The assessment panel for the 2010 funding round will be announced shortly.
Applications for funding under the The Regional Arts Fund for 2009 projects were assessed by a panel of eight people, including representatives from diverse target groups and regions, with experience in a range of artforms. They are in alphabetical order:
(* New Panel members)
Arts NSW nominee
Rebecca joined Arts NSW in 2005 and currently works across the Visual Arts & Craft, Museums and Capital Infrastructure funding programs. She has also worked in various roles in the Theatre, Dance and Music team.
After graduating with First Class Honours in Fine Arts (Time Based Art), College of Fine Arts, UNSW, Rebecca started her career as administrator of Environmental Art + Design, a public art company, followed by a position at the Art Gallery of NSW. Rebecca has been a member of the Indent Advisory Group and Orchestra Australia's NSW Youth and Community Orchestra Grant program panel. She has also previously been on the assessment panels of NSW Department of Education and Training's Regional Conservatorium's Development Grants program and Regional Arts NSW's Country Arts Support Program. She is currently completing a Masters of Arts Administration.
Rebecca was a member of the 2007 RAF Assessment Panel.
CHAIR and RANSW Board of Directors’ nominee
Bernadette is a graduate of the Ballarat Academy of Performing Arts (BAPA) production course. Upon graduating, she took on the position of Project/Education Officer at Geelong Performing Arts Centre (1997 – 2001) and Technical Production Manager for the Victorian Department of Education State School Spectacular in 2001. She has worked as Production/Stage Manager for festivals and events and for many Melbourne based companies. She has also provided lighting designs for independent producers and provided technical support for touring companies and regional venues across the state.
Bernadette moved to Albury/Wodonga in 2002 to take on the position of Production Manager of HotHouse Theatre. In 2005 she was appointed General Manager. She is currently Chair of Murray Arts and is a board member for Regional Arts NSW. She is also involved with the Touring Consultative Committee for Regional Arts Victoria, and is on the executive committee for the Victorian Association of Performing Arts Centres.
Australian Theatre for Young People nominee
Amy is currently one of the Artistic Directors of Outback Theatre for Young People and her experience and training (both formal and on the job) in youth theatre is both extensive and diverse. She completed a Bachelor of Arts in Performance Studies and History at the University of Sydney in 2002
followed by a Graduate Certificate in Arts Management at the University of Technology in Sydney in 2003. She worked closely with the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP), as Assistant Director on 5 productions and Director on one production under the mentorship of well known Theatre Director, Marion Potts.
From May 2003 to July 2004, Amy was employed at Regional Arts NSW, firstly as the Administration Coordinator and then as job-share Funding and Research Officer, with the responsibility of administering the Country Arts Support Program and assisting with the management of the Regional Arts Fund. She left this position to travel and work overseas including directing 3 short plays at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival which featured new work by international young writers. She also traveled
extensively throughout Scotland and established strong connections with individual theatre practitioners and various youth theatre companies including Behind the Scenes Youth Theatre, Promote Youth Theatre Scotland and Eden Court Theatre in Inverness.
In October 2004, Amy commenced as Artistic Director at Outback Theatre, based in Hay but covering the south west region of NSW (Deniliquin, Hillston, Finley, Colleanbally, Moama and Balranald) and involving extensive collaboration with the Riverina Theatre Company in Wagga Wagga. During this time the play Rewind, directed by Amy, was chosen for the Sydney season of the Page to Stage Youth Theatre Festival. Amy is also interested in film and her first short film was selected to be included in the 2007 Tropfest / Popcorn Taxi ‘Best of the Rest’. Amy is currently studying for a Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education (Drama) and has been recently appointed to oversee the regional programs of the ATYP.
Amy served on the RAF State Assessment Panel in 2004, 2005 and 2007.
NSW Writers Centre
Philippa has worked for over thirty years in the visual arts and arts writing field. Having lived for over twelve years in South East Asia (Laos, Vietnam and Hong Kong) and four years in Europe (Greece and UK), she has spent the last twenty years as managing editor and editor of Art Monthly Australia and subsequently freelance writer.
Since 1999 Philippa has been very involved in Weereewa A Festival of Lake George (Chair and Artistic Director for the 2006 and 2008 Festivals) which is now a well established and popular regional festival of arts, community and the environment. It is celebrated in Canberra, Goulburn, Collector and Tarago but is based in Bungendore. The festival encompasses the visual arts, music, literature, dance and film with environmental walks and talks, workshops, farmers markets and a core day hosting an academic forum discussing the art, science and history of the lake environment.
Philippa has lived in the NSW country town Bungendore for the last twenty five years, writes for the local papers on cultural matters and is a member of the local council (Palerang) cultural committee.
Ausdance nominee
Emma moved to the Northern Rivers to run NORPA Dance Action in 2001 (initiated by Ausdance NSW) and has delivered many dance projects in the area. Recently, she co-directed a large show with people with disabilities, with her performance partner Gabrielle Griffin, supported by Tweed Shire Council, a disability services provider and NORPA, funded by the Regional Arts Fund. Together Emma and Gabrielle are The Two Frocks, who have been performing their full-length and cabaret shows in Northern Rivers, Edinburgh Fringe, Adelaide Fringe, Melbourne Midsumma and Woodford Folk Festivals. She is also a puppeteer/performer with Krinkl Theatre, a visual theatre company based in Northern Rivers and a stage manager for some NORPA productions. With a background in improvisation, theatre, contact improvisation, puppetry and street theatre, she continues to create and perform physical theatre and street theatre.
Emma developed direction and performance skills through the Melbourne University Student Union, and completed the Graduate Diploma of Animateuring at the Victorian College of the Arts, School of Drama in 1998. In Melbourne, she also worked in administration for Chamber Made Opera, Victorian College of the Arts, Born in a Taxi and as a secondment at the Melbourne International Festival Outdoor Program in 1996.
Emma served on the RAF State Assessment Panel in 2004 and 2007.
Indigenous representative
Alison Page is an Aboriginal Designer, Artist and Cultural Planner living in Coffs Harbour on the NSW north coast. A Tharawal woman from the NSW south coast, Alison’s work explores links between cultural identity, art and the built environment. She has completed various projects in health, education, office design, exhibition design, cultural arts centres and public art.
One of three associates of Merrima Design, Alison works with various urban and rural Aboriginal communities in the delivery of culturally appropriate architectural services. Projects range from multi-story buildings in the city to art projects in remote Australia as well as exhibitions overseas. In 1999 Merrima Design received an award from the International Federation of Interior Architects for making a "contribution to the design environment with an emphasis on social awareness and responsibility". Alison and artist, Tina Lee have just received a NSW Local Government Culture Award for Six Daughters of the West Wind, a series of bronze sculptures on Mt Keira in Wollongong.
For the last three years Alison has been working with consultancy group Jalay (meaning: go forward) planning various development projects in Aboriginal communities. Alison is currently working with 12 community groups and Government on an Aboriginal Cultural Strategy for Arts Mid North Coast.
Alison is a regular panelist of the ABC program ‘The New Inventors’ which showcases the best in Australian innovation and design and is now in its fifth season. She is a regular commentator on design and community development both nationally and internationally. Alison sits on the Board of Museums and Galleries NSW and the Mid-North Coast Regional Development Board.
Over the last 9 years, Alison has been periodically teaching art, graphic design and furniture design at the University of NSW, North Coast Institute of TAFE and is currently teaching at the University of Technology Sydney.
Museums and Galleries NSW representative
During the last twelve years of a thirty year career, Bruce has worked extensively across many regions of NSW. He is currently the Director of Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery, the oldest regional art gallery in NSW with a program of public events, workshops and exhibitions and a permanent collection of over 1,700 artworks. He has also worked as Manager of the Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre, Director of the Moree Plains Gallery, Assistant Director of Tamworth City Gallery and Administrator at the Nicholson Museum in Sydney each of which has a different focus in terms of art collections and programs. During his time at Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre, Bruce spent a year in London managing a private art collection as well as travelling extensively in Europe visiting cultural sites in Russia, Turkey, Italy and France. Bruce has also worked as the Regional Arts Development Officer at Arts Mid North Coast and Executive Officer for Arts OutWest in the central west region, regional arts programs delivering services across 6 and 15 local government areas respectively.
Prior to his regional experience, Bruce worked for arts and disability service Accessible Arts as well as for the Sydney City Council and Sutherland Shire Council as Community Arts Officer. He has also worked as a freelance graphic designer, illustrator and musician.
Community Cultural Development NSW
Vahid Vahed was born in Tehran, Iran in 1959. He attended high school and later university in England during 1975-81. He studied civil engineering and communications, majoring in photography and film studies. Vahid lived and worked as an editor and a photographer in Germany for three years before immigrating to Australia in 1984.
Vahid has worked as a journalist, University lecturer, film and television producer/director, curator and video artist since he arrived in Australia as well as completing an Associate Diploma, Charles Sturt University (Television and Sound Production), Bachelor of Fine Arts, College Of Fine Arts UNSW (Sound, Performance and Installation) Master of Arts, College Of Fine Arts UNSW (Time Based Art).
During 1998-2003, he was employed by the NSW Ministry for the Arts (now Arts NSW) as a Multicultural Arts Officer and has been the Artistic Director and Founder of Auburn International Film and Video Festival for Children and Young Adults (est. 1998) and CINEWEST (est. 1999). In 2002, Vahid was elected as the Vice President of CIFEJ (International Centre of Films for Children and Young People), an international organisation conceived and established by UNESCO and UNICEF in 1955. Vahid was awarded a two years fellowship from Australia Council for the Arts for researching, initiating and developing community cultural development practices and screen culture activities locally, regionally, nationally and internationally during 2003-2005.
In 2007, Vahid was invited to join the International Advisory Board of 'Chinh India Forum' based in New Delhi. Chinh Forum is a platform to explore parameters of mass media in relation to children, youth and communities at large in India and beyond. In 2008, Vahid was also invited to join a unique body 'Arts and Cultural Forum' created by the Auburn Council to oversee the implementation of its recent Arts and Cultural policy.
Vahid served on the RAF State Assessment in 2005 and 2006.
The Regional Arts Fund is an Australian Government initiative
supporting the arts in regional and remote Australia.
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