City of Sydney introduces its Cultural and Creative Sector Advisory Panel

The City of Sydney has engaged 53 people to be part of four new advisory panels, one of which is the Cultural and Creative Sector Advisory Panel.

The new advisory panels and panellists will help guide the sustainable recovery of Sydney’s economy and creative and cultural life and address the city’s social issues

The four Advisory Panels are:

• Cultural and Creative Sector Advisory Panel

• Business, Economic Development and Covid Recovery Advisory Panel

• Housing for All Working Group

• Multicultural Advisory Panel

Panel members were selected from 290 applications. They’ve been appointed for a term of up to 3 years with the possibility for a further 3-year term.

The new panels form part of the City of Sydney’s growing network of advisory panels which includes the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel, Inclusion (Disability) Advisory Panel, Design Advisory Panel, Nightlife and Creative Sector Advisory Panel, and Public Art Advisory Panel.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore advised “our advisory panels play a crucial role in guiding our work. The panels ensure experts from a range of sectors – creative, business, housing, climate, multicultural, hospitality and entertainment – help us identify and respond to emerging issues and opportunities.

“These panels reflect our values and our commitment to the community. Enlisting the help new experts in housing, culture, business and social cohesion will help us navigate the challenges facing our city at this most critical time.”

The new panel members were selected based on their skills and experience and represent the diversity of our local area with different age groups and cultural backgrounds.

Councillor representatives have also been appointed to each of the new advisory panels and working groups. The groups work closely with the City of Sydney to give independent advice and expertise.

Cultural and Creative Sector Advisory Panel has been established to help set the pathway for the City of Sydney’s cultural infrastructure programs and to inform the sustainable recovery of Sydney’s creative and cultural industries.

The panel features members from the performing arts, festivals and events, music, creative production, film and visual arts sectors along with representatives from the property sector, urban planning, architecture and creative space management.

Panel members provide strategic advice on the state of their sectors, with a focus on addressing the loss of the creative workforce and floor space in Sydney, a critical issue exacerbated by the pandemic.

Panel Members:

• Ash Nicholson:Ash Nicholson is commercial director, pacific marketing and communications at CBRE, the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm. She is also a member of the Property Council’s NSW Commercial Office Committee and the Wynyard Park Committee.

• Ben Moore:Ben Moore is an associate principal and leader of a specialist group of consultants at Arup. Arup is a global multi-disciplinary design and consulting engineering firm with broad experience delivering projects in the built environment including civic and cultural spaces.

• Christine Donnelly: Christine Donnelly is the Chief Executive Officer and founder of Aboriginal Dance Theatre Redfern. Christine is a practitioner of Aboriginal cultural arts with 50 years’ experience.

• David Hollingsworth: David Hollingsworth is executive director of Spectrum Films, a major film and television post-production house based at Fox Studios.

• Emily Collins: Emily Collins is managing director for state contemporary music body MusicNSW. Emily has a background in music and festivals and is currently a member of the 24-Hour Economy Advisory Group.

• Erika Pawley: Erika Pawley is a project director with boutique Sydney-based property developer Leamac Property Group. She has an urban planning background and was previously at the Greater Sydney Commission and local government.

• Fiona Winning: Fiona Winning is director of programming at Sydney Opera House, with decades of experience in Sydney's performing arts sector across interdisciplinary practice, contemporary performance, theatre, dance and festivals.

• Hellen Morgan-Harris: Hellen has been the director of Tortuga Studios in St Peters – one of Sydney's largest artist-run warehouse spaces for cultural and creative production – for 14 years, as well as heading up the aerie, a creative co-working space on the same site.

• James Winter: James Winter is director of Brand X Productions Incorporated, a leading creative space provider in Sydney.

• Jess Cook: Jess Cook is the Chief Executive and founding member of 107 Project Incorporated.

• Jess has a curatorial and events production background with strong experience in place making and creative space provision, especially in the small to medium sector.

• JD Reforma: JD Reforma is an artist, writer and curator, with a career spanning 14 years in independent galleries, museums, and festivals. He is currently communications and development Manager at Firstdraft, Australia’s longest running artist-run initiative.

• Josh Chapman: Josh Chapman is a founding partner at SUBVRT, a major events agency that specialises in conceiving and producing stand-out, large-scale cultural events and festivals.

• Melissa Gilbert: Melissa (Missy) Gilbert is the founder of Australian arts health organisation UnitePlayPerform, and co-founder and creative director of The Nest Creative Space in Redfern. She is also a curator, event producer, multi-disciplinary artist (ØFFERÏNGS) and musician and performer (Ginger and the Ghost).

• Michelle Tabet: Michelle Tabet is director and founder of urban strategists Left Bank Co, a leading practitioner in urban planning and cultural development.

• Timothy Greer: Tim Greer is a director of Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects and adjunct professor at the University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning. Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects was behind significant cultural infrastructure projects including the Eternity Playhouse, Carriageworks and aspects of recent Walsh Bay Arts Precinct and Sydney Opera House renewal.

• Toby Cedar: Toby Cedar is an established Torres Strait Islander artist, a performer, cultural knowledge educator, consultant and advisor for Blax Capital.

Image: Credit Subvrt  -  an Asia Pacific based events company tasked with creating timeless Brand Experiences and Live Events, working with Luxury, Sports, Hospitality and Lifestyle brands to create memorable moments in both Virtual and Live environments.