Australian performer Casey Donovan is lending her voice and experience to the next generation of First Nations creatives after being announced as one of the mentors for the 2026 Indigenous Storytellers Scholarship.
The scholarship program, an initiative by Façon Magazine, is now in its fourth year and continues to champion emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creatives across New South Wales. The program offers mentorship, industry insight and financial support to help finalists grow their creative careers across disciplines, including music, fashion, film, writing, dance and photography.
Donovan will mentor one of the finalists in the music category, joining a lineup of prominent First Nations creatives including Samantha Harris, Damian Smith, Rheanna Lotter, Saretta Fielding, Corin Corcoran, Warren Taggart, Brendan Blacklock and Joshua Gilbert. The scholarship will award one recipient $10,000, while the remaining eight finalists will each receive $1,000 to support their creative pursuits.
“I think that through this mentorship, it’s really important to have truth and honesty and transparency into what the world can be like, but also finding the positives. I think throughout my career I’ve been able to find those positives and be able to step up, ask questions and grow,” Casey said.
“You’re continuously growing in this industry, and I think that it’s really important to have open doors and open conversations with people.”
The announcement comes as Donovan prepares to bring her acclaimed This Is Me Tour to Belmont 16s Sailing Club on 15 May.
Applications for the Indigenous Storytellers Scholarship close on 11 May, with finalists to be announced ahead of a special event during NAIDOC Week where the 2026 recipient will be revealed.
