Photograph by Devika Bilimoria
I have spoken at the Melbourne Writer’s Festival, World Science Festival Brisbane, guest lectured at several universities as well as appearing at many other festivals, events, and schools around Australia.
I’m represented by Booked Out
Photograph by Artplay Staff
I love facilitating story-making workshops with both adults and young people that tap their creative energy and leave them inspired to keep making. I can lead a group of 300 primary school kids to collaboratively write an absurd adventure story. I bring fresh tools and narrative facilitation skills to corporations wanting to work with employees to tell their story. I’ve run workshops in schools and for businesses around Australia, worked as a Teaching Artist with Kids’ Own Publishing and and facilitated workshops for adults through Writers Victoria.
I love enabling creativity.
For bookings go to Booked Out
What the critics say:
It was a wonderful experience and I’m sad it’s over. I learnt a lot (and not the things I thought I would learn) … the benefits were transformative. I think a lot of what I got out of the course was thanks to your skill in guiding the group to be positive and yet constructive - a difficult balance. I always left the workshops energised to do more writing.
—Adult writing workshop participant
During her author visit, Ailsa presented a fantastic workshop that both spoke to the curriculum and invited students to explore their own creativity in a way that was revelatory to many. She is an incredibly engaging presenter whose background in performance means that she is able to get the whole group eating out of her hand and managed to get even the most cynical teenagers excited about participating. I have no hesitation in recommending her to any other secondary school where people are looking to enrich student learning through a fun, accessible and engrossing incursion.
—Nell, University High School Librarian
What a great experience it was having Ailsa Wild do a workshop at our school. So much laughter, energy, fun and wide eyed thoroughly engaged students. While it was fantastic that the keen writers were able to learn about the process that a published author goes through, the greatest outcome was witnessing highly reluctant writers, both boys and girls, become enthusiastic story creators. What was even better was seeing this enthusiasm carry through the classroom as active, adventurous students realised that writing could be for them too.
Thanks so much Ailsa!
—Kerry, Year 3 teacher
Are you a creative worker looking for a mentor?
One of the things I love most is being on someone’s team while they think about their creative practice. I love listening while people talk through their processes, set goals, figure out their boundaries, dream up new creative endeavours and pull themselves to the finish-line of challenging projects. I love thinking with people about where the joy and satisfaction of their work is and how to reach their flow state.
Email me for the details of one-off, four week or 6 month mentorships.
Ailsa has that magical combination of enthusiasm, curiosity, encouragement and an ability to ask the perfect questions at exactly the right moment. From working with Ailsa I have a greater sense of the value of my work, am more confident and have host of new ideas and processes that I use in my arts practice. I recommend her from the bottom of my heart to the tips of my piano playing fingers.
—Amie, songwriter, 6 month mentorship
Our weekly catchups were a wonderful thing to look forward to - it was lovely reflecting on the week with you, and I don't think we would have navigated the uncertainty and turbulence of the times nearly as well without your advice!
—Richard, circus artist, 6 month mentorship
Photograph by Eryca Green
Charlotte Raven is my roving character based on early 19th century female traveling writers. Decked in an olive-green hoop skirt, poke bonnet and wielding a fountain pen, Charlotte writes letters and poems for festival crowds.
Quotes from people who have met Charlotte:
It was like time-travelling and being totally in the moment at the same time. You encapsulated our 38 year-old love story in 11 evocative lines.
You have a gift. You made me cry over the beauty and tenderness of the poem you wrote for me to give my friend, and she cried when she received it tonight. Love
Sometimes street performers are in-your-face and a bit scary. Not Charlotte. I loved watching people just be drawn to you.
I am available as a collaborator on special writing projects – for a fee. Please consider the Australian Society of Authors recommended rates of pay before contacting me.