Vishaka Kumar is currently doing her Masters in Media and Communication Studies at Monash University, where she also works part time as a digital marketing officer in the Faculty of Arts. She has worked with multiple prominent festivals in Melbourne including the Indian film Festival Melbourne, Human Rights Arts and Film Festival, Women of the World festival at Footscray Community Arts Centre and more, in digital marketing and programming roles.

She has a profound love for Indian films from the 90s, classic English literature, Human Rights documentaries and Japanese curry.

What do you do outside of EWF?

Currently, I’m doing a Masters of Media and Communication Studies at Monash University. I also work part time in a digital marketing role at the Monash Faculty of Art and I try to volunteer with festivals whenever I can.

Do you have any weird hobbies?

I recently started playing soccer which isn’t an unusual hobby but for someone with really bad stamina and coordination it’s been a really weird and exciting experience for me.

What is your favourite film adaptation of a book?

I love film just as much as books and it’s great to see a lot of adaptations being made more consciously with regards to the writing, direction and casting. Right now, one of my absolute favourite books – Vikram Seth’s ‘A Suitable Boy’ is currently being adapted into a television show. So fingers crossed they do a fantastic job.

What are you most excited about for this year’s festival?

This is my first time at Emerging Writers Festival so I am excited for all of it! I am particularly excited for the events centred around re-writing histories and reclaiming narratives. As well as all the events that my fellow creative producers are doing a fab job programming.

If you could work for any festival in the world, what would it be?

At some point in my life, I will make my way to the Jaipur Literature Festival in India. The festival showcases some of India’s most relevant, progressive and diverse speakers and their works. Plus the fact that it is held in such a gorgeous city and everyone’s dressed in colourful Indian clothes makes it all the more appealing to be part of.

What do you hope to do after the Creative Producer Internship?

I will hopefully be finishing my Master’s program at the same time, so I would like to continue working in the arts in bigger, more challenging roles which is something that the creative producer internship is helping me prepare for. I am also very interested in cultural policy and so I am hoping that industry experience will allow me to pursue this field in the future.

Check out what Vishaka is producing with EWF,  The Early Words: Feminism Online.

The 2018 Emerging Writers’ Festival will run from 19 – 29 June. The full festival program can be found here.

Interview by fellow Creative Producer Mia McAuslan.