required to create and achieve pleasing results.”

(Teacher, CBC)

3. Enhanced agency & voice

Interaction with Artists

(Teacher)

“I learnt I have a voice. My voice is powerful.

11. Changed habits

My voice can change the world.” (Child, 10)

4. Improved writing & drawing skills “Students are now writing more creatively,

14. Impact on families “I thought the festival was run amazingly and

“They want to write more. Both girls are avid

had something for everyone. I cannot think

readers but the youngest now calls herself a

of anything like it and so it’s amazing what

book worm (proudly).” (Home School Parent)

you guys are doing for the children. One of my

using adjectives and experimenting with

fondest memories as a child was getting new

alliterations and character names.”

books to read but I was sometimes bullied for

(Teacher, Bletchley Park Primary School)

it, but you make this a celebrated thing which is

Aspiration

Wellbeing

Attitudes to reading, writing and drawing

beautiful. I have rediscovered my love for books after coming here and cannot thank you all enough.” (Parent)

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Motivation

9

Evidence of impact – The numbers

FURTHERMORE, THE NUMBERS REVEAL THAT:

100%

A substantial amount of quantitative data was also collected. Comparison of children’s pre

100%

and post Festival attitudes to reading, writing and drawing showed improvements in 15 out of 15 areas tested, with strong improvements

98%

in attitudes to reading stories, reading comics, reading information books and children’s aspiration to become an illustrator.

Scribblers Report 2019

98% 96% 93% 86% 83% 77% 75% 75%

of volunteers would volunteer again of parents surveyed enjoyed attending Scribblers 2019 of children (aged 3 – 11) enjoyed attending Scribblers 2019

Conclusion In conclusion, Scribblers has now demonstrated that the powerful impact achieved in Year 1 of the Festival wasn’t a fluke – the team did it again. The school days were fully booked and 38% of teachers attending this year were

“These kinds of events are

repeat attendees, indicating strong support for

really important because

Scribblers to become a permanent fixture of the Perth arts, culture, community and education

it shows people that when

milieu. Perhaps the final words summarising the

they grow up, they can do

impact of Scribblers 2019 should be left to some of teachers enjoyed attending Scribblers 2019

of the thousands of participants who attended:

exactly what they see in their bookshelf. They can make

of parents felt Scribblers inspired their children to read more

“Scribblers this year was

those things.”

Awesome! I haven’t been

SHA’AN D’ANTHES

of children felt Scribblers made them feel more creative

before but I LOVED IT! I learnt

of children felt Scribblers made them want to read more

loved it too!!” CHILD, 10

of young people (aged 12 – 18) enjoyed attending Scribblers 2019 of teachers thought attending Scribblers would help their students with assessments like Naplan of young people felt Scribblers made them feel more creative

“It inspired their creativity,

so much, it is inspiring, mum

developed oral language, provided rich language models.”

“It was a true celebration of

TEACHER

children.” PARENT “It inspired me to be more

“It has shown me that I

creative.” CHILD

actually can write and I plan to write more stories in the future.”

“I now want to read more.”

CHILD

GOLDEN PEN AWARD WINNER

of young people felt Scribblers made them want to read more

“Words have power! Tell your own story!”

YOUNG PERSON, 18

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Scribblers Festival

At A Glance

GOLDEN PEN

150+ 313,719 ENTRIES

WORDS WRITTEN

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2

Scribblers Report 2019

SHORTLISTED

FAMILY PROGRAM

12,000 PEOPLE ATTENDED THE FAMILY PROGRAM OVER 2 DAYS

SCHOOLS PROGRAM

4,500

PEOPLE ATTENDED THE SCHOOLS PROGRAM OVER 3 DAYS

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FAMILY SESSIONS

59

8

36

WORKSHOPS

WINNERS

SCHOOLS

CONVERSATION CARAVAN

7

12

14

120+ 2

TEEN PODCASTERS

PODCAST SESSIONS

ARTISTS

QUESTIONS ASKED

SCHOOLS SESSIONS

12

13

3

PODCAST WORKSHOPS

PODCAST MENTORS

Scribblers Report 2019

6,500

1192

Scribblers Festival Out of Season Event with Andy Griffiths

RECIPE FOR CREATIVITY CARDS

FIELD NOTE JOURNALS handed out

created and shared

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15,000+

ORIGINAL ARTWORKS CREATED

CHILDREN, PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS, TEACHERS AND FRIENDS

plus thousands of young Scribblers creations!

engaged in the five day Festival

1516

12 61

TOTAL BOOKS SOLD

WORKSHOPS

Eddie Woo, Hive by A.J Betts, Dry by Neal Shusterman,

HAIKU POEMS

Judy Moody by Megan McDonald

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YOUTH CURATORS

1

with superstar children’s author

on stage

OUT OF SEASON EVENT

SESSIONS

102 4 23

TOP SELLING BOOKS:

Woo’s Wonderful World of Maths by

1 ARTISTS

1 Maths genius 1 Scientist

MEGA ROBOT BATTLE

Andy Griffiths

24 1,170 SCHOOLS

STUDENTS

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The Golden Feather Hunt

The Golden Feather Hunt also proved hugely valuable in growing the Festival’s online community through the 15,000 regular feather bookmarks hidden alongside the golden and silver feathers, which feather finders were encouraged to decorate, photograph and post to Instagram or Facebook using #goldenfeatherhunt to win a weekly spot prize. Each Friday for weeks leading up to the Festival, the Scribblers social media accounts celebrated

Stories, magic, and celebrations are best shared,

feather finders and announced prize winners, building a

which is why Scribblers Festival aimed to celebrate

base of loyal followers and helping establish a countdown

the magic of storytelling across Western Australia

to the main event.

Scribblers Report 2019

as far and widely as possible. The Golden Feather Hunt is an imaginative marketing campaign which this year hid 15,000 feather shaped bookmarks

117 30

“Our libraries love being a part

inside books in 117 libraries across Western

of The Golden Feather Hunt each

Australia. The feathers, a nod to the Scribblers Festival mascot- an owl named Spencer, came in

year, as it promotes reading for

white, silver and gold, and aimed to entice children

PARTICIPATING LIBRARIES

pleasure and encourages children

to browse the shelves of their local libraries by hunting for feathers which would win them a swag

to visit their local public libraries

of learning related prizes.

and discover new books. One

From the thousands of participants that joined the

15,000

of our regular readers found a

hunt across the State, from Broome to Denmark,

silver feather hidden in a book

30 lucky winners found 20 silver and five gold feathers peeking from between pages in books

at Margaret River Library and

at their local libraries. Prizes included a VIP

FEATHERS DISTRIBUTED ACROSS WESTERN AUSTRALIA

as a result her family drove her

Scribblers Weekend (complete with two nights at Sage Hotel, two Scribblers Workshop tickets, and

to Perth to attend the Scribblers

VIP access to the Festival Green Room to meet the

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Festival to get books signed by

authors), an iPad, and a premium signed book pack curated for each winner by the Scribblers’ Festival

her favourite authors”

Director.

RACHAEL DRUMMOND,

Librarians at participating libraries reported

GOLDEN FEATHERS

LIBRARIAN - YOUTH AND CHILDREN, SHIRE OF

increased attendance related to the Golden Feather

AUGUSTA-MARGARET RIVER

Hunt and a fresh enthusiasm from regular visitors.

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LUCKY WINNERS

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20 SILVER FEATHERS

“The children (and parents) of the Busselton and Dunsborough Libraries had so much fun interacting with all the Scribblers Report 2019

Scribblers Festival activities on offer. Our wall in the Junior

Paraburdoo Library Winner - Best Display 2019

Fiction area was covered in bright, colourful colouring-in pages, and the excitement of the kids when a feather was

The Golden Feather Hunt sparked participating libraries’ own creative endeavours, building on

found was felt throughout the

the magic of storytelling on a micro level. Some

whole library. Parents loved

libraries held competitions using Scribblers Festival colouring in projects and feather

seeing photos of their children

displays, or created social media posts of their

on social media when they

own - capturing librarians hiding feathers in the books, offering clues to where young readers

posed for a photo with their

may find hidden bookmarks, and showcasing the

feather, and the winning family

frenzy of feather finders in action. The libraries responded to an incentive to win a premium

of the Golden Feather were

book pack by advertising the Golden Feather

super excited to be featured in

Hunt with their most creative displays, and reported that the competition gave some fresh

the local newspaper”

energy to their internal staff.

THERESE COLEMAN LIBRARIAN, BUSSELTON LIBRARIES

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“(Creativity is) the structure for, you could say our entire world.

Without it, you wouldn’t have our buildings and our beautiful city and the places that we live.

Schools Program

Our brains create our creativity.

There is no one in the world who isn’t creative. We would all be the same without creativity. You can Scribblers Report 2019

find it wherever, you can find it in hairstyles, clothes, buildings, the earth.”

The three day Scribblers Festival Schools Program

STUDENT

spanned a range of topics, from understanding privilege to the nuts and bolts of writing, in a series

DUNCRAIG SHS

of presentations with writers and illustrators at Scotch College and The Goods Shed. More than 4500 students (59 schools) attended across the Primary and Secondary Programs, catering for students from Pre Primary through to Year 12.

The Schools Program was released in October 2018, and schools confirmed numbers once the school year began in January, with many of the program streams booked to capacity. Many of the sessions were recorded and will be distributed to regional schools throughout 2019 as podcasts and videos.

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Primary Program The Primary Program encompassed three age groups in a series of venues at Scotch College.

Students were grouped into Years PP/1 – 3, Years 3 – 5 and Years 5 -6, with students attending from across the Perth Metro Area and further afield including Wyalkatchem, Kelmscott, Byford, Pingelly and the Wheatbelt.

Sessions were delivered by illustrators and writers addressing specific curriculum areas through topics like writing comedy, world building, research, history, character development, collaboration, understanding privilege and the complexity of race, gender and class, and visual literacy.

Students were treated to a variety of presentation styles, from conversations to demonstrations, with the majority of the sessions having an interactive element. Students received a Festival Pack containing a Scribblers Festival Field Notes book to journal their creativity, and Recipe For Creativity cards to encourage them to consider the ways they could be more creative in 2019.

Students also had the opportunity to attend book signings following artist presentations, where they were able to meet and engage with their favourite authors.

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Scribblers Report 2019

Secondary Program The Secondary Program delivered three panel discussions, presentations and Q&A sessions on each day. Western Australian, Australian and international speakers included Dr Karl

Students for the Secondary Program came to the

Kruszelnicki AM, Sydney Maths Teacher and

Festival from across the Perth Metro area and as

YouTube sensation Eddie Woo, and Australian

far afield as Mandurah. The demographic of the

science writer Cristy Burne and content ranged

schools was varied with a cross section of public

from discussions on the craft of writing to

and independent schools on each of the days.

political and social themes, the influence of

There was also a small number of home-schooled

media on society, environmental issues, creative

children in attendance.

professions and novel ways of approaching Teachers and students reported on the valuable

science and mathematics.

content that was shared throughout the Festival Content was linked to the current Western

sessions connecting the arts with unlikely

Australian Curriculum and teachers were supplied

subjects such as maths and science, and that

with free access to online Teacher Resources for

a full day of student to artist interaction was

lesson planning and classroom extension around

extremely beneficial. Many schools are now

these sessions. During their lunch break, students

considering annual attendance after such positive

were invited to explore: A Man, A Monster and

experiences during both the 2018 and 2019

The Sea, an immersive art installation exhibited

Festivals.

at The Goods Shed, contribute to the Recipe for Creativity Pledge Wall art installation and meet guest authors at the Festival Bookstore.

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Scribblers Report 2019

Family Program Books and stories have the power to enlarge our lives. The possibilities they reflect and the attention they demand serve to remind us that we are more exceptional, creative, unpredictable and special than any algorithm can conceive of.

Through the various programs that encompass Scribblers

Festival,

young

people

have

the

opportunity to realise their creative potential, to develop a love of literature and to discover the magic of stories. We believe that families are critical to this equation, with a home environment providing a place of belonging that enables young people to take risks in their creative development.

The Family Program was designed to appeal to all members of the family, and to ignite the imaginations of parents and carers just as much as those of their children.

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Now firmly established on the Mother’s Day

superheroes, sketching sea-creatures, plotting

weekend calendar, the Scribblers Festival

storylines for a space adventure and creating

Family Program was full of events designed

hilarious characters. Older children learned how

to stimulate young peoples’ creativity. Over

to weave humour into their writing and how to

the course of the weekend they could listen

draw on personal experience to add authenticity

to a tall tale from a storyteller, watch a mural

to their stories.

Scribblers Report 2019

evolve with their direct input, participate in the evolution of a space themed mural, add

Programming also took advantage of The Goods

to the texture of an underwater world, watch

Shed gardens, with a series of open workshops

illustrators battle each other, consider the

and activations including Educated By Nature

beauty of mathematics, create a flag using only

which guided children in the creation of flags

natural materials, get a prescription from a

from natural materials, roving performers the

Book Doctor, or eavesdrop on Scribblers Festival

Scribblers Story Conductor, who dispensed

podcasters as they grilled guest authors in the

poems and stories to Festival attendees, and

Conversation Caravan.

stilt walking unicorns and butterflies as well as a series of artworks on easels set up throughout the venue.

The Festival opened with a Welcome To Country

by Noongar elder Olman Wally, before launching into two celebrations, the presentation of

Inside The Goods Shed drop in activities and

the Golden Feather prizes and announcement

space activations created a hive of movement,

of the Golden Pen Award winners. Over the

against the wonderfully colourful backdrop

course of the weekend 12,000 young people and

of Mulyana’s, A Man, A Monster and The Sea.

their families visited the Festival where they

Upcycled Haiku, Storytime at The Shed and Yarn

met international and Australian artists and

Along finger knitting workshops all added to the

writers. Two marquees, The Potter Pavilion and

creative space.

The Story Station hosted 27 sessions across the two days, spanning a range of ages and

On the final day of the Festival, a Mother’s

ideas. Sessions covered quirky science facts to

Day market offered bouquets of flowers and

crafting characters and workshopped developing

herb pots to attending mothers, a resident

narratives to storytelling traditions.

calligrapher wrote Mother’s Day cards to order, and a special baker’s fair featured artisan bakers.

More than 200 keen young writers attended eight sell out workshops with guest authors and illustrators at the Claremont Lawn Tennis Club,

An onsite Festival Bookshop run by Boffins

which offered unique opportunities to learn the

Booksellers sold around 1516 books over the

craft of writing from creative professionals.

course of the festival, and provided an exciting

Topics for younger children included drawing

opportunity for young people to have their

“Unlike other writers festivals the focus here is squarely on the kids. Kids are not sidelined, segregated or thought of as some sort of afterthought - they’re celebrated!”

books signed by visiting writers and illustrators in the program.

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JOL TEMPLE AUTHOR AND 2019 FESTIVAL GUEST

Bringing Families Together Scribblers Festival is a wonderful demonstration of how the gift of storytelling is passed from generation to generation. The Festival weekend was overwhelmingly attended by families, many of whom chose to celebrate Mother’s Day with books and stories.

Scribblers Report 2019

It was evident across the Family Weekend that many attendees came with their extended family, sharing the fun with aunts, uncles, cousins and most importantly, grandparents. While many of the audience also chose to come along with friends, adding to the community atmosphere. The enthusiasm of parents and grandparents for the author talks, storytelling sessions, craft activities and booksignings, gave children a fantastic example of the joy books and reading can bring.

The shared experience of listening to an author reading, the excitement of having a much-loved book signed and the fun of scribbling freely with an adult all reinforce the positive impact of reading and creative expression in a child’s life.

“Children are made readers in the laps of their parents.”

EMILE BUCHWALD

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“(Creativity) means, making your own ideas up. Not just everyone with the same imagination and ideas. It would be all the same.

Different ideas, different creativity, different imaginations, different creativities and everything. It’s

Scribblers Report 2019

Recipe for Creativity

quite different, so, I like it.

(My favourite part of Scribblers was …) probably all the people and how happy they were. And all the artwork that people do. It really

The Festival once again partnered with Healthway

warmed my heart.”

to create a Festival Field Notes Journal that provided young people with activities to do at the Festival and

YOLI

at home.

Exercising creativity can fuel you in every aspect of life, just like eating fresh fruits and vegetables.

Using the Creative Habits of Mind, we asked young Scribblers to formulate their own recipes for creativity to reach creative goals.

To complement this project an installation was created inviting young people to complete a Recipe for Creativity Card. These pledges had young people considering how they could be more creative in their day to day life and what ingredients they needed to achieve these goals. By the end of the Festival, this creative Pledge Wall was home to 1192 Recipes for Creativity.

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AGE 8

Scribblers Report 2019

Word Play The Festival hub buzzed with creativity as audience members put their imaginations to the test with free, hands-on activities. Words were crafted into haiku poems; walls were covered with mural messages; the Festival garden overflowed with mini-Picassos and young scribblers took part in specialist writing workshops. The enthusiastic engagement of audiences in these creative opportunities met the Festival’s goal to encourage storytelling, literacy and self-expression.

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The Young Adult Program THE GOLDEN PEN AWARD

A new focus for Scribblers Festival in 2019 was a dedicated stream of programming for young

Our inaugural writing competition for high school

adults. One of the aims of the festival is to

aged writers (12-17 years of age).

highlight the importance of creative learning and

THE YA COLLECTIVE

Scribblers Report 2019

give permission to young people, of all ages, to read, write, draw, create and question, without

An opportunity for four youth curators to

hesitation, the world around them. As children

program a full day of sessions with YA authors.

transition from primary to secondary school

Programmed by young people for young people.

there is an increased study workload which often

THE CONVERSATION CARAVAN

erodes the time they have to be playful and creative, so the Scribblers Festival Team sought

A program designed to introduce young teens

to create an inclusive and inspiring space for

to the art of podcasting by interviewing guest

young people: The YA Collective.

authors over the Festival weekend.

To achieve this, three projects were programed

Applications for these programs were open

to facilitate the direct contribution of young

to high school aged students across Western

people, to introduce creative professionals to

Australia. The response to the YA focus was very

them as mentors and to encourage their ongoing

positive and highlighted the value in providing

engagement with Scribblers Festival

opportunities to young people for literary and creative development.

“I truly believe children and young people felt seen and validated. To be given the chance to ask a question to an author, write a poem, etc. is a way of saying to them that not only do the stories matter that are written by

The Golden Pen Award The Golden Pen Award encouraged 150 teenagers to pick up their pens and share their ideas on the theme Discovery.

The competition was widely publicised through school and library networks, on social media and through posters and writing tips provided to assist with the marketing of the project. Written works were submitted from all over Western Australia and took many different angles on the theme. Each entry represented considerable time and effort from the emerging writers who submitted to the competition.

Six finalists were selected for the shortlist in April 2019 and were invited to participate in a writing masterclass with best-selling UK author Philip Ardagh on Friday, 10 May. The overall winners were Summer Allen (14) from Floreat, Perth and Flynn Thompson (16) from Denmark.

Their works Forging Crowns and The Red Scarf were selected by a panel of three judges – winner of the Australian Book Industry Awards 2019 Book of the Year for Older Children, Jeremy Lachlan; ABC Radio presenter, Gillian O’Shaughnessy and Aisling Lawless, who is a bookseller with extensive knowledge of YA fiction.

Teachers were invited to use the Golden Pen writing competition as a class assessment. However, the majority of entries were from individuals who submitted independently.

The winners were announced at The YA Collective event at Scribblers Festival on Saturday, 11 May. Each won $500 and had their work published on the Scribblers Festival website. The shortlisted winners each received a $100 book voucher and had work was distributed in a booklet format to The YA Collective audience.

the author, but their own stories and voices matter too.”

RENÉE WATSON

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YA AUTHOR AND 2019 FESTIVAL GUEST

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“The Golden Pen writing competition has shown me that I actually can write and I plan to Scribblers Report 2019

write more stories in the future.

The masterclass Philip Ardagh offered some great writing tips that I plan to implement in my future stories.�

FLYNN THOMPSON DENMARK

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The YA Collective

“My participation in the YA Collective

“I would do it again in a

has been an amazing experience. I

heartbeat. I learnt a lot about the

was able to meet new, like-minded

Festival’s process and I loved

people and collaborate with them on

listening to the panel discussions

Festival was Young Adult Fiction, which is fast

the YA Collective sessions, and I had

- and conducting my own.”

becoming one of the most popular forms of

the chance to be in conversation and

SUMMER ALLEN

learn from some of the incredibly

YOUTH CURATOR

One of the central themes for the 2019 Scribblers

contemporary literature. The YA Collective was

Scribblers Report 2019

created to give young curators the chance to program, host, interview, and produce sessions

talented, guest authors. Being a Youth

with leading young adult authors, over the

Curator also meant that I had to meet

Scribblers Festival weekend. Prior to the Festival, four teen curators were invited to participate in

and work with a whole group of people

a workshop with leading author AJ Betts, who

who I had never met before, and that

mentored them through the programming of The

was a positive learning experience

YA Collective sessions.

that helped me grow and become more confident in myself.”

The final format of The YA Collective was a day-long series of four panel sessions that were produced by young people, for young people.

the YA Curator role to friends, but

JACKI ELEZOVICH

only if I couldn’t do it myself! I

YOUTH CURATOR

The four youth curators who programmed the

“I would definitely recommend

think it’s such a great experience,

sessions had a unique opportunity to shape the

and I’m sad that my turn is

format and delivery of The YA Collective. Visiting authors and publicists from Eastern States

over. I found it very educational

commented on the large attendance numbers and

and fun. I learned a lot while

noted that it was much higher than similar YA

helping organise and run the YA

events in Sydney.

Collective, and I got to meet my “It’s encouraged me to continue

favourite authors and some really

writing, and made being an

great people.”

author a feasible idea for my

OSCAR SWEET

future.”

YOUTH CURATOR

EVA MUSTAPIC

42

YOUTH CURATOR

43

Scribblers Report 2019

Conversation Caravan

“ I have a voice, my voice is powerful.”

RENÉE WATSON YA AUTHOR AND 2019 FESTIVAL GUEST

Over the course of the Scribblers Festival

During the Festival weekend, the intrepid

weekend a team of teen podcasters recorded 12

podcasters quizzed guest authors with

interviews with Scribblers Festival guest authors

intelligence and humour from within the Caravan.

in an onsite Scribblers Conversation Caravan. The

Parked at the heart of the Festival garden hub the

initiative, designed to help young people develop

caravan had a live monitor for festivalgoers to

new skills, learn from professional mentors and

watch the interviews taking place inside.

interact with creative professionals in a fresh and engaging way, created a series of podcasts

The medium of podcasting is ever growing in

which were edited and released on the Scribblers

popularity and the initiative allowed participants

website, Soundcloud, iTunes and Spotify.

opportunities to meet their favourite authors and take ownership of the project. Each podcast

The teen podcasters, selected to be a part of

is 10 minutes long and topics range from self-

the program through an application process,

empowerment and the creative process to

ranged in age from 12 – 15. The seven podcasters

funny travel tales and light-bulb moments. The

were invited to participate in three preparatory

podcasts provide listeners with entertaining

workshops prior to the Festival weekend with

content and are a great addition to the Scribblers

professional podcasters to ensure they were fully

Festival’s suite of online resources.

prepared to interview and record the podcasts.

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45

Healthway partnering with Scribblers Festival & Creative Schools PLANTING THE SEED

At the heart of Scribblers Festival and FORM’s

Scribblers Report 2019

Creative Learning program is a desire to improve the overall well-being of West Australian

In order to promote the importance of healthy eating

children so that they can nurture their creativity,

in a creative way, the Scribblers team devised projects

fuel their imaginations and fulfil their potential.

that would allow children to reflect on how ‘brain

The partnership with Healthway enables the

food’ supports their own imagination’s energy. For

message of good nourishment to filter through

example a key element to the creative display at The

to thousands of West Australians as they attend

Goods Shed was a pledge wall dedicated to Recipe

festival events, participate in school excursions

for Creativity cards. Festival attendees of all ages

and engage with the Creative Schools program.

were invited to add their own thoughts to the wall,

Every student who attended the 2019 Scribblers Festival received a Field Notes Journal as a keepsake of their school excursion or visit to the Family Program.

THE FIELD NOTES JOURNAL

4,500 Program in May

Imagine new ways to channel your creativity. Aim to

vitality and the importance of the ‘Go for 2&5’

Program were provided with blank recipe cards and

health message. Apple carts, herb seedlings and

asked to consider what their creative goal for the year

floral displays were all on show alongside clear

would be, and what ingredients they would need to

Healthway signage. Families were invited to take

achieve them. These pledges were then added to those

Scribblers Festival out of season event

herbs and seedlings away to plant and nurture in

collected at The Goods Shed over the family weekend.

with Andy Griffiths in July

A walk outside to be inspired by the colours of the leaves.

A piece of fruit to give me energy.

A conversation with a friend.

Field Notes Journal to ensure Western Australian children were aware of the importance of healthy eating to their overall well-being.

students attending Scribblers Schools

healthy food choices. Students attending the Schools

INGREDIENTS:

students attending the Schools Program. Scribblers Festival was proud to partner with Healthway on the

treated to a festival hub that celebrated nature,

Example: CREATIVE GOAL: A NEW SHORT STORY

freely distributed over the Festival weekend and to all

Distributed to

and suggestions on how to power imaginations with

as healthy snacks.

draw inspiration from the natural world. They were

LEARN MUCH

Audiences at the 2019 Scribblers Festival were

their own homes and fruit was freely handed out

school or at home, the journal encouraged children to

– EAT WELL. READ OFTEN.

+ 1,200

which quickly became an eye-catching display of tips

With fun activities and creative tasks to be done at

Text taken from the 2019 Field Notes: eat two fruits and five vegetables each day to power your imagination. With your Scribblers Festival Field Notes in hand, embrace every season with activities, thought starters, and recipes that will whet your appetite for healthy eating and inspired reading.

There is no doubt that this journal is a very popular and much loved component of the Festival, with visiting international authors and creatives

primary students attending the

commenting on the impact the journal had on festival attendees.

+ 2000+

‘The Festival Field Notes booklet that you give out to each young person is really special. I have attended several festivals and never seen something so thoughtfully put together for participants. I think what makes Scribblers stand out is that it

young people at the Scribblers Festival

The Recipe for Creativity cards will continue to promote the ‘Go for 2&5’ Health message through

Family Program & visitors to The Goods

is clearly designed for children and

Shed space throughout 2019

families.’

FORM’s Creative Schools program, and will complement lessons that demonstrate the importance

RENEE WATSON

of nourishing minds and bodies with healthy food.

46

47

UNITED STATES

DEEP LEARNING

Physical well-being is intrinsically linked to their education as children who follow a healthy

The Creative Schools program aims to instill

diet are more alert, energised and focused. By

deep learning in young people. It has four key

partnering with Healthway to ensure children

components:

develop positive eating habits, FORM’s Creative Schools program can give the next generation of West Australians a healthy head start.

Curriculum Area

Creative Practices

“Students that have a sense of agency, are more inclined

Deep Learning

to have ownership over their body and lifestyle. They

Creative Habits of Mind

are more likely to choose

Creative Learning Spaces

healthier options.”

VANESSA BRADLEY

Complementing the Scribblers Festival, the

CREATIVE LEARNING FOR A HEALTHY LIFE WHERE WOULD WE BE WITHOUT BEES – COLLABORATIVE COLLAGE GARDEN Continuing the Scribblers Festival theme of the natural world and our relationship to the environment, Berlin-based artist Clare Celeste Borsch created an interactive garden space on one of the upper walls of The Goods Shed for young people to learn about the importance of pollinators to global food supplies. This giant artwork, created from vintage fruit, vegetable and flower illustrations, was a collage that invited young people to interact through the movement of the pollinators around the fruit and vegetables.

Creative Schools program has included Healthway messaging in its current classroom planning.

As the parents and workforce of tomorrow, Western Australia’s young people and

‘Go for 2&5’ promotional material will be

schoolchildren are the key to the State’s

distributed amongst the 32 classes participating

ongoing social wellbeing and economic

in the Creative Schools program in Term 3.

prosperity. International research proves that

Creative Practitioners have already incorporated

using creativity in schools really can help

key Healthway messages by introducing

children’s learning and social skills flourish.

students to skills such as growing their own

The

vegetables and learning about nutrition through

This artwork related to the seasonal theme of the Festival Field Notes, providing an opportunity for kids to think about fruit and vegetables and tick off which fruit and vegetables they would like to try each season.

Recognising this, FORM has instituted a Creative

hands-on activities. These projects spark an

Schools program, developed in partnership with

interest in food awareness and while not always

Paul Collard, CEO of Culture and Creativity in

explicit, effectively promote healthy eating

Education, and a globally respected expert in

habits to reinforce the ‘Go for 2&5’ campaign.

how children learn.

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49

Creative Schools

Case Studies NORTH FREMANTLE PS & MUNDARING CHRISTIAN COLLEGE North Fremantle PS & Mundaring Christian College

Creative Practitioner: Charissa Delima Teacher: Roberta Slattery & Karen Donoghue Year: Pre-Kindy and Year 1 Key Curriculum Areas & Learning intentions Theme: Growing things EYLF Outcome 4.1 Develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity.

Disposition: Inquisitive through wondering / implementing mindfulness before action (project: mark making)

Creating the conditions for learning: Through teacher-creative brainstorm, it was decided that we would explore each page of The Extraordinary

HILLCREST PRIMARY SCHOOL

Technologies –Designing Develop and communicate

Creative Practitioner: Elizabeth Marruffo Teachers: Siobhan Duggan, Linda Glendinning Year Level: 3

technical terms.

Technologies - Evaluating - Use criteria to evaluate

Key Curriculum Areas & Learning intentions: Design and technologies: Investigate food

Technologies – collaborating and managing - Work

ideas using labelled drawings and appropriate

design processes and solutions developed.

and fibre technologies used in contemporary and

independently, or collaboratively when required, to

traditional ways

plan, safely create and communicate sequenced steps.

Food and Fibre production - Types of food and

Intended Outcomes:

fibre produced in different environments, cultures or

A sense of agency and ownership of the bush tucker

time periods, including the equipment used to produce

garden. The ability to teach other students about the

or prepare them.

content of the bush tucker garden.

“My aim was for students to learn about where food and fibres come from, to develop their creative habits and improve their visual literacy.

This week, each group was assigned a picture and information about a bush tucker plant that they had to go and find. Once their food was located they were asked to design a character inspired by the food.

The class worked individually but with lots of ideas, possibilities, recommendations and also some rolling down the hill. There was space on the back of their handout to go ahead and make a comic about their character for those who had really gotten into it.”

Garden book in each week through outdoor exploration and hands-on-experiences.

Hillcrest primary School

50

ELIZABETH MARRUFFO

51

BOYARE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Outcomes:

Creative Practitioner: Jodie Davidson Teacher – Alison McAvoy Year Level: 5/6

Garden Space

Increased awareness and action in the Community

An increased awareness of the resilience required by plants and animals which will link with ways in

Term 2 Key Curriculum Areas & Learning intentions

which as individuals we can become more resilient by understanding that there are always choices and

Scribblers Report 2019

options open to us by utilising practices of creative

HASS – Migration (year 6) and Swan River Colony

thinking.

(Year 5). This will extend into the Community Garden

Term 3 Key Curriculum Areas & Learning intentions

which is currently at a standstill.

Science – Adaptation (year 6) and Living Things (year 5). Planting seedlings and use their growth

HASS – Migration (year 6) and Swan River Colony

to make predictions, gather data and develop

(Year 5) in relation to plant species.

explanations linking back to HASS components.

Intended Outcomes: Record data – plant growth, successes and failures

•

Fauna and flora that has adapted to suit the garden environment. How have they adapted?

Science Inquiry skills – questioning and predicting, •

planning and conducting

What do we need to introduce to assist with successful pollination?

Outputs: •

Student Agency: students have a better

•

Planting of seedlings

•

Mini greenhouse

understanding of curriculum area and are able to

•

Artwork to be used within the community garden.

use learnings in other areas of their life.

Melville Primary School

MELVILLE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Armed with this knowledge, my challenge was to find

Creative Practitioner: Stephanie Reisch Teacher: Abigail Temby Year Level: 6

creative writing and encourage them to take risks in

ways to get these students thinking differently about how they express their thoughts and perceptions of the world around them.

Key Curriculum Areas & Learning intentions English & Health

“The term focus was on sensory learning by engaging all the five

To develop engaging nature based activities that can assist students in building a rich, sensory word bank

senses (sight, sound, touch, taste

to help improve overall literacy and understanding of

and smell) and fully immersing

figurative language. This term we used Kadijiny Park as a site from which to launch numerous activities

the kids in the beautiful surrounds

that fully immersed the kids in the natural surrounds

of Kadijiny Park.”

as well as stimulated their curiosity and imagination.

The big question: How can we get students to be more engaged, articulate, creative and confident in their use of descriptive language?

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53

Strategy

WHY

Scribblers Report 2019

Marketing & Media

HOW WHAT

THE STRATEGY Marketing for Scribblers Festival 2019 followed closely

Success in meeting this goal is being measured

in suit to the marketing strategy established with the

through survey results and observations by Education

creation of the Festival in order to continue creating

Researcher Mathilda Joubert (see page 10-13), both

a strong awareness of the Scribblers Festival brand.

in the short and long-term. The target audience for

Using a why-centred approach, with the same primary

the 2019 Scribblers Festival focused on teachers and

goal, the strategy aligns with FORM’s Creative

principals in the Perth metro and outer metro area for

Learning program, to:

the Schools Program, and Perth metro based parents of children aged four to 14 for the Family Program.

Instil the importance of books and creativity in

After the inaugural Festival, the team also identified

children’s lives, as tools to help them thrive in,

that while the marketing strategy continued to focus

understand, and communicate with the world

on establishing brand awareness in the Festival’s

around them.

second year, there was a tangible positive brand association with those that had been involved with Scribblers in 2018. This was captured through the Golden Feather Hunt, where feedback from return participants was consistently positive: young adults aged 12-14 as a niche market with a strong following in Young Adult Literature, leading to the decision to create programs such as the Golden Pen Award and The YA Collective.

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55

Strategy

Scribblers Report 2019

Logo

Digital Communication WEBSITE

EMAIL

The website scribblersfestival.com.au remained

The email strategy for Scribblers Festival

the primary hub of information for Scribblers

focused on the continued growth of our

Festival. In addition to its easy-to-navigate

database, ensuring that the list was segmented

interface, this year the website continued to

between the Family and School programs, so

Typography

offer resources such as a Teacher’s Lounge

that each target audience was able to receive

with classroom materials corresponding with

relevant communications. Our targeted approach

Spencer

content delivered through the School Program,

focused on teachers, families, libraries and

downloadable PDFs, detailed information for

bookshops with custom content for single-

each Festival program steam, such as the Golden

audience communications, or collective content

Feather Hunt and the Golden Pen Award, as

for combined audience communications.

well as a variety of creative content including

The Scribblers Festival marketing team

photos, video, and podcasts demonstrating

also personally reached out to libraries and

the Scribblers Festival spirit. This year’s

book shops, creating social media and email

website also included an interactive program

communication packs they were able to share

for families to better curate their Festival

with their own networks. The Festival EDM

experience according to their specific ages and

database grew at a rate of more than 100

in to the enchantment of the Festival. As seen on

interests. From the time of last year’s reporting

per cent and at the time of writing, it sits at

the cover of the 2019 Festival Program, Scribblers’

(4 June 2018) until the time of writing (8 June

3,763 people. Scribblers Festival also received

2019), the website has attracted 16,554 new

promotion via FORM’s database, which

users who made up 24,798 sessions.

includes more than 10,000 engaged audience

Strategy

The Brand Scribblers Festival’s brand personality remained consistent in being “playful, engaging, and curious” with a tone of voice that is “friendly; taking readers on a journey using language that feels like a children’s book - intelligent but playful.” While marketing

Monserrat - Bold

Spencer

material continued the use of Spencer the owl as Scribblers’ mascot and the signature logo (both created by local artist Andrew Frazer) a new element

Merriweather - Light

of illustration was introduced to draw Festival-goers

Colour Palette

in-house designer created an illustration of a young reader wandering through a forest- a concept which hinted at the flora and fauna theme that would be

members. Scribblers Festival EDMs maintained

woven throughout Festival activities. These fresh

a spectacularly high open rate of 77 per cent,

illustrations, combined with a brighter, more

which is 56 per cent higher than the industry

varied colour palette, helped to visually capture the

standard.

whimsical nature of Scribblers Festival.

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57

Scribblers Report 2019

SOCIAL MEDIA In the lead up to Scribblers Festival, the

to the Festival, and share the Festival with

marketing team continued to communicate to

those unable to attend. Scribblers Festival

our social media audience primarily through

Instagram stories had more than 11,000 views,

Facebook and Instagram, with a live Twitter

and both Facebook and Instagram messenger

focus specifically during the Festival period

became key tools in communicating directly

using competitions and engaging content. The

with our audience, both in providing customer

overall social media audience doubled in size

service and capturing buzz and excitement.

from 1,800 to 3,700 followers and fans during

Visiting authors and illustrators, along with

the festival period. Instagram saw the highest

Festival participants (parents of young children

growth percentage, moving from 800 followers

and young adults themselves) captured their

to 1,645 followers between the 2018 and 2019

perspectives of the Festival in the lead up

Festivals.

and throughout by sharing content tagged #scribblersfest.

Between the program launch and the Festival’s end close to 10,000 engagements were created

Scribblers partnered with Sage Hotel to run

on Facebook and Instagram, with Tweets

a social media competition in celebration of

generating 186.4k impressions over the five

the Festival’s Mother’s Day Market, which

day Festival period. The marketing team also

generated 1,281 unique engagements and the

put a strong focus on Instagram stories in both

Golden Feather Hunt returned for another

During the Schools and Family Program

the lead up to and during the Festival. This

successful year, with participants heading to

the Scribblers team ran #ScribblersTV, an

digital tactic served as a medium to celebrate

local libraries to search for, decorate, and share

initiative sharing live interviews with inspired

and engage our audience (especially with the

feathers online for a chance to win prizes (See

participants, which drew excitement amongst

Golden Feather Hunt’s #FeatherFriday), to

Page 20). #FeatherFriday created consistent

the crowds outside of the scheduled activities,

offer immediate and behind-the-scenes access

buzz in the lead up to the Festival with

captured valuable feedback, and provided

hundreds of feathers and their finders being

engaging coverage for audiences unable to

shared online.

attend. Podcasts from the Conversation Caravan were recorded and are now being released through social media, to keep the energy of the Festival running in the months following.

58

59

HOW DID THEY FIND OUT ABOUT SCRIBBLERS?

SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIENCE

TOTAL FANS & FOLLOWERS

46%

3,700

fans are between 34-44 with the

SOCIAL MEDIA FANS

remainder sitting evenly between

(more than double last year’s audience)

Scribblers Report 2019

25-34 and 45-54

30% 28% 16% 16% 8% 5% 2% 2%

WHO DID THEY COME WITH?

79%

from social media

from a library

25-34

CLOSE TO

35-44

10,000

45-54

of adults surveyed came with their children

from a friend

from other (website, google, advert/newspaper/ The Goods Shed) from their child attending the Schools Program

30%

of adults surveyed came with their extended family (eg grandparents, aunts, uncles) or friends

33%

from an EDM

of adults surveyed brought their whole

from a bookshop

family (eg both parents & kids)

from coming into contact with event signage

60

FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM

87%

engagement between the program launch and festival’s end

13%

186.4k

84%

3763

WOMEN

TWITTER IMPRESSIONS

MEN

over the 5 day period

MEMBERS

AUDIENCE FROM PERTH

on our EDM list

61

Strategy

Scribblers Report 2019

Printed Communication

SIGNAGE Branded signage was distributed across Western Australia to promote Scribblers Festival.

Beautifully printed posters advertising the Festival, and supporting programs The Golden Feather Hunt and The Golden Pen Award were pinned to noticeboards in cafes, local community centres, book stores and schools.

PROGRAM

Large billboard banners were hung on both sides of the weekend Festival site, The Goods Shed,

The release of the Schools Program in October

building anticipation within the local Claremont

of 2018 featured work by visiting creative,

community and encouraging exploration into

Sha’an d’Anthes. With a colourful, eye-catching

the world of Scribblers. Themed directional

cover, the program captured the lively and fun

signage was placed around both Festival sites,

nature of Scribblers’ Schools Program. Released

The Goods Shed and Scotch College, with an

in March 2019, the elegantly whimsical cover

attractive central pillar of directional signage

of the Family Program invited the audience

showcasing each of the events and venues

into an enchanted story. The custom illustrated

onsite.

woodland scene, the shimmer of the gold leaf lettering, and the high quality paper stock made the program a keepsake for Scribblers fans of all ages.

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63

PARTNERSHIP MARKETING

SCRIBBLERS FESTIVAL

SCRIBBLERS FESTIVAL

FREE ACTIVITIES FOR FAMILIES AND YOUNG PEOPLE

FAMILY WEEKEND

In partnership with Healthway and its “Go For

8–12 MAY 2019

11–12 MAY 2019

2 & 5” Program, the Scribblers team produced

SCRI B FEST BLERS IVAL 8 – 12 MA

a second edition of 2018’s popular Field Notes journal and activity book. The interactive book

Y 20 19

served as a tool to not only guide Festival-goers

DON’T MISS OUT — TWO DAYS ONLY Scribblers, WA’s biggest children’s literature & art festival, is back. Celebrate the magic of storytelling with a weekend of FREE activities. Meet internationally renowned children’s authors, visit Mulyana’s wonderful underwater world, join hands-on workshops, and spoil Mum at our Mother’s Day Bakers’ Market.

through the various stations and activities over the weekend, but to spark inspiration during the entire year. With the Festival’s garden thematic

Where imagination comes to life

as the backdrop, young readers were challenged

@SCRIBBLERSFEST | #SCRIBBLERSFEST

Eddie Woo

re im com aginatio es to n @SC RIB life BLE RSF EST SC

helps fuel your minds to be inspired. The

| #S CRI BBL EST ERS I VA FES L.CO T M.A U

book included prompts to create “Recipes for Creativity” which included an activation in The Goods Shed throughout the Festival where

SPOIL MUM WITH OUR MOTHER’S DAY CELEBRATIONS

THE YA COLLECTIVE

Make a card for Mum and have it beautifully hand lettered by our resident calligrapher, The Articulate.

placed on to a giant collaborative garden mural.

A MAN, A MONSTER AND THE SEA

Saturday’s events for teens,

Explore an underwater

featuring star writers Lynette

wonderland with this reef-

Noni, AJ Betts, Meg McKinlay,

themed crocheted installation

Dhonielle Clayton, Neal

by Indonesian artist Mulyana.

Shusterman, Renée Watson & Celine Kiernan.

FIN

hundreds of creative goals were captured and

OTHER COLLATERAL & DISTRIBUTION

Young Adults will love

Scribblers Family Weekend takes place in and around The Goods Shed, right next to Claremont Train Station at 4 Shenton Rd, WA 6010.

D O UT

ALL FESTIVAL VENUES ARE WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

Wheelchair accessible toilets in The Goods Shed.

E

RSF

and how fuelling your body with healthy foods

MOR

Scribblers Report 2019

Whe

BLE

Dr Karl

to think about the natural world around them

S C R I B B L E R S F E S T I VA L . C O M . AU

RIB

Alison Lester

Meet some of the world’s best thinkers, children’s authors and illustrators including Alison Lester, Dr Karl, Matt Stanton, Jacqueline Harvey and maths legend Eddie Woo to name a few!

@SCRIBBLERSFEST #SCRIBBLERSFEST S C R I B B L E R S F E S T I VA L . C O M . AU

Through its partnership with the Town of Scribblers maintained an active presence with

Claremont, Scribblers Festival had access

its audience in the year leading up to the main

to several “Town Talk” newsletters which

Festival with additional promotional material

reached 4,000 local community members, a

and participation in local and related events.

permanent listing on the council website, a

Magnets, colouring sheets, postcards and gold-

presence at local events such as Buon Natale

dipped feathers were amongst the material

Christmas Market and ARTTRA Festival, and

shared at events including Claremont’s Buon

a strong supporting role in their successful

Natale Christmas market, the ARTTRA Festival

Off the Page exhibition, which featured 12

and pop-up Book Doctor Clinics, as well as at

local artists’ sculptural works using paper or

creative workshops held at The Goods Shed. The

books on display at local business storefronts.

Poster Girls distribution company, along with

Venue partner, Scotch College, also supported

Festival Staff and Volunteers, were engaged

marketing efforts by sending out an email to

to circulate Festival program material to key

their private database from the Headmaster

locations throughout the Perth Metropolitan

announcing the Schools Program taking place

area.

on campus, as well as informing parents of the Family Program over the weekend.

64

ADVERTISING Along with a full page advertisement in the local POST Newspaper to capture attention in the immediate lead up to the Festival, the team focused primarily on paid advertisements via Facebook and Instagram, identifying prime access to the target market in this space. The advertisements drew attention by featuring

Scribblers

well-loved talent such as Eddie Woo, Dr Karl, and Alison Lester, along with engaging features of the festival like the Mother’s Day Market food vendors, stilt-walking butterflies, and crafting activities.

65

MEDIA Scribblers Festival received a high volume of regional, state wide and national media coverage in the lead up to the Festival. A series of four Media Releases encompassing the quotes, images and artist bios were created and distributed to traditional and arts media. Releases were tailored to focus on the Scribblers Festival program release and the Golden Feather Hunt. A series of targeted communication was developed around the Golden Pen winners based on their local government area and corresponding local newspapers, resulting in the following:

EVENT LISTING A suite of paid and unpaid event listings were posted on sites identified as serving our target audience, including:

SCOOP, EXPERIENCE PERTH, WEEKEND NOTES, SO PERTH,

Scribblers Report 2019

•

•

participating authors Michael

Scribblers Festival guests Dr

West Weekend Magazine

Speechley, Dhonielle Clayton

Karl and Eddie Woo live on

included a three page colour

and exhibiting artist Mulyana,

air in a Q&A session with a

feature on the Festival in

and featured programmed

The festival was also listed on sites for:

series of schools students on

an interview with YA author

exhibition Off the Page.

WA Afternoons with Gillian

AJ Betts and a second with

BUNBURY PUBLIC LIBRARIES,

O’Shaughnessy.

children’s author Alison

•

Regional newspapers The

BUSSELTON LIBRARY WEBSITE,

Pilbara News and North West

Festival Director Katherine

Ed! lift out also featured

Telegraph covered the Golden

CHATTER, CITY OF COCKBURN,

Dorrington presented on

the Festival, with a What’s

Feather Hunt both in print

RTRFM show ARTBEAT

Happening feature on

and online, as did the Eastern

with host Bec Bowman on

the Golden Feather Hunt.

Reporter and The Manjimup

Scribblers Festival Family Weekend.

•

EVENTFINDA, BUGGYBUDDYS.

Lester. The State newspaper’s

•

Bridgetown Times.

the Golden Feather Hunt and

•

WESTERNAUSTRALIA.COM,

In print, The West Australian’s

ABC Radio Perth featured

•

Books and Publishing, which services the Australian and

•

The Golden Pen winners

CITY OF KALAMUNDA, CITY OF VINCENT, JACQUELINE HARVEY, KAPINARA PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER, KATE & JOL TEMPLE, KYLIE HOWARTH WEBSITE, NADIA

New Zealand book industry,

meanwhile were featured in

Student presenters Boom

also covered the festival,

The Melville Times, Fremantle

L. KING, OUR LADY’S ASSUMPTION

Radio featured the festival in

as did Better Reading, The

Gazette, The Great Southern

their segment, Falling Out Of

Cockburn Gazette and the

Weekender and The Albany

SCHOOL NEWSLETTER, THE SHIRE

Love With Learning.

Western Suburbs Weekly.

Advertiser.

OF AUGUSTA/MARGARET RIVER,

Local newspaper The Post

THE TOWN OF CLAREMONT, AND

Scribblers Feature on regional

led their Time Out section

commercial broadcaster

with a series of interviews

VISIT GERALDTON.

Triple M Radio.

on Scribblers Festival with

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Scribblers

67

MEDIA APPENDIX The following publications and features covered Scribblers Festival media, locally and

Scribblers Report 2019

regionally.

PRINT PILBARA NEWS

Found feathers key to prizes

THE POST NEWSPAPER

Big names for kids’ book fest Birds of a feather flock to Scribblers Kids’ book nails consumerism Cooking up new ideas for teens

BETTER READING

Festival For Young Readers https://www.betterreading.com. au/kids-ya/festival-for-youngreaders/

BOOKS + PUBLISHING

2019 Scribblers Festival Schools program announced https://www. booksandpublishing.com.au/ articles/2018/10/19/117697/2019scribblers-festival-schoolsprogram-announced/ 2019 Scribblers Festival full program announced https://www. booksandpublishing.com.au/ articles/2019/04/12/131588/2019scribblers-festival-full-programannounced/

BUNBURY PUBLIC LIBRARIES https://instaphenomenons.me/p/ Bv0INgPA9vv

BUSSELTON LIBRARY WEBSITE

THE WEST WEEKEND Alison’s adventures

Scribblers Festival https://www.busseltonlibraries. com.au/scribblers-festival/

Festival fun

CHATTER

Sure Betts

MELVILLE TIMES

Scribblers Festival 2019

ONLINE ABC PERTH

Dr Karl and Eddie Woo https://www.facebook.com/ abcperth/videos/can-chickenssmell-dr-karl-kruszelnicki-andeddie-woo-get-asked-all-sortsof-wei/293087038248732/

Library Land https://www.chittering.wa.gov. au/Profiles/chittering/Assets/ ClientData/Document-Centre/ Chatter/2019/04_-_April_NVN. pdf

CITY OF COCKBURN

Calling all Children to Join the Hunt for the Golden Feather at Cockburn Library https://www.cockburnlibraries. com.au/kids/golden-feathertreasure-hunt-and-scribblersfestival/

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CITY OF KALAMUNDA

Will You find The Golden Feather? http://www.kalamunda.wa.gov. au/Events/2019/Library/GoldenFeather-Hunt

CITY OF VINCENT

Scribblers Festival: Hunt For The Golden Feather https://library.vincent.wa.gov.au/ news/scribblers-festival-huntfor-the-golden-feather/742

COCKBURN GAZETTE

Books inspire artwork in Scribbler’s Festival installations https://www.communitynews. com.au/cockburn-gazette/news/ books-inspire-artwork-inscribblers-festival-installations/

EASTERN REPORTER

Feathers hidden in City of Bayswater libraries for 2019 Scribblers Festival https://www.communitynews. com.au/eastern-reporter/news/ feathers-hidden-in-city-ofbayswater-libraries-for-2019scribblers-festival/

FREMANTLE GAZETTE

Aspiring author finalist in Scribblers Festival https://www.pressreader.com/ White Gum Valley young writer finalist in the Golden Pen awards https://www.communitynews. com.au/fremantle-gazette/news/ white-gum-valley-young-writerfinalist-in-the-golden-penawards/

JACQUELINE HARVEY

Scribblers Festival 2019 http://jacquelineharvey.com. au/events/scribblers-festivalperth-2019/

KAPINARA PRIMARY SCHOOL

Newsletter https://www.communitynews. com.au/fremantle-gazette/news/ white-gum-valley-young-writerfinalist Scribblers Festival Thursday 10 May http://kapinaraps.wa.edu.au/ scribblers-festival-thursday-10may-2018/

KATE & JOL TEMPLE

Scribbler’s Festival Perth! http://katejoltemple.com/ news/2019/5/13/scribblersfestival-perth

KYLIE HOWARTH WEBSITE Scribblers Festival Sessions https://www.kyliehowarth. com/events/https/ wwwscribblersfestivalcomau/ family-program

NADIA L. KING

Scribblers Festival Seeks Teen Curators https://nadialking.wordpress. com/2018/11/20/scribblersfestival-seeks-teen-curators/

OUR LADY’S ASSUMPTION SCHOOL

Newsletter Golden Feather Winner https://ola.wa.edu.au/news/ library-issue-fifteen/

RTRFM

Magic That’ll Stick With You All Year Long - Scribblers Festival 2019 https://rtrfm.com.au/story/ magic-thatll-stick-with-youall-year-long-scribblersfestival-2019/

SHIRE OF AUGUSTA/ MARGARET RIVER

The Hunt For The Golden Feather Is On! https://amrlibraries. com/2019/04/10/the-hunt-forthe-golden-feather-is-on/

SO PERTH

Children’s Literature, Pencils and Podcasts at Scribblers Festival https://soperth.com.au/childrensliterature-pencils-and-podcastsat-scribblers-festival-27498

THE WEST AUSTRALIAN

Feather hunt entices young readers https://thewest.com.au/news/ manjimup-bridgetown-times/ feather-hunt-entices-youngreaders-ng-b881146357z Golden Feather Hunt on at Pilbara libraries https://thewest.com.au/news/ pilbara-news/golden-featherhunt-on-at-pilbara-librariesng-b881132467z Sure Betts https://thewest.com.au/ entertainment/books/sure-bettsng-b881141441z

TRIPLE M

Look Out Perth… The Scribblers Festival Is Back! https://www.triplem.com. au/story/look-out-perththe-scribblers-festival-isback-136380

TOWN OF CLAREMONT

Scribblers Festival https://www.claremont.wa.gov. au/Community-and-Living/Artsand-Culture

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VISIT GERALDTON

Scribblers Festival Golden Feather Hunt https://www.visitgeraldton.com. au/events/scribblers-festivalgolden-feather-hunt/6284

WEEKEND NOTES

Scribblers Festival https://www.weekendnotes.com/ scribblers-festival-perth/

WESTERN SUBURBS WEEKLY Art is off the page at festival in Claremont https://www.communitynews. com.au/western-suburbs-weekly/ news/art-is-off-the-page-atfestival-in-claremont/

RADIO RTRFM

Radio interview with Katherine Dorrington

BOOM RADIO

Falling out of Love with Learning - Scribblers Feature

ABC RADIO

Question Time with Dr Karl and Eddie Woo

Continuing the story…

Scribblers Report 2019

The Legacy

TEACHER’S RESOURCES THE FIELD NOTES JOURNAL Every student who attended the 2019 Scribblers Festival

BOOK DOCTORS

received a Field Notes Journal as a keepsake of their

In support of educators across the state,

RECIPE FOR CREATIVITY PLEDGE WALL

Scribblers Festival provides online teaching resources year round. The Teachers’ Lounge invites educators to engage with the Festival by

At the heart of the Festival site, the Scribblers

discovering more about the artists, their ideas

school excursion or visit to the Family Program. With

Over the family weekend, three expert “Book

team created a wall of potted plants which

and their work on our website. The space offers

fun activities and creative tasks to be done at school

Doctors” set up a clinic in The Goods Shed to

served as a canvas for hundreds of Recipe

free, curriculum linked activities and classroom

or at home, the journal encouraged children to draw

recommend new titles and books to children.

for Creativity pledge cards and responding

resources to share with students, both before

inspiration from the natural world. The journals aimed

Each ‘patient’ had a private consultation with

to Healthway’s key health message, ‘Go For

and after the Festival. The teaching materials

to prompt children to write, doodle and experiment with

a Book Doctor, who asked them questions

2&5’. Children and adults were invited to help

allow for extended learning and add pedagogical

their ideas in the time between one Festival and the next.

about their interests and was prescribed a

themselves to brightly coloured cards featuring

value to Scribblers excursions. The provision of

They were freely distributed over the Festival weekend

personalised reading list to explore as a result.

fruits, vegetables, hearts and flowers. They were

resources aligns with the core goal of Scribblers

and included discount vouchers for local book stores to

A favourite among Festival visitors, the Book

asked to write down their personal recipe for

Festival to promote creative learning, and

further promote reading and literacy. Scribblers Festival

Doctor project nurtures a love of reading and

creativity on the cards and pin it onto the wall.

together with the Field Notes Journal, provides

was proud to partner with Healthway on the Field Notes

introduces children, and their parents, to

With a collection of inspiring and imaginative

educators and students with an ongoing link to

Journal to ensure Western Australian children were

classic books, popular authors and the latest

answers, the pledge cards built a motivating

the Festival’s program and its guest authors and

aware of the importance of healthy eating to their overall

bestsellers.

display of personal pledges for a creative future.

illustrators.

well-being. The Field Notes messaging also promoted healthy eating, in line with the Healthway campaign of ‘Go for 2&5’ which educates young people to develop positive eating habits for life.

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Scribblers Report 2019

CONVERSATION CARAVAN

THE GOLDEN PEN AWARD

Podcasts are fast-becoming an essential

2019 was the inaugural year of the Golden Pen

storytelling tool as more and more listeners

Award. The aim of the project was to encourage

tune into compelling interviews as a short

young writers to share their creativity outside

escape from screens. This year we invited

of the constraints of schoolwork and allow their

seven young teenagers to take part in podcast

talent to shine. Enthusiastic writers, aged 12

workshops in the lead up to the Festival. They

-17, rose to the challenge and over 150 entries

then interviewed guest authors and illustrators

were received on the theme, ‘Discovery’. The

for the 2019 Scribblers Podcasting Series. The

writing competition was advertised through

interviews were recorded in our little, red

local newspapers, schools, libraries and local

Conversation Caravan, which was the perfect

community centres all across Western Australia.

space to create a relaxed, fun atmosphere. A

Six shortlisted entrants were invited to a writing

live feed to a monitor set up outside allowed

masterclass with guest author Philip Ardagh

for festival-goers to listen in as intrepid

and also received book voucher prizes. The two

podcasters grilled their guests. Over two days,

overall winners were awarded $500 each at a

12 podcasts were created to be shared with the

special presentation at the Scribblers Festival’s

wider community. These ten-minute interviews

The YA Collective. Audience members received

are now available on iTunes, Spotify and

a printed pamphlet of the six shortlisted works.

SoundCloud.

All the finalists valued the recognition of their work and felt the Golden Pen Award was a wonderful incentive to continue writing.

The podcast series is a great resource for Scribblers Festival as the interviews can be

THE YA COLLECTIVE

accessed by an online audience, at any time, from anywhere. They make for fun listening and are perfect for use in classrooms, on road trips,

This year Scribblers Festival introduced The YA

as study breaks or simply to learn more about

Collective – a program aimed at young adult

children’s authors and their fabulous books. The

readers and YA fiction fans. Four youth curators

podcast series also demonstrates the value of

were invited to workshop and curate a day

projects that give young people the opportunity

of sessions dedicated to YA. The result was a

to learn new skills and expand their creative

series of dynamic events programmed by young

talents.

people, for young people. The panel discussions, author interviews and Q&A sessions were well attended and provided a welcome space for teenagers and YA fans to come together and share ideas about literature and current affairs.

SPOTLIGHT ON THE FUTURE

The project demonstrated that there is a strong

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demand for platforms like The YA Collective

One of the goals of Scribblers Festival is to nurture and encourage the next generation of West Australian

and we hope to provide more opportunities for

creatives. These projects all featured, gifted, curious and energetic young people who demonstrated great

similar events in the future.

enthusiasm and talent. The future looks bright!

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1.

Philip Ardagh

2.

G avin Aung Than

3.

AJ Betts

4.

C risty Burne

5.

D honielle Clayton

6.

Sha’an d’Anthes

7.

8.

Jacqueline Harvey AUSTRALIAN (NSW) Kylie Howarth

9.

Celine Kiernan

INTERNATIONAL (UK)

AUSTRALIAN (WA)

AUSTRALIAN (WA)

AUSTRALIAN (WA)

A Very Big

INTERNATIONAL (US)

Thank You

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Thank you to our Principal Partner, Lotterywest,

AUSTRALIAN (WA)

for their vision and support in helping

Scribblers Report 2019

AUSTRALIAN (NSW)

INTERNATIONAL (IRE)

Scribblers Festival ignite a passion for literature

10. Karl Kruszelnicki

and creativity in young people across the State.

AUSTRALIAN (NSW)

To all our wonderful partners, who support

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Scribblers Festival in so many ways: funding,

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venues, volunteering, talent and creative oomph, thank you.

11.

Jeremy Lachlan

12.

Alison Lester

13.

Georgia Norton Lodge

14.

Zoë Norton Lodge

AUSTRALIAN (NSW)

AUSTRALIAN (VIC)

And thank you to all the parents, children, librarians, authors, illustrators who add another

AUSTRALIAN (NSW)

page to the Scribblers story.

AUSTRALIAN (NSW)

15. M egan McDonald INTERNATIONAL (US)

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16. L ynette Noni AUSTRALIAN (QLD)

17.

Neal Shusterman INTERNATIONAL (US)

18. Michael Speechley Thank you to the incredible authors, illustrators, and creatives from around the world who helped spark the magic of storytelling in Western Australia’s young people.

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AUSTRALIAN (WA)

19. Matt Stanton AUSTRALIAN (NSW)

20. Kate and Jol Temple AUSTRALIAN (NSW)

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21.

Renée Watson INTERNATIONAL (US)

22. Eddie Woo

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AUSTRALIAN (NSW)

Scribblers Festival is brought to life through a creative partnership between FORM and the Town of Claremont

FORM is an independent, non-profit cultural organisation that develops and advocates for excellence in creativity and artistic practice in Western Australia communities.

The Town of Claremont is the local government authority for the riverside suburbs of Claremont and Swanbourne, and values building bright futures for its community members through arts and culture, recreation, and community involvement.

Scribblers Report 2019

Principal Partners

Major Partners

Supporting Partners

Venue Partners

THANK YOU TO THE GENEROUS PRIVATE DONORS WHO ARE HELPING US BUILD A STATE OF CREATIVIT Y THROUGH SCRIBBLERS FESTIVAL .

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