Giving to ECU

Liam Hickey

D’Arcy Slater Scholarship

"This scholarship provides a great feeling of motivation and a strong sense of appreciation for where I am and what I am currently doing."

The D’Arcy Slater Foundation was formed in memory of 13-year old D’Arcy Slater, the only child of Bill Slater and Christina Slater, who tragically drowned whilst returning to school following football training. An only child, D’Arcy was a strong academic and sporting student, representing Guildford Grammar School in maths and chess competitions, football, tennis and swimming.

His parents, Bill and Christina Slater, set up the D’Arcy Slater Foundation in memory of their son to offer a wide range of scholarships to encourage youth to pursue their aspirations in education, sport and the arts.

Since 2009, the Foundation has generously supported WAAPA through its annual student scholarships and funding for visiting artists. To date, the foundation has assisted over 30 students in reaching their full potential.

Liam Hickey, the 2023 recipient of the D’Arcy Slater Performing Arts Scholarship, says he is grateful for the tremendous impact the scholarship has had on his university life.

"I would like to express my immense gratitude and appreciation for being the recipient of the D’Arcy Slater Foundation Acting Scholarship of 2023. I had applied for the scholarship earlier in the year thinking I would most likely not hear back. However, I recently received a phone call that informed me that I had been successful in my application for the scholarship which was incredibly encouraging, to say the least! It has allowed me to support myself and my studies, which I am very passionate about." said Liam.

"It's interesting to note that D’Arcy Slater attended a primary school where I used to teach drums! I thought this small thing we have in common was wonderful to acknowledge and made me feel all the more special to be a recipient of this scholarship. It provides a great feeling of motivation and a strong sense of appreciation for where I am and what I am currently doing. Thank you." said Liam.

The 2023 D’Arcy Slater Scholarship recipient for Production and Design, Barnabas Le Grand, said that receiving the scholarship has alleviated a huge amount of mental and financial stress.

"I grew up in Witchcliffe, south of Margaret River, living with my father who was a glassblower. He instilled in me a love of art and encouraged a passion for making weird, complex, and engaging objects which I am still developing to this day. After trying my hand at several university courses, I heard about the Props and Scenery program at WAAPA. With all the experiences and facilities it offered, I knew this would be the right course to develop my skills in art, fabrication, and design." said Barnabas.

"As a props and scenery student, I have had the chance to work on multiple incredibly rewarding productions. The course is very demanding, often requiring us to be there 40+ hours a week. I have struggled to balance the workload: working full-time during breaks and holidays, living off instant noodles for weeks after buying materials for class assignments, and luckily having some support from my grandparents when I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to pay for food or utilities at all.

Receiving the scholarship helps tremendously with my cost of living expenses while I study, it allows me to purchase tools and materials that will widen the opportunities for projects to pursue. I aspire to be a prop maker for theatre, film, and television, contributing my weird, complex, and engaging objects to projects that bring entertainment and joy to people's lives, and this scholarship will give me a huge helping hand in achieving that goal." said Barnabas.

ECU are immensely grateful to Bill and Christina Slater for their ongoing support of WAAPA through the D’Arcy Slater Foundation.

A range of scholarships are offered at ECU to help both current and future students complete their studies.  To find out more please contact one of the friendly members of our Office of Development and Alumni Relations team at development@ecu.edu.au.