Committee members
Professor Brad Haseman QLD (chair)
Professor Brad Haseman is a senior member of the Creative Industries Faculty at the Queensland University of Technology. He is formerly a consultant in Queensland secondary schools and head of drama at QUT, Brad Haseman is well known as an author of Dramawise and Communicate Live!. Brad was co-convenor of the second International Drama and Education Congress in Brisbane in 1995 and an invited master teacher to the Third International Drama in Education Research Institute in Columbus, Ohio in 2000. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to drama education, he has been awarded lifetime membership of the Queensland Association for Drama in Education. Brad has served for more than a decade on a number of committees concerned with the provision and delivery of the arts in Queensland schools. Also during this period he was president of Contact Youth Theatre and chair of the GRUNT Youth Space in Fortitude Valley. Brad has edited Innovation in Australian Arts, Media and Design (2004, Post Press) and been the 'Creative Practices' section editor of Creative Industries (2005, Blackwell). He was co-convenor of the National Conference Speculation and Innovation: Applying Practice-led Research in the Creative Industries held in March/April 2005.
Khaled Abdulwahab VIC
Khaled Abdulwahab was one of the Australia Council's young leaders awards recipients in 2006, celebrating his achievements working with communities to produce art that addresses social issues. Khaled arrived in Australia as a refugee in 2001 from Eritrea. He is a skilled hip-hop artist and founder of a popular group in Melbourne’s music and youth scene – Diafrix. Khaled works as youth officer for Multicultural Arts Victoria and receives a scholarship from the Victorian College of the Arts in community cultural development. Khaled performed at the Australia Council's multicultural arts forum in Canberra in 2007, and is currently producing the first Diafrix album. He continues to work on a range of community cultural development projects in Melbourne.
Joanne Brown NSW
Joanne Brown has worked with the Indigenous visual arts community for almost 20 years. She has project managed a number of high profile projects and community events, working for: Community Cultural Development NSW, College of Fine Arts UNSW, National Indigenous Media Association, Association of Northern and Kimberly Artists, Northern Aboriginal Investment Group, National Indigenous Arts Advocacy Association and National Association for the Visual Arts. Major events and projects include: project manager CopyRite!, Viscopy’s Indigenous Visual Artist Education Program (during which time she also acted CEO of Viscopy); conceptual curator for Crossing Cultures I and II, a collaboration between Western Sydney and Western Desert Indigenous artists; National Indigenous media co-ordinator for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games; project consultant for Our Culture Our Future, a discussion paper for Indigenous Intellectual Property prepared by lawyer Terri Janke; event manager Survival 97 concert (January 26); initiated and event managed the inaugural Indigenous Jobs Market, and Assistant curator of New Track Old Land - a print show that toured Australia and USA simultaneously. Joanne is on a number of advisory committees, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Community Cultural Development NSW and Blacktown City Council. Having worked in all parts of remote and regional Australia, Joanne has a depth of insight and understanding of Indigenous visual arts.
Malcom Bywaters TAS
Malcom Bywaters is Academy Gallery director at the School of Visual and Performing Arts, University of Tasmania. An established sculptor, arts-education researcher and community engagement specialist, Malcom has curated shows from rural Tasmania to New York. His work with the indigenous community of Tasmania and youth in the Launceston region led to his being awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Community Engagement in 2005. Malcom also enjoys success in brokering and partnering with business for both discreet projects and capital infrastructure. His success in creating a community-based ‘working gallery’ at the university has played an important role in the transformation of cultural life in Launceston.
Claudia Chidiac NSW
Claudia is a director, community cultural development facilitator, producer and performer. Since 2005 she has been the Artistic Director of Powerhouse Youth Theatre (PYT), where she is responsible for directing, and producing the company’s artistic program and developing training opportunities for emerging artists in Western Sydney. For PYT she has directed City Quest (2007), was associate director of This Territory with the Australian Theatre for Young People (2007), co-directed Mobile Messenger (2006) and I do… but (2006). From 2006-2008 Claudia was the director of Can You Hear Me? a legal theatre event with South West Sydney Legal Centre. She previously worked as a freelance director and performance artist across Western Sydney, making work with young people, migrant and refugee communities. She has worked with companies such as Urban Theatre Projects, Belvoir St Theatre Company, Performance Space, Bankstown Youth Development Service and Information and Cultural Exchange. Projects include Girlz Gaze (2004), In Our Name (2004), Museum of Fetishised Identities (2001) and Asylum (2001). In 2008 Claudia was one of the Australian delegates in the Next Generation Symposium as part of the 16th ASSITEJ World Congress and Performing Arts Festival; in 2006, she was awarded the Australia Council for the Arts Community Cultural Development Young Leaders Award; and in 2004 the Arts NSW Western Sydney Artist Fellowship. In 2002 she was one of ten young Australians selected to attend an international summer school for young change-makers, held in Wales, UK.
Mia Christophersen NT
Mia Christophersen is currently the festival coordinator of the Barunga Festival. She has a wide experience is community arts and culture and in particular with Indigenous communities and inter cultural projects. Mia previously worked as on the Darwin Festival and as a producer of the NT Indigenous Music Awards. She was awarded the 2001 NAIDOC Young Aboriginal Person of the Year and has twice been a finalist for NT Young Territorian of the Year in community development.
Imelda Rivers SA
Imelda has a performing arts background but has worked closely with artists from different art forms. Imelda has long term experience in community cultural development as an artsworker, arts officer and arts manager. She is currently working in regional arts on a statewide level in South Australia. Imelda has worked in both urban and regional contexts, mainly in SA. She has also worked with Aboriginal artists and communities, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, young artists and some disability organisations and artists. Imelda is enthusiastic about the work of artists whose practice helps sustain and develop new ways of working, and innovative community cultural development opportunities. She was the first Arts Officer in the Port Adelaide region back in the 1980’s and since that time has worked with local government, community cultural organisations, and state government agencies. In the past Imelda has also worked with major festivals & events, in planning, programming, and production roles in both Adelaide and regional contexts. She has been a member of numerous community level organisations or state government committees. Imelda’s work has focused on partnerships and collaborations over many years.
Jeremy Smith WA
Jeremy studied Lighting Design at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, graduating in 1997. After initially starting a career in the arts sector in the technical production field, Jeremy transitioned to Program Management of Arts and Cultural programs in 2001, following a stint at the Vancouver International Children’s Festival in Canada (assisted by a Young People and the Arts Fellowship grant from ArtsWA). On his return to WA, Jeremy assumed the role of Program Manager of the Creative Challenge with AWESOME Arts Australia. The Creative Challenge is AWESOME’s state-wide contemporary arts residency program for children and young people, working in 10 regional, rural and remote communities across Western Australia each year. In 2003, Jeremy commenced work at the WA Department of Culture and the Arts (DCA) as Project Officer, Community and Regional Arts Development – continuing his regional and community arts focus across Western Australia, assisting regional and metropolitan-based artists and organisations secure funding and support from DCA. During his five and a half years at DCA, Jeremy held several positions – including Manager, Resources and Senior Project Officer, Organisations and Contracts, which enabled Jeremy to work closely with DCA’s 46 recurrently funded key arts and cultural organisations. In July 2008, Jeremy commenced work at DADAA Inc – as Manager, Regional and Strategic Development.