The Australian Film Television and Radio School has partnered with the Andrew Plain Memorial Fund to support emerging female and gender-diverse sound practitioners.

The Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) has announced a new scholarship and graduate prize aimed at increasing opportunities for women and gender-diverse practitioners working in screen sound.

Established in partnership with the Andrew Plain Memorial Fund, the Women in Sound Scholarship and Graduate Prize will recognise emerging talent while honouring the legacy of the late Australian sound designer and educator Andrew Plain.

The annual scholarship will support a female or gender-diverse final-year student undertaking sound electives in AFTRS’ Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production program, while the graduate prize will recognise excellence in sound design by a female or gender-diverse practitioner completing a bachelor’s or postgraduate qualification.

Applications for the inaugural 2027 scholarship and prize will open in November and close in December 2026.

Plain, who died in 2013, was a respected figure in the Australian screen industry, known for his work as a sound designer, innovator, writer and educator. He was also a committed mentor to emerging practitioners, regularly guest lecturing at AFTRS and other educational institutions.

His partner, Adrienne Parr, administers the Andrew Plain Memorial Fund, established with support from the Australian Screen Sound Guild.

Parr said the partnership was a natural extension of Plain’s commitment to education and professional development.

“When I first heard about the Sonic Sorority initiative, I knew it was a perfect fit for the fund,” Parr said.

“Andrew had a particular interest in, and commitment to, screen sound education — both in its practice and its theory. He made it a point to work on all types of productions (feature films, documentaries, shorts, etc.) to broaden his own understanding of screen sound.”

The scholarship and prize will complement AFTRS’ Sonic Sorority initiative, one of three extracurricular programs designed to improve representation in traditionally male-dominated screen disciplines.

Alongside similar initiatives in cinematography and directing, Sonic Sorority provides female and gender-diverse students with mentoring, industry connections and practical learning opportunities.

Parr recalled that Plain’s commitment to mentoring extended beyond the classroom. While operating his sound production company Huzzah Sound at the former Fox Studios in Sydney, he maintained an open-door policy for AFTRS students, several of whom subsequently joined the company.

“He forever found time to assist and encourage anyone interested in furthering their knowledge and understanding of sound,” she said.

AFTRS CEO Dr Nell Greenwood said the initiative would help address barriers facing underrepresented creatives in the screen sound industry.

“Andrew Plain was a passionate advocate for screen sound education and for nurturing emerging talent,” Greenwood said.

“This scholarship and graduate prize honour that legacy while creating meaningful opportunities for the next generation of female and gender-diverse sound practitioners.”

Greenwood added that the partnership would contribute to the school’s broader efforts to develop a more diverse Australian screen workforce.

For Parr, the initiative also reflects Plain’s enduring belief in the creative possibilities of sound.

“The more we learn about sound, the more we understand the magic and seemingly infinite possibilities it brings to screen production,” Plain once said.

The Women in Sound Scholarship and Graduate Prize will be awarded annually from 2027.