Testimonials

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I was delighted to attend Dr June Perkins's short poetry workshop at Ink of Light, the Baha’i Writers Festival held in Brisbane, May 2019. June’s passion and love of this art form was infectious as she led us through an historical overview of poetry featuring beautiful and significant works from different eras.  

 

Titled The Power of Poetry, her workshop highlighted how poetry can be an act of worship (holding up what is worthy); how it can convey the inexpressible and how it can be used in community building.

 

June used a fun group activity that had all of us composing lines of poetry in response to a visual stimulus. The end result surprised us all, especially those of us who previously thought we could not write poetry. I look forward to attending a more in-depth and longer poetry workshop with this gifted teacher.

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Renee Hills, Author

 

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In Spring 2018, June Perkins contributed some of her written works to the Words and Pictures project at Queensland Art Gallery. Each season we invite local artists and authors to respond to artworks in the Australian Collection.

 

While these poems and stories were on display, June led an enthusiastic group of children and their grandparents around the gallery on a special tour for Grandparents Day.

 

June was also invited back to QAGOMA to perform for three days at the APT9 Summer Festival Relax by the River space where she read some of her stories and Magic Fish Dreaming poems to a delighted audience of families.

 

June is a joy to work and collaborate with, she is organised and has consistently shown solid dedication to her projects at the gallery. June is also a captivating storyteller, she has a careful and considered style of communicating and genuine interest in exploring ways to engage the listener.

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Laura Mudge, Senior Program Officer, Children's Art Centre

Hannah Grzesiak, Public Programs Officer, QAGOMA

Sophie Dixon, A/Project Coordinator, Exhibitions Management, QAGOMA, 2019

 

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It has been four years now since June contacted me to illustrate her beautiful poetry book Magic Fish Dreaming. 

 

Her very professional and elegant approach gave me the will to work with her. And  the collaboration with her was just amazing.

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She is very responsive and available to all my questions even though I know that she has a lot of other commitments.

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Her creativity is impressive and has no limit, always very interesting and rich. Also, it was very interesting to build and work on an idea with her as she is open minded, flexible and I was impressed by her sharp mindedness.

 

June is a very inspiring person.

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Helene Magisson, Children's Book Illustrator, July 2016

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June Perkins is a peer, a mentor and a friend.

 

I sense the creativity that surrounds her whole life as she uses the latest technologies to express the world she sees.

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June’s photographs, poetry, videos as well as published written works are shared in her online discussion groups as a source of inspiration and development.

 

I have also witnessed June working on a community recovery project and personally experienced how her photography and writing bound that project.

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It is such a joy that someone of June’s academic knowledge and calibre is so willing to share on so many levels.

 

Melinda Irvine, Development Worker,  Songwriter and Poet

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June Perkins contributed to the development of ABC Open in the early stages of the national initiative by regularly participating in ABC Open projects, workshops and story publications.

 

Her work and commitment to projects was appreciated to the point the ABC hired June to help further develop ABC Open’s 500 Words project. She was a champion for people living in regional areas of Australia and successfully inspired and encouraged others to join in with ABC Open projects.

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Her work was most noticeable during ABC Open’s Aftermath project, documenting the recovery stages of Australian’s who had experienced natural disasters. June’s strengths included short stories, articles and photography and within twelve months June had developed and included filmmaking skills into the repertoire. I worked with June to produce short films for Aftermath and to sub-edit her short stories. June’s stories and empathetic nature was respected and appreciated within the national ABC Open community.

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Michael Bromage, Former ABC Open Producer

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June brings warmth of spirit plus a wealth of experience with her, and I feel privileged to have worked with her on the past two,’ Ink of Light: Baha’i Writers’ Festivals’.

 

Her commitment and enthusiasm is infectious to any project, and her sense of professionalism in representing other creatives is commendable.

 

It has been a true honour to have June’s assistance and I look forward to collaborating with her in the future.  

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Ian Hallmond. Founder of the ‘Ink of Light- Baha’i Writers’ Festival.’

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I first met June when she volunteered to present at the inaugural Tropical Writers festival in 2008. I was impressed with her knowledge, her commitment to her writing and to the Licuala Writers group. Since then I have gone on to enjoy June's talents as a photographer and musician. 

 

In 2010 June was again prepared to volunteer her time and knowledge to the second Tropical Writers Festival and delivered an informed presentation on the growing importance of the digital world from a writer's perspective. In 2012 she was an invited guest on a panel. June works tirelessly to hone and develop her skills and always gives of her very best in what ever she does.

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Diane Finlay Regional Writers Representative - Cairns Tropical Writers Festival

 

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I have known June Perkins since she came to Tully, North Queensland in 2005. I have had the fortune being able to observe June’s work as a writer and a photographer over that time. June is a human artist. There is a gestalt in her life and work that shows up as a calm encouragement and organizing spirit in the service of others in the their possibility as artists especially photographers and writers.

I have had the fortune of working with June on a 2007 National Writers Week poetry workshop in her local rural community of Tully; and a 2010 project designing a script writing workshop as action in social discourse that we called Out of the Box theatre. 

 

I was thrilled to see June working as documentary maker to the 2013 Tablelands Folk Festival. While her photographic skills are undoubted, June’s photographic work at that festival was quietly unobtrusive, mostly beyond the performer’s and audience’s awareness, yet directly engaging in
authentic appreciation of the performer where she needed to be.

 

Owen Allen, Phoenix Functions, Atherton

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I have known June Perkins since 2006.  She's a very talented writer, artist and a responsible, community-minded person who continually learns and uses new technologies creatively.  

 

I have worked closely with June on her three major artistic projects funded through grants and/or public donations. June wrote the project grant applications and acquittals and handled the monies.

 

She was meticulous in her record keeping.  She is an inspiring leader who recognises and supports the talents of others and is skilled in delegation. She communicates her vision very well in person, through the printed word and through her visual art and songs.

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Pam Galeano, Children's Author and Licuala  WINQ Writers Member

 

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I first met June at SongTrails in Tully in 2012 - a weekend songwriting workshop learning some tools of the trade - when she seamlessly moved amongst everyone taking photographs which she later compiled into a number of slideshow presentations to share with all. From that time I have found June to be very passionate about her work and her enthusiasm shows through in the results that she achieves.

 

Shirley Lyn, Musician, Song Trails Participant

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