2023 - PRESENT

Business Manager

BRIDGES HEALTH & COMMUNITY CARE, Bundaberg

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Overseeing the implementation of Bridges' Arts-Led Wellbeing Program Strategy through the developing Precinct 58 venue - a transformed former fire station (pending funding) - and associated projects. Also managing marketing and communications across the organisation.

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KEY PROJECTS TO DATE INCLUDE:

• Flipside Circus in the Burnett - Flipside Circus tour of the North and South Burnett community

• The Big Sing - mass choir event for World Mental Health Day

• Stories of the Station - capturing the oral histories of some of the fire fighters that worked out of Precinct 58

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2018 - PRESENT

Founder and Creative Producer

THE IDEAS DISTILLERY, Bundaberg

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The Ideas Distillery works with you to make your ideas a reality through arts-led innovation. Services offered include concept development, arts project planning and management, curating and arts-led community engagement.

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Click here to find out more about past clients and projects that The Ideas Distillery has been engaged to deliver.

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KEY SELF-INITIATED PROJECTS TO DATE INCLUDE:

• 2022-2023 - Design CQ touring exhibition showcasing 30 artists who participated in the CQ Shopfront project. The exhibition toured to Bundaberg, Mackay and Brisbane

• 2019-2022 - CQ Shopfront project was delivered with the support of 17 project partners across 7 local government regions with 527 participants growing their arts practices, businesses and product opportunities. 

 

 

2021-2023 

Founder and Business Mentor

MAKERS' SHOPFRONT, Bundaberg

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Makers Shopfront delivered online and face to face programs for individual artists and groups of artists (through local government and organisations) to grow visual art entrepreneurship. This program grew out of the CQ Shopfront project, with delivery of many of the programs supported by fellow entrepreneur Katie Whyte. 

 

 

2016 -2018

Artistic Director/ CEO/ Founding Executive Director

CREATIVE REGIONS LTD, Bundaberg

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General management of company operations including financial, governance, human resources and marketing. Oversight of all company funding and contracts as well as artistic direction  of com many programs including the implementation of the award-winning Crush Festival, Socially Engaged Theatre and Arts-Led Place Activation programs. Relationship management with government funders, philanthropic organisations, sponsors, corporate clients and presenting partners as key priorities. I look up the sole management role in May 2016 with several evolutions of my role from consultant in 2008 through to CEO.

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2011-2016

Creative Producer/ Founding Executive Producer

CREATIVE REGIONS LTD, Bundaberg

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2008-2011

Consulting Cultural Development Worker/ Founding Director

CREATIVE REGIONS LTD, Bundaberg

 

SELECTED KEY PROJECTS:

• 2009-2018 - Artistic Director of the CRUSH FESTIVAL for 10 years, coordinated on behalf of Bundaberg Regional Council as an arts-focused festival that celebrated place, people and culture. It provided a platform for emerging artists and encouraged the development of new work across artforms.

• 2015-2017 - Creative Producer of CIRCA CRUSH, a 3-year partnership with contemporary circus company CIRCA that trained local performers culminating in a locally themed performance for the Crush Festival.

• 2016 - Creative Producer of #TAGANDRELEASE exhibition project for the Crush Festival working with 10 local artists and curator Beth Jackson to produce an exhibition for Bundaberg Regional Galleries and the Shopfront at the Judith Wright Centre in Brisbane.

• 2015-2016 - Creative Producer for the NORTH BUNDABERG SURUB BLITZ, a collection of arts-led placemaking projects assisting with community recovery after the floods including the Gavin Street Community Garden and Take it to the Streets.

• 2014-2015 - ANTI-DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ARTS-LED CAMPAIGN resulting in the IT ALL BEGINS WITH LOVE verbatim theatre work written and produced by Rod Ainsworth and the children's book publication MY BIG BEAR STORY that I project managed with author Cherie Curtis and illustrator Jacqueline Read.

• 2013-2014 - Creative Producer for THE FOUNDRY PROJECT that was funded by the Australia Council for the Arts and Arts Queensland as a strategic initiative under the Regional Writing Program. The aim was to produce a project that brought together community, culture and commerce. We worked with the farming and food industry and produced a series of short films about the sector.

• 2011-2014 - Creative Producer of the AFLOAT CREATIVE RECOVERY PROJECT began after the floods of early 2011 in partnership with Bundaberg Regional Council and expanded with Queensland Government funding in 2013 after the even more devastating floods and tornadoes. We worked across the Bundaberg, Fraser Coast, North Burnett, Gladstone and Rockhampton Regions using an arts-led approach including weaving, circus, placemaking, music and digital storytelling, culminating in 4 community events celebrating the resilience of these amazing communities.

• 2009-2012 - Co-Manager of the CREATIVE GENERATORS that was funded by the Australia Council for the Arts and Arts Queensland as a strategic initiative. This was the pre-cursor to the current Regional Arts Services Network. Creative Regions worked across 17 local government regions supporting communities to develop arts projects and mentoring individual artists to reach their goals.

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See the Creative Regions Youtube Channel and Flickr Creative Regions and Flickr Crush Festival for further projects.

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2005 - 2016

Consultant

INTER-ARTZ INTEPRETATON & INTERACTION, Bundaberg

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I was sole proprietor of the consultancy business with the first key contract being to design and deliver the interpretive displays for the Bundaberg Rum Bondstore, a major tourist attraction for the Bundaberg region. These displays were in place until the new rum tourism facility opened in 2016. Other key contracts included museum interpretative plans and local government policy and planning. 

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2001-2005

Arts Centre Coordinator/ Director

BUNDABERG ARTS CENTRE (now Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery) for BUNDABERG CITY COUNCIL, Bundaberg

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As the Arts Centre Coordinator, I developed the gallery's first system of policies and procedures and instigated the development of the Bundaberg Region's first Cultural Plan. I also commenced a public art program for the Bundaberg Regional Council, which won a Museums and Gallery Services Queensland achievement award for the "Fully Sic Youth Public Art Project" in 2006.

 

As part of my Masters studies I developed an exhibition concept called "Boom Baby Boom" which I successfully had funded through Visions Australia. This toured nationally from 2004 to 2006 and was seen by over 75,000 people.

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1999-2001

Public Programs Officer

BUNDABERG ARTS CENTRE for BUNDABERG CITY COUNCIL, Bundaberg

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As Public Programs Officer, I devised and implemented a range of audience development strategies associated with the exhibition program, developed and managed the Volunteer program and was responsible for marketing materials.

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1996-1999

Owner/ Operator

CREATIVE EXPRESSIONS, Brisbane

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At the age of 23, I started a business in Auchenflower, Brisbane; operating a ceramic teaching studio and manufacturing a range for the gift and retail industry. I created handmade ceramic utilitarian wares including pots, tiles and dinnerware.

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1996-1999

Retail/ Wholesale Sales and Ceramic Tutor

CERAMIC & CRAFT CENTRE, Brisbane

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I worked part time at Ceramic and Craft Centre in a variety of roles once I started my business Creative Expressions. I worked in wholesaling and then moved across to retailing where I was responsible for designing projects for classes and for publications in national ceramic and craft magazines.

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1994-1996

Marketing Assistant

CERAMIC & CRAFT CENTRE, Brisbane

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I was responsible for designing catalogues and assisting with marketing strategies for the company that wholesaled and retailed a variety of ceramic and craft supplies.

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1994

Art and Social Science Teacher

BUNDABERG STATE HIGH SCHOOL, Bundaberg