New Mentorship Program to Open Doors for Australia’s Next Generation of Journalists

MELBOURNE (13 August, 2025) — ArtsHub, the home of the creative industry and leading media publisher of arts and entertainment news, reviews, opinion, events and jobs, today announces the launch of the Creative Journalism Fellowship, its arts and cultural journalism mentorship program, a new initiative designed to bridge the gap between study and professional journalism experience for emerging arts journalists.

The program, proudly supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW, is being piloted in NSW and pairs aspiring NSW-based journalists with ArtsHub’s award-winning, experienced journalists, editors and media industry leaders for hands-on mentoring, skill development, and professional paid work experience. Over a six-month period, participants will gain real-world journalism experience, work on professional editorial projects, and receive on-the-job career  mentorship including critical training on defamation, cultural safety, SEO practices and utilising a Content Management System.

If successful, ArtsHub are hoping to take the program national, in partnership with other state bodies related to the arts and are actively pursuing those discussions.

“Breaking into journalism can be one of the hardest steps for new journalism graduates or self-taught writers,”

said Paul Dalgarno, Head of Content at ArtsHub’s parent company Creative Hubs Group.

“This program gives young, emerging journalists direct access to the mentorship, professional networks and hands-on experience they need to succeed in today’s fast-evolving media landscape. Our ambition at Creative Hubs Group has always been to be a one-stop shop for the best arts, screen and games content, bringing a distinctly Australian sensibility to our coverage of national and global entertainment. We’re excited to mentor the next generation of journalists through this program.”

Kerri Glasscock, Executive Director Create NSW said: 

“Increasing the opportunities for journalists with expertise in arts and culture is vital to encourage critical public discourse and elevate the achievements of NSW artists and storytellers.

“This strategic initiative, delivered by ArtsHub, will nurture emerging arts writers through industry-led professional development opportunities. It’s another way we’re embracing the creative industries and building capacity in the arts sector, a core principle of the Creative Communities policy, to help energise the sector for growth.”

Creative Hubs Groups Australian brands ArtsHub and ScreenHub recently combined their editorial teams into a single network content development team under a new Head of Content, headed by Dalgarno. The move has been well received and is designed to accelerate the development of new industry and consumer-focused content formats across the network, with a particular focus on video.

This new structure promises to enable Creative Hubs Group to accelerate its position as a leading arts and entertainment media publisher by optimising how content is produced across its ArtsHub and ScreenHub brands, while exploring new content formats designed to more powerfully engage audiences and deliver impactful advertiser outcomes. 

Participants must be based/living in NSW, aged 28 and under and/or in the first five years of professional practice, and willing to participate in a program that will be publicly promoted and potentially high profile and require public facing video content development.

The mentorship program will run from September 2025 to March 2026 and will include:

• One-on-one mentoring with senior journalists and editors

• Practical journalism experience including research, interviewing, editing and publishing

• Workshops on multimedia storytelling, ethics, and audience engagement

• Opportunities to publish work across Creative Hubs Group’s media platforms

• Paid professional journalism work in partnership with cross-sector partners

The application period for qualifying journalists opens today, with places available for 10 emerging journalists from across NSW. Some travel may be required.ArtsHub is seeking applicants from diverse backgrounds and regions across NSW, with a strong interest in telling stories that matter to Australian audiences related to arts and entertainment.

Creative Journalism Fellowship Graphic with Logo Lockup

For more information and to apply, visit https://www.artshub.com.au/creative-journalism-fellowship-nsw/.

Government bodies and other organisations seeking to support this program or similar programs designed to grow the creative industries in NSW or nationally are encouraged to get in touch.

About Creative Hubs Group

Creative Hubs Group through its foundational brand, ArtsHub.com.au, has a 25-year alignment to the arts and entertainment industries that includes ArtsHub, ScreenHub and ArtsHub UK.

Creative Hubs Group offers advertisers reach across the whole group through a single point of contact. Its audiences love the arts, events, culture, entertainment, and video games. They are educated, prosperous, engaged, and aged primarily from 18 to 54.

Learn more: https://www.creativehubsgroup.com/

Media Contact & Partnership Opportunities

Mimi Curran: mimi@creativehubsgroup.com