Spotlight On Success - October
Writers on the Road
Rock Journalist visits
Wheatbelt Schools
Each year writingWA, with additional funding from Country Arts WA and Healthway, coordinate a series of tours by professional writers to regional and remote communities throughout Western Australia.
In 2008, Derek Nannup (Indigenous performance writer and director) visited the Pilbara; and Jon Doust (author and journalist) and Ara Jansen (freelance journalist) each spent a week in the Wheatbelt.
Ms Jansen was the first freelance journalist to participate in Writers on the Road and headed to several Wheatbelt schools in October to encourage students to share her passion for words and music.
Ms Jansen started her career in Perth as a news reporter at the Daily News and was named Cadet of the Year in her debut year. Since then she has worked for the Sunday Times and, for many years, as Music Editor of The West Australian newspaper. She is now regarded as one of Australia's most respected freelance music writers and commentators and has a wealth of knowledge across many genres.
More than 230 students in Years 4 to 10 from Tammin Primary School, Kellerberrin District High School, Moorine Rock Primary School, North Merredin Primary School, South Merredin Primary School and Beverley District High School participated in the workshops which focused on newspaper feature writing and music reviewing - Ms Jansen's specialist field.
Ara Jansen with students from Tammin Primary School (Photograph courtesy of writingWA)
"The students were so eager to learn about interviewing and then putting that information into a story," said Ms Jansen. "It was fun to watch them as they put their rock journalist hats on and reviewed music with their classmates. It was quite interesting to hear them discuss what they did and didn't like about the songs that we played in class."
As an additional activity, Ms Jansen presented creative writing workshops which produced startling results. There was also time to discuss general aspects of journalism and in particular rock journalism including how to become a journalist and what types of subjects you might write about.
"My visit to the Wheatbelt as a Writer on the Road was a valuable experience not only for myself but for the students. It enabled them to meet and talk with someone who is a professional in their field, has had first-hand experience and could show the students examples of published work and explain the process.
"Having the writer and their work in the same room offered a tangible reality and showed the students what's possible for a potential future career. I hope it also encouraged them to read, write and explore their creativity more often!"
For more information on Writers on the Road contact writingWA on (08) 9228 9908 or visit www.writingwa.org
Ara Jansen says words and music changed her life - visit her website to find out more!
