'BEYOND THE BUSHFIRES’ - Art and Writing Competition
Sponsored by - Pambula Baptist Church
Khaiah Thomson Literature Category
Iain Dawson Art Category
Iain Dawson: is the Director of the South East Centre for Contemporary Art (SECCA) in Bega New
South Wales.
He has over 20 years of experience working in the Australian visual arts sector and is skilled in
cultural facility management, stakeholder engagement, and curating.
Iain has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Australian National University, Canberra School of Art.
Under his leadership, the Bega Valley Regional Gallery, now SECCA, has seen a significant increase in
funding, visitor engagement, and cultural contribution to the region.
He has previously worked at the Australian Centre for Photography, Tim Olsen Gallery, and Affordable
Art Fair.
In 2018, Iain received an international fellowship from Museums & Galleries NSW to work with the
Museum
MACAN in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The SECCA Bega gallery facility is currently undergoing a $4.2 million redevelopment, set to open in
late winter 2023.
Iain played a key role in securing support for the project from all three levels of government.
Khaiah Thomson: West Australian Author Khaiah Thomson won the Hawkeye Manuscript Development
Prize in
2020 for the book titled Welcome to Blackwood.
She has been signed for three books with the following books of the series due to be released over the
next two years.
Khaiah has worked as a Social Worker, allowing her to meet people from all walks of life, inspiring the
character development in her writing.
She has a passion for Young Adult Fiction and in particular the Paranormal Fiction and Fantasy genres.
Khaiah lives in the Perth hills with her husband, two sons and a menagerie of pets.
You can find more details about Khaiah works on the following weblinks.
Khaiah Thomson | Hawkeye Books Khaiah Thomson –
Writing WA
