Matt Shanks: Live in Studio
Spend a day with Matt, live from his studio, as he creates his next picture book. It’s a chance to see what it’s really like to be an illustrator and writer, uncensored. This is a live work day, so Matt’ll be busy, but the days will be structured so that students and teachers get real insight into what it’s like in the day of a picture book maker.
Who is it for?
Matt’s live broadcasts are exclusively available to rural and remote Australian schools only. We’re defining this as schools located 80-100km+ from a city centre (typically towns with less than 100,000 people). There is no audience limit for the school (invite the whole school if you want to), but Q+A portions of the day will work better if the size remains at about 30 kids. Principals, teachers, and librarians of these schools are all strongly encouraged to get in touch. If you’re curious about why the rural/remote restriction, see the FAQ below.
What’s included?
At it’s simplest, this is a live, private video stream directly into Matt’s Melbourne studio. Schools will get a link to dial in to on the day. It will be a HD capable, 2-camera feed, one focussed on Matt’s work, and another on him. For the studio tour portion, Matt will have an additional roaming camera to show kids and teachers the ins and outs of the space in which he works. With this setup, the following is included:
- Watch Matt work live on whatever project he’s working on. This means an early look at the artwork and could be storyboards, roughs, or final art.
- A 20 minute tour of the studio. Guided by Matt, he’ll show how the space is set up, his favourite art supplies and the neat tips and tricks he’s developed so far.
- A live Q+A. Matt will spend time answering questions from students and teachers.
- Meet Matt’s cat, Marble. If she doesn’t end up on Matt’s lap, we’ll search the studio to find her.
- No class size limit. Let the whole school dial in.
- No timezone limit. Matt is in Melbourne, but is happy to work on Western Australian time.
- Recording available afterwards. Recordings will be done on a request basis. If you’d like this session recorded, please specify this in your application.
What will kids learn?
Matt knows the curriculum, backwards, but this is about more than just ticking a few curriculum boxes. Sure, kids will learn about visual literacy, storytelling, and art techniques which all tie back to the curriculum. But Matt’s opening up his studio to inspire kids. To give unprecedented access to his process and work to kids living in rural and remote communities in Australia who don’t often get the chance to interact with artists in this way.
What does it cost?
$750 AUD (negotiable)
There aren’t industry standard rates for this experience. The Australian Society of Authors suggests a fee of $250 for an online session that lasts 45 minutes so we think $750 for a whole day is pretty reasonable. But, we know regional and remote schools do it tough, so don’t let the cost stop your application. Matt will consider all applications and will work with schools 1-1 to ensure they get equal access in some way.
Express your interest now
Matt’s live-in-studio experience is only available to rural and remote Australian schools (for now). That is, non-metro schools that are located 80-100km+ from capital city centres. There are only 10 sessions available in 2020, so once they’re gone, they’re gone. To apply, please use the button below to express your interest. Matt will be in touch shortly after receiving your application to discuss the details a bit further.
Frequently asked questions
Why is this restricted to regional and remote schools only?
This program is about rebalancing privilege. Research shows that kids living in remote and regional communities have less access to the arts, but aren’t necessarily less interested in becoming artists. We can only aspire to be something we can see. We know from experience that getting access to working artists – seeing their practice, their materials, the way they work – gives kids an opportunity to imagine a future that they otherwise could not. So, for now, this experience is for them.
If this is about equal access, shouldn’t it be free?
Yes, good point. We thought the same thing. But, the fees collected for these broadcasts are 100% donated to charities that are working at the coalface to close the education gap that exists between city and regional/remote schools. Matt is only one person, but by funding organisations who can work at scale, the impact of this work will be greater so that more people benefit in the long run.
What if $750 is too much?
Regional and remote schools do it tough, so don’t let the cost stop your application. Matt will consider all applications and will work with schools 1-1 to ensure they get equal access in some way.
Why only 10 sessions a year?
This is the first time Matt’s attempted this, so there’s going to be a learning curve. In the end, Matt’s illustration schedule is really tight, so he still needs to work in private to have the focus and concentration to get the work done. But, we’re committed to taking the lessons we learn from this year and improve for next year. That might mean more sessions, or more artists opening up their studios in this way, or, something else. We’ll see when we get to the end of 2020. If you’d like to stay updated, subscribe to my mailing list to get notified when things get a little clearer.
What technology do I need?
The main thing we need to worry about with tech is your internet speed and webcam. Matt will be sharing a HD broadcast. If you can watch YouTube, uninterrupted in your classroom or school, then we should be good. Schools will be able to access the feed via any device that supports video-conferencing: Laptop, iPad/Tablet, or mobile phone. Prior to the live broadcast, Matt will need someone to run a quick test to make sure we aren’t interrupted on the day.
What if the tech doesn’t work on the day?
No matter how much testing we do, sometimes it just doesn’t work on the day. If that happens, there will be no charge, and we’ll look at setting up a new date/time to give it another go. If we find that the internet just can’t cope at all, ever, we’ll work something out.
I’m a professional illustrator, can’t I just copy this and make my own money?
Yes, you could. Please do. It’s really easy. We need as many artists thinking as creatively as possible about how to increase access and inspire regional and remote communities. So, if you’re an artist, please get in touch, I’ll be more than happy to share my setup and daily structure so you can use it as you see fit, or adapt it to your own way of working.
If you have further questions, please feel free to contact me.