Maidstone Community Centre Writer in Residence Program
Maidstone Community Centre is a Council run multi-purpose community centre that provides an exciting range of community programs and activities focused on enriching and supporting our community.
About the opportunity
The Maidstone Writer in Residence Program is a pilot program offering a local writer a four-week artistic residency in a dedicated office space, within the Centre. The writer may write, read, converse and think in the shared parts of the Centre (such as the lounge room and gardens) and will be provided with a private office space for more concentrated work.
The program is open to writers of all forms and styles who live, work or study in Melbourne’s West or can demonstrate a connection to the City of Maribyrnong. The residency is suitable for writers who are looking for quiet writing space but are also interested in engaging with community as part of their creative process.
Artists are encouraged to connect to the Community Centre programs and community members while in residence in the form of one community engagement offering, to maximise the benefits of the program for artists and the local community. This might be a workshop, reading of your work, or other activity.
Please note that as this is a pilot program, only one residency will be offered, during March 2026. Applications for this residency closed on 15 October 2025.
Download program guidelines(PDF, 979KB)
About the Writer in Residence
Olympia Koziaris: 2026 Maidstone Writer in Residence
Local historian, writer and educator Olympia Koziaris as the inaugural Maidstone Community Centre Writer in Residence for 2026. A lifelong Maribyrnong local, Olympia has spent years documenting the stories that shape our community, including ‘Yiasou Yarraville’ and the recent ‘Stories of Bradmill’ documentary. Olympia is deeply involved with community life and local history, having served on the Footscray Historical Society committee, the Council’s Heritage Advisory Committee, and the Healthy and Active Ageing Committee.
During her residency, Olympia will run creative writing and oral history workshops at the Maidstone Community Centre, supporting residents to share their experiences in their own words. Olympia’s aim for the residency is to highlight local voices and reinforce our cultural vibrancy, connecting residents through creativity, empathy, and shared history.
Artwork pictured: Flourish by Justine McAllister, Maidstone Community Centre.
Photography by Nicole Reed.