The Indigenous Storytellers Scholarship, an initiative from Façon Magazine and proudly supported by Greater Bank, is honoured to announce Sean Kinchela as the recipient of the 2025 $10,000 Indigenous Storytellers Scholarship.
A proud Gamilaroi and Wiradjuri man living on the Far South Coast of NSW on Yuin Country, Kinchela uses his photography to tell powerful stories.
“My aim is to share these stories in hopes to protect Country, the oceans, skies, animals and our people, along with keeping our culture alive and burning,” shared Kinchela in his application.
His winning submission - a cultural portrait of his partner - demonstrated both technical skill and deep emotional storytelling.
“Sometimes all we have of someone is memories and a photo, and sometimes being a photographer means that you have that responsibility to capture and protect these stories.”
With support from Greater Bank, Sean plans to use the $10,000 scholarship to complete a self-published guidebook to the South Coast - spotlighting the region’s hidden gems, wildlife, and people from an Indigenous photographic perspective.
“I have begun creating a book as a guide to the South Coast - its hidden gems, beautiful animals and plants, as well as its people and culture from an Indigenous photographer’s perspective,” he said.
“Too often I feel like our Indigenous photographers get overlooked, so I would like to accomplish this to create a platform for my area, people and photographers alike.” said Sean.
Eight other finalists across dance, fashion design, writing, film, accessory design, painting, digital art and music also received a $1,000 prize, thanks to Greater Bank’s ongoing support of the scholarship program. All finalists were also paired with a leading Indigenous mentor in their field.
Façon Founder and Editor-in-Chief Lara Lupish said, “Sean’s work is extraordinary, grounded in culture, shaped by experience, and full of creative strength.
“His voice is powerful, and we’re proud to support him as he carves out space for Indigenous photography in Australia.”
NGM Group Head of Community and Sustainability Kirrah McClelland, of which Greater Bank is a part, said, “Sean is incredibly talented at what he does, and his photography evokes so much emotion and meaning.
“We are thrilled to support Sean, and we can’t wait to see his guidebook – we know that he will create something very special and showcase our beautiful country for all to enjoy.”