Writers in Residence Program
We are delighted to welcome three writers to Dingley Village Library as part of our first Writers in Residence program.
During their 10-week residency, from 20 April to 26 June, the writers will have access to a shared working space where they can immerse themselves in their writing practice. They will also connect with the community through various workshops.
Magnify is Kingston Arts’ artist residency program hosting artists in shared studio spaces. We accommodate artists with varying creative practices, needs, and at different career stages, providing an environment to encourage creation, collaboration and artistic growth.
The Writers in Residence program is a pilot initiative for 2026, developed as a partnership between Kingston Arts, Kingston Libraries and Dingley Village Neighbourhood Centre, with the aim of growing and expanding the Artist in Residence opportunities available at Kingston.
Meet our Writers
Alistair Ward
Alistair Ward (he/him) is an award-winning writer, actor, and director who has lived and worked in New York, London, Sydney, and Melbourne.
A graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts he was awarded the prestigious Max Fisher Award in 2015. He is the Artistic Director and founder of Pansy Productions having produced four plays, three of which he wrote. His debut show ‘twenty-something’ won the People’s Choice Award at the 2019 Melbourne Fringe Festival.
Since returning home from overseas he’s worked at some of Melbourne’s top independent theatres; La Mama, Chapel off Chapel, and The Butterfly Club. He’s been featured in ads for Coles, Ford, and Tennis Australia to name just a few.
His writing focuses on queer stories and contemporary issues affecting young people and their real-life experiences. He dedicates much of his time to mentoring emerging artists, as well as championing diverse casting and inclusivity.
He is currently writing his fourth play ‘No Longer Friends,’ an anthology-based television pilot, and is in pre-production for his first short film ‘Goodbye Lover.’ He is also a dedicated guncle.
Alistair is ecstatic to be an inaugural writer for the Magnify: Artists in Residence program with Kingston Arts.
Jessica Stanley
Jess Stanley (she/her) is a Naarm/Melbourne-based actor, writer, voice artist, intimacy coordinator and marriage celebrant. She holds a Bachelor of Performing Arts from Monash University, a Bachelor of Social Sciences from Swinburne University, has completed the Full Time Acting Course at the Howard Fine Acting Studio and the SAG-AFTRA-accredited Key Intimate Scenes Australian IC Training Programme.
In 2022, Jess was long listed for the Richell Prize for a draft of her first novel, Intimacy. She has worked for the educational theatre company, Complete Works, for many years. As Co-Artistic Director of independent theatre company Spinning Plates, Jess’s stage credits include multi-Green Room Award-winning The Crocodile, and Green Room nominees Rhinoceros and Shut Up I’m a Vampire—the latter of which she also wrote. In 2021 she won the Melbourne Fringe Art Unbound Award for her original ASMR-based work, JSMR. Other stage credits include Ross & Rachel, Titus Andronicus, Quite Drunk, Very Jesus-y, Navy Pier and Ménage. Screen credits include 2025 feature film Ancestry Road, The Doctor Blake Mysteries and Glitch. In her spare time, Jess hosts the podcast Do It Again But Better, where actors discuss their audition experiences—the good, the bad and the cringe.
Kimberly Gillan
Kimberly Gillan is a Melbourne journalist and features writer who specialises in human-centred stories about wellbeing, relationships, travel and modern life. After leaving too many fictional first drafts to gather dust, she's thrilled to join the Writers in Residence program to commit to completing her debut fiction novel, relishing the opportunity to have a dedicated space for focus and creativity.
Free workshops
Creative Writing for Beginners: From Idea to First Scene
Have a story in mind but don’t know how to shape it? Or staring at a blank page waiting for inspiration to strike? This welcoming two-part workshop is designed to help writers move past self-doubt and start getting words on the page.
- Session 1: Monday 4 May 2026, 6pm to 7:30pm
- Session 2: Monday 18 May 2026, 6pm to 7:30pm
In the first session, you’ll explore where story ideas come from and learn how to shape them into a strong narrative foundation. Through guided prompts and in-session writing, you’ll begin crafting your story.
The second session focuses on workshopping and refining your writing in a supportive group setting, with practical tips to help you keep developing your piece.
Book now
Scratch Night
Step out of your comfort zone and into the cosy, supportive library to join us for a participatory event that will get you writing something fresh and sharing your work with others over the course of one evening.
Whether you’re an emerging storyteller, an old hand at writing or just looking to challenge yourself, this is your chance to create a brand new piece of work… all in just 90 minutes.
Date and time: Tuesday 2 June 2026, 6pm to 7:30pm
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Turning Life into Story: Finding Writing Inspiration in Your Own Experience
Join Alistair Ward for a practical and inspiring workshop on transforming your own life experiences into writing.
Drawing from his own path as a writer and theatre-maker, Alistair will explore how everyday moments, big shifts, and lived experience can become powerful creative material.
Through guided exercises, reflection prompts and discussion, you’ll learn how to uncover meaningful memories, shape them into story ideas, and begin transforming personal experience into fiction, memoir, or even your next script.
Date and time: Thursday 25 June 2026, 6pm to 7:30pm
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