Experience

• 

  Glen Eira City Council

  • Australia
  • Government Relations
  • 500 - 600 Employee

  • Arts and Culture Programs Lead

    • Jul 2023 - Mar 2024

  • Programming and Events Coordinator

    • Jul 2018 - Jul 2023

    As lead programmer arts and culture festivals and events at Glen Eira City Council, I have initiated and facilitated new and revamped programs to enhance audience reach. My ability to build and maintain advantageous stakeholder relations, undertake audience-attuned talent acquisition, and attentively project manage has enabled council to enrich and diversify its arts and culture programming.Some key festivals and events I have produced/curated, involving a range of themes, artforms, artists and activities, include:👉 Glen Eira Storytelling Festival – diversified talent/content👉 Carols in the Gardens – included First Nations language👉 Under the Stars – introduced triple j stars👉 Lunar New Year – featured specialised musicians 👉 International Women’s Day – alternative comedy👉 Lil Robots Premiere – industrial installation👉 Junkyard Beats Takes Over Glen Eira – booked-out interactive workshops👉 Diwali Festival of Lights – featured Bollywood moves👉 The Cube: Illuminating Arts Experiences – multi-sensory creations👉 Gardens of the Galapagos – Australian puppetry master directs👉 The Trust Makers’ Market – culturally diverse musicAs lead programmer arts and culture, my most notable contributions and achievements include:👉 Acquiring talent to broaden interest and appeal, including puppetry, hip hop and Bollywood performers, high-profile authors and personalities, plus emerging artists 👉 Establishing stakeholder relations to drive richer, diverse creative content, including industry NFPs, cultural institutions and key influencers – received award for my strong partnership approach👉 Producing, curating and project managing festivals and events to align with and exceed objectives and expectations, including audience-participation activities👉 Applying interdisciplinary knowledge and networks to produce energetic, engaging festivals and events, using performances, exhibitions, soundscapes and digital art to captivate and invigorate audiences

  • Glen Eira Storytelling Festival Director

    • Jul 2016 - Jul 2023

    As Director Glen Eira Storytelling Festival, I initiated and facilitated new and revamped programs that enhanced audience reach and engagement. Under my careful curation, the Festival continued to grow in scope, partnerships, access and innovation. In 2022, the first international panel focused proudly on decolonisation of the literary canon. A marquee Arts & Culture festival, it has encompassed visual and performing arts, tours, open mics, authors talks, panels, film, comedy, music, workshops, immersive digital installations... My ability to build advantageous internal and external stakeholder relations, undertake audience-attuned talent acquisition, and attentively project manage including marketing via copywriting, editing, checklists and co-designing/establishing a user-friendly stand-alone website, both honed marketing and enriched and diversified Storytelling Festival programming. Recent Festivals have brimmed with creativity and remarkable tales. Key Storytelling Festival names include a broad array of globally recognised and homegrown talent. These span: Danny Katz, Evelyn Krape, Eddie Tamir, Myf Warhurst, Jon Faine, Libbi Gorr, Mitch Vane, Peter Wilson, Leigh Hobbs, Elliot Perlman, Fiona Harris, Mike McLeish, Katie Noonan, Nicolas Brasch, Alex Skovron, Abram Goldberg, Leah Kaminsky, Lior, Lorraine Brigdale, Freydi Mrocki, Annie Louey, Sami Shah, Niraj Lal, Sandy Greenwood, Arnold Zable, Clare Bowditch, Christos Tsiolkas, Damian Callinan, Geraldine Hickey, Fiona O'Loughlin, Tony Martin, Jude Perl, Michael Shafar, Melanie Cheng, Tony Birch, Alice Pung, Alec Patric, Lawrence Leung, Michael Shafar, Jude Perl, Kee'ahn, Tim Rogers, Teeny Tiny Stevies, Tim Ferguson, Piotr Nowotnik, Andy Griffiths, Jenny Valentish, the late Alan Hopgood, Cal Wilson & Uncle Jack Charles, Yvette Coppersmith, Aunty Bronwyn Razem, Mike Rolls, Lisa Goldberg, By Joel, Jessica Wilson, Plugin Human, Kill Your Darlings, Queerstories and much more.

• 

  Victorian Government

  • Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

  • Creative Producer

    • 2020 - 2020
    • Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Primarily focused on the Victorian Seniors Festival, in this six-month consultancy role during COVID-19 I helped to reimagine the radio component’s main themes and offerings. I leveraged my expansive stakeholder relations and applied my creative thinking to propose arts and culture reforms and additions that would broaden the festival’s reach and appeal. This included multidisciplinary talent acquisition (e.g. First Nations author, oral historian and high-profile playwright), to enable new and alternative segments that would appeal to target audiences.

• 

  explosivemedia

  • Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

  • Director

    • 1993 - 2015
    • Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    As the co-founder and director of this arts and culture program specialist, I led the production and curation of highly creative, engaging festivals and events for a range of clientele (including government). Many of these festivals and events involved benchmark, interdisciplinary artforms and performances, which grew audience attendance and participation, and inspired the expansion of arts and culture offerings.Some of the key festivals and events, where there was a significant impact, included:👉 Melbourne Festival – Belgian Carrousel des Moutons (flying piano, original circus and music)👉 Arts Centre Melbourne – Oh Suivant! (interactive theatre, unknown act attracted 90% capacity)👉 Arts Centre Melbourne – Open House (introduced cabaret focus)👉 Kew Court House – created & produced the opening program👉 Bright n Sandy Food & Wine Festival – record attendance rates👉 Sustainable Travel – strengthened community connectedness👉 Summer Fun in the City & Parks – created culturally diverse sister city festivals👉 Melbourne Commonwealth Games – landmark suite of indigenous events in Melbourne's CBD 👉 Melbourne Commonwealth Games – transformed the Arts Centre lawn into a themed ‘beach’

• 

  Various

  • Writer & Editor

    • 1988 - 2007

    Worked for various arts and culture publications including New Theatre: Australia, Arts Hub, Oz Arts and Vive Magazines.

  • Educator & Research Assistant

    • 1986 - 1997

    Worked for various institutions including University of Melbourne, Victorian College of the Arts and University of Sydney.

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  Arts Centre Melbourne

  • Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

  • Publicist

    • 1995 - 1996
    • Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

• 

  Mietta’s

  • Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

  • Publicity Consultant

    • 1995 - 1995
    • Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

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  Victorian Arts Council

  • Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

  • Communications Manager

    • 1992 - 1995
    • Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

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  Australian Red Cross

  • Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

  • Public Relations Officer

    • 1990 - 1991
    • Melbourne, Victoria, Australia