kath dolan

My passion project, Why Thank You, I Made it Myself, is an online interview series exploring the nuts-and-bolts of running a creative business with diverse makers and designers.

Contributing profiles and features to Indesign's magazine and website took me inside some of the country's most exciting interiors. Highlights? ARM and Architectus' riotous Arts West for Melbourne Uni, Siren Design's atmospheric reboot of my old stomping ground Lonely Planet on the iconic CUB site, and profiles of artists whose work I adore, including indigenous sculptor Jenny Crompton and origami maestro Ronan Burder.

I regularly contributed premium content to the subscription based website for artists, Artshub. My features spanned the visual arts, craft, design and events.

My features, news stories, profiles and columns appeared in: Spectrum, Domain, Education, Epicure, M, Melbourne Magazine, Sunday Travel and Sunday Age.

I was the founding journalist on the launch of an Australian version of Disney Adventures magazine. Within a year I was promoted to role of editor - the youngest the company had ever appointed at that time. I worked with managing editor to adapt the US magazine format to suit Australian children and young teens. I wrote news and features on actors, musicians, sports stars, adventurers, animals, weird facts and major themes each issue (eg forensic science, magic tricks and dinosaurs. I commissioned reviews of books, music and games, organised competitions, giveaways and promotions, selected comics and liaised with designers, subeditors and Disney staff worldwide on production issues.

From Jan-Dec 1990 I was one of two founding journalists, then co-editors, on Print Media, a monthly magazine for the advertising and marketing industry. Together we wrote news, features, events, profiles and trend analysis, commissioned freelance writers and illustrators, liaised with designers and production staff and edited and proofed copy. From Mar 1991-Apr 1992 I managed the production of custom publishing project Video magazine, produced by Niche for VIDA (Video Industry Distributors' Association). I liaised with VIDA and the magazine's freelance editor to determine content for each issue and commissioned copy from the freelance editor and design from the freelance designer. I liaised with in-house production staff to create six or more custom versions of the magazine for various video chains. I managed the printing, orders and distribution for the monthly magazine Australia-wide. I liaised with in-house finance about accounts and worked with IT consultant to create a vastly improved customer database.

I was commissioned by TarraWarra Estate to write a commemorative booklet to celebrate its 30th birthday. This featured interviews with key winemakers and owner Marc Besen AO about the evolution of the estate from family weekender to award winning winery.

I wrote media releases, corporate profiles and biographies for a huge range of Greta's clients over many years, including Smirnoff, Hello Kitty, Nylex, Ansell, QV, St Albans Textiles and Champagne Mumm.

I started my journalism career at an early incarnation of Niche Media, so it was a buzz to return as a freelancer a while back, contributing business stories to Business State and Grow magazines.

Writing for Green each issue is a pleasure and a privilege. It's given me the chance to write about visionary communities like Westwyke, The Commons and The Cape and meet the incredible clients, architects, landscape designers behind some of Australia's most inventive, unconventional and refined homes. My stories regularly appear in Green Press’s digital Design Book too. TESTIMONIAL Tamsin O'Neill, editor: "Kath Dolan has been writing for Green magazine for eight years. In this time she has regularly delivered engaging and well researched articles on time, every time."

I've taken on a fascinating in-house storytelling role with one of Australia's most interesting, complex, ethically motivated architectural practices. As a B Corp (https://bcorporation.com.au/) ClarkeHopkinsClarke is part of a growing worldwide network using business as a force for positive social change. Our designers and planners create big, socially ambitious projects drawing on specialties in urban design, education, health, senior living and care, mixed-use and multi-res. The aim? Impact tomorrow with projects that build community and social sustainability. There's no shortage of stories to tell for this crew. As part of a dynamic, inventive marketing team I write all kinds of stories and work with like-minded folk in the media and events management to spread the word about the distinctive work we do and the social impact it's having.

Writing profiles, news stories, opinion pieces and marketing materials for Monash about the mindboggling revolutionary research of its leading researchers was exciting. I'm especially proud of an interview series promoting the world-leading work of female academics in male dominated disciplines for the Department of Engineering and IT. In April 2016 I researched and wrote copy for a fundraising campaign to support ground-breaking technologies and treatments in development at the Monash Institute of Medical Engineering (MIME). TESTIMONIAL Chloe Smethurst, Communications & PR, Faculty of IT and Engineering: "Kath is a terrific writer. She has worked on several projects for me this year, including copy for a brochure and profiles of academics. She has always submitted on time, and her work is very thoroughly researched, well crafted and edited. I highly recommend her."

I am one of six Victorian writers chosen to participate in Craft Victoria's inaugural Craft Writers Program for 2016. This involves developing a feature story for members that's inspired by Craft Victoria's August seminar Craft and Design As a Career. TESTIMONIAL Kim Goodwin, Project Coordinator, Craft Victoria: “Kath was selected as a participant in the inaugural Craft Writers’ Program in 2016. This competitive process aimed to uncover creative talent who brought new and diverse perspectives to the craft community and helped craft writing to reach new audiences. Kath came to the program bringing a strong journalistic background and a level of professionalism that made her an extremely valuable participant in the program.”

I researched and write features and profiles about leading Australian designers to Habitus Magazine and its website habitusliving.com. Amongst many highlights were lighting designer Christopher Boots, furniture designer Grazia Materia on her hero Marion Hall Best, and the utterly extraordinary transformation of architect Robin Williams' mission brown beach shack into an outrageously glamorous, cruise-ship-inspired beach house to die for, Villa Marittima.

What a buzz to research and write five hefty chapters for Hoyne’s award-winning book series The Place Economy, which takes readers inside the world's best placemaking projects and picks the brains of the game-changing people behind them. The story so far includes New York's Industry City and 1000 Dean Street, Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, Adelaide's South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, and a humble green roof in East St Kilda that may just be the multi-res way of the future. TESTIMONIAL Jacquie Byron, managing editor of The Place Economy: “Kath Dolan is smart, thorough, proactive and eloquent.”

* As a consultant to FireWorks PR, Promotions and Events I worked in-house two days per week for almost two years liaising between clients and the media. My role included: interviewing clients like TarraWarra Estate winery and La Madre Bakery to identify and pitch newsworthy stories * arranging interviews and providing any research, images etc required * providing media advice and strategy to clients * writing, sending and following up media releases * and copywriting for clients, ranging from sales materials to bios.

Writing features about some of Australia's most talented designers and artists for the gorgeous Canadian-based, globally focused magazine UPPERCASE was a hoot. My subjects included street artist and social advocate Kaff-eine, jeweller and outback adventurer Laura Eyles, and the technically exquisite and mindbogglingly varied work of ceramic artist, sculptor and illustrator Niharika Hukku.

Led the Traveller Publications and Information Department in Melbourne. Promoted to global manager, a role that involved coordinating staff in London, Paris, Oakland and Melbourne to interact with LP’s vast community of travellers worldwide. Wrote and edited traveller and author newsletters and helped launch online traveller news service Scoop and email newsletter Comet.

Founding journalist on launch of advertising and marketing magazine Print Media. Wrote news and features on events, product news, innovative research and campaigns, industry leaders, and in-depth analysis of various market and media segments. Promoted to Co-Editor, and helped commission freelance writers and illustrators. Liaised with designers and production staff. Edited and proofed copy.

They're a lovely bunch at Illustrators Australia, and it was a sweet gig helping them organise events, communicate with members and highlight the work of talent like Tonia Composto and Bettina Gutheridge (whose watercolours starred in the Peter Rabbit movie...). TESTIMONIAL Stacey Bennett, Marketing Manager: "Having had the pleasure of working with Kath Dolan, I can say with confidence that there are not many writers who can match her level of honesty, integrity and sheer talent. Kath Dolan is an accomplished writer and her work never ceases to surprise and delight. Reliable, hard-working and admirable in her passion for the creative industries, I cannot recommend Kath enough to anyone looking for captivating content."

I attended the seminar and wrote a 1500-word feature on the event for Craft Victoria members as part of the inaugural 2016 Craft Victoria Writers Program.

This one-off, one-on-one workshop in Marianna's studio explored her processes, techniques and tips for generating concepts and executing various watercolour and mixed media illustrations.

This eight-week course provided a foundation in fashion illustration techniques, materials and resources.

This one day workshop explored the practicalities of fiction writing with an emphasis on drafting and re-drafting short fiction.

This full-day workshop focused on writing techniques for newcomers to short fiction.

Won The Age-sponsored Nancy Dexter Memorial Award for best second year student in 1988 Activities and Societies: Wrote for RMIT student newspaper Catalyst

My HSC subjects were Art, English Literature, Italian, English and Australian History.