National Young Writers Program

Supporting a new generation of critical arts voices

The National Young Writers Program supports the development of a community of engaged young arts writers and content creators from across Australia. Together, they participate in critical writing masterclasses with established artists, writers, and Gallery staff while exploring the Gallery’s 2024 artistic program.

National Young Writers Programs include the Young Writers Digital Residency in 2024 and Digital Young Writers Mentorship Program in 2022.

Developed in consultation with arts writer and youth arts engagement specialist Jo Higgins and generously supported by the National Gallery’s Learning & Digital Patron, Tim Fairfax AC.

Programs

Young People

2024

Three teenagers sit on the floor and watch a large audio visual installation projected onto a wall

Young Writers Digital Residency

In 2024, the National Young Writers Program will host a cohort of young people aged 19-25 years to take part in a four-month online residency from February to May.

Young People

2022

Young woman sitting in a Gallery space wearing a face mask, typing on laptop

Digital Young Writers Mentorship Program

In 2022 the National Gallery piloted the Digital Young Writers Mentorship Program for aspiring arts writers aged 19-25 from across Australia.

Stories & Ideas

Young Writers

The National Connection

Image of painting with mustard oval shape on a black background

Jade Irvine reflects on the role of national museums and galleries in regional and rural Australia.

Read Time: 7 minutes
Young Writers

Patricia Piccinini: the wonder & absurdity of evolution

As Skywhales continues its national tour, Ianni Huang speaks with Patricia Piccinini about empathy, evolution and motherhood.

Read Time: 13 minutes
Young Writers

Contemporary Resonances of Art in the Age of AIDS

Aisyah Aaqil Sumito reflects on the contemporary resonances of the trailblazing exhibition 'Don’t Leave Me This Way: Art in the Age of AIDS'.

Read Time: 21 minutes
Young Writers

ASSEMBLY: an annotation

Young man sitting on red carpeted amphitheatre watching a video installation

Hen Vaughan responds to themes of translation and collectivity in Angelica Mesiti’s three-channel video installation, ‘ASSEMBLY’.

Read Time: 7 minutes
Young Writers

A Modern Approach to Exhibiting Costume

Michelle Guo explores the challenges and considerations that curators encounter when exhibiting costume.

Read Time: 11 minutes
Young Writers

Is social media affecting how we engage with art?

Artist Dan Bourke talks about the impact of Web 2.0 on our cognitive reading of art, pointing to childhood learning in a new exhibition.

Read Time: 10 minutes
Young Writers

HOME|LAND

Image of HOME|LAND exhibition

An exhibition review on HOME|LAND by Alexandra Hullah a show that is the culmination of their 2022 Curatorial Mentorship at Contemporary Art Tasmania.

Read Time: 6 minutes
Young Writers

Deborah Prior: On the third day

Photo of installation artwork of material hanging off chair

Review on powerful new textile exhibition, 'Deborah Prior: On The Third Day'

Read Time: 7 minutes
Young Writers

Kara Walker’s Monument

Jade Irvine reflects on Kara Walker’s use of scale in her consideration of the histories that are memorialised and those that remain obscured.

Read Time: 7 minutes