School incursions with impact
School visits
Available for Book Week 2026
New dates have opened up for Book Week 2026 for schools in Melbourne.
Tuesday 11 August
Thursday 13 August
Wednesday 26 August
Thursday 27 August
Friday 28 August
Please call or register interest today!
Busy Beaks workshops
I'm a Melbourne-based author and illustrator who loves visiting primary schools and libraries. My narrative non-fiction picture books connect directly with many areas of the Australian Curriculum.
Each presentation begins with the story behind the inspiration for Busy Beaks, followed by an interactive book reading filled with bird calls, audience participation and a Q&A session. Students also discover the creative process behind making a picture book, from the first spark of an idea through to the finished illustrations.
We then launch into a hands-on art workshop inspired by Busy Beaks or Ingenious Insects. I love seeing students explore their creativity, build confidence and discover new ways of looking at the natural world.
Choose from either a collage workshop or a drawing workshop. Details and pricing are below.
Collage workshops
Collage workshops are ideal for students from Years 2 and above.
Duration - 1 hour
Cost - $15.50 per student + GST
Group size - minimum 20 students, maximum 35 students.
I will supply
A range of hand-painted collage papers for your students to work with. Thick card to mount the completed artwork.
Professional reference materials, key for great results!
Drawing workshops
Drawing workshops are suitable for all ages (P-6)
Duration - 1 hour
Cost - $12.50 per student + GST
Group size - minimum 20 students, maximum 50 students.
I lead the students through guided drawing exercises. We break the steps down in a way that is fun and not intimidating. Students will create 2 or more drawings.
Testimonials
Some nice words from recent incursions
“The children were absolutely transfixed. Sarah wove together a full sensory experience – bird sounds, photographs, sketches, and completed artworks. Sarah is not only a gifted creator but also a natural educator. Like the birds she so beautifully portrays, she knows when to bring calm and when to inspire pure exuberance.”
“Sarah was a dream to work with. She made organising her visit so easy and ran interactive and engaging workshops for children from Prep to Grade 6. All of the kids loved working with her and were incredibly proud of the birds they made and were able to take home.”
“Sarah and her collage workshops were absolutely fantastic for our school’s Book Week celebrations. She presented such special sessions for our students, they were so engaged both with the storytelling and creative hands-on activity. Sarah was such a pleasure to work with and comes highly recommended for any school visit.”
Please get in touch
Register your interest for waitlist for 2026 or
Book Week 2027
Frequently asked questions
Where do you visit?
I am located in Flemington in Melbourne’s inner west and happy to travel throughout Victoria for school visits.
Do you have minimum bookings?
Yes. To cut down my travel time I have a minimum of 3 x 60 minute sessions per booking. This ensures I spend less time on the road and more time with students.
Minimums for regional visits
If you’re locate more than 1.5 hours from Melbourne, I am happy to travel but I have a booking minimum of 8 x 60 minute sessions over 2 consecutive days. Often small/regional schools will get together to arrange for me to visit multiple schools.
What does the school supply?
For collage, the school provides: glue sticks and scissors for all participants. I provide everything else.
For drawing, the school provides: Blank paper, coloured textas/markers, coloured pencils, pencils and erasers. Clipboards if the students will be sitting on the ground
Please also set up a laptop connected to a screen to show my presentation.