Sparsh Ahuja is an award-winning filmmaker, journalist and National Geographic Explorer based in Melbourne.
His work has exhibited in venues such as The Smithsonian, Victoria & Albert and Asian Art Museums, and featured at Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, MUBI, The New Yorker, TIME, The BBC and Al Jazeera amongst others.
Grant Writing & Creative Strategy
I work as a freelance creative strategist, helping individuals, organisations, and creative projects secure funding and build meaningful partnerships. Based in Melbourne and working internationally, I’ve raised over $680,000 AUD for initiatives across the arts, cultural exchange, and climate justice, supporting projects in Australia, the UK, Europe, and the United States.
Whether you’re applying for arts funding, government grants, or social impact tenders, I offer support across the full grant lifecycle. This includes writing thoughtful, effective proposals that speak to funder priorities, costing realistic budgets, advising on partnership and support letters, and creating visual attachments like trailers or pitch decks. I also help manage reporting requirements and acquittals, with clear narratives and financial summaries.
I’ve secured funding from institutions including Arts Council England, Creative Australia, the British Council, The Ford Foundation, National Geographic, Goethe-Institut, AHRC and UKRI, Innovate UK, Screen Australia, and VicScreen. Clients and collaborators have included South Asian History Month in the UK and Brown Women Comedy in Australia, as well as individual artist submissions to fellowships and residencies around the world.
Recent and ongoing projects include an impact strategy for the Cambodian Children’s Trust and an archival engagement for a major museum in Malaysia, I am also a member of the Global Impact Producers Alliance (GIPA).
I have also served as a Peer Assessor for Creative Victoria’s Creator’s Fund for Screen, and previously worked as a strategy associate at the Boston Consulting Group in London. I’m skilled at handling complex ideas and communicating them clearly, whether in policy-driven documentation, storytelling, or strategic proposals.
If you need support with grant writing, funding strategy, or reporting, I’d love to chat. Whether you’re looking for guidance through the whole process or just one part of it, we can work together to get your project the support it needs.
Book a meeting with me today
Imagining Peace
Imagining Peace is a digital project that supports cultural initiatives in peacebuilding. It was initially funded by the Global Cultural Relations Programme, a flagship initiative of the Cultural Relations Platform supported by the European Union and delivered in partnership with the Goethe-Institut. The programme brings together cultural practitioners and artists from across the globe to exchange ideas, build networks, and collaborate on creative responses to shared challenges.
Our work highlights artistic practices that contribute to peacebuilding in regions affected by conflict and its aftermath. At the heart of the project is an interactive web toolkit designed to spark creativity and offer insight into multidisciplinary approaches to cultural healing, resilience, and reconciliation.
The team behind Imagining Peace first met through the 2021 edition of the Global Cultural Relations Programme, which was held online during the pandemic. After a collaborative development period across five time zones, we pitched our idea to a group of over 60 international cultural professionals and were selected as one of three projects to receive seed funding. In 2022, we had the opportunity to meet in person in Brussels at the next edition of the programme, where we continued building momentum around the toolkit and platform.
As Co-Founder and Digital Platform Lead, I helped shape the project from concept to launch. I led on digital design, editorial direction, and user experience, helping create a responsive platform tailored to artists working in conflict and post-conflict environments.
Access the toolkit here
Tutoring & University Admissions
I currently work as an Admissions Specialist with Crimson Consulting, where I have delivered over 170 hours of one-on-one mentorship for students applying to top UK universities. My work focuses on helping applicants craft compelling personal narratives, sharpen their interview skills, and communicate with clarity, confidence, and purpose. Students I’ve mentored have gone on to receive offers from Oxford, Cambridge, and other world-leading institutions.I bring over five years of experience as a private tutor, having supported hundreds of students from early primary years to A-Level candidates. I tutor a wide range of subjects, including English, English Literature, Economics, Maths, Politics, Legal Studies, and Philosophy. I am also experienced in preparing students for TSA testing.
In Australia, I have worked across both public and private education sectors, coaching debating and public speaking at some of Melbourne’s most prestigious schools such as Scotch College, Haileybury, and Trinity Grammar. I also served as a lecturer with Connect Education, one of Melbourne’s largest educational companies, where I taught VCE French, English, and Legal Studies. My lectures consistently received outstanding feedback and were rated well above the company’s internal performance metrics.
Here’s what some of my students and collaborators have said:
“Sparsh provides really detailed assistance and great resources, including exam revision tips, timetables, and practice material. He has an impressive vocabulary and a strong ability to help students elevate their writing.” – Evy Y, English and Legal Studies student
“Sparsh delivered many important lectures for us in VCE French, English, and Legal Studies, all of which were incredibly well-reviewed. He consistently exceeded our recommendation benchmarks and quality standards. His presentations to audiences of 50 to 100 students were clear, engaging, and insightful.” – Lex Ituarte, CEO, Connect Education
Whether supporting an Oxbridge applicant or a VCE student preparing for final exams, I aim to bring thoughtful, high-impact guidance that builds skill and confidence beyond the classroom.
Book a meeting with me today