SAMAG Committee

The SAMAG Committee is a voluntary body consisting of 12 members representing varying interests in the arts - including performing arts, museums, regional arts, visual arts, sponsorship and funding bodies. The Committee meet approximately every 4 weeks and are responsible for the coordination of the monthly seminars.

Current SAMAG Committee members are:

Andrew Batt-Rawden is an emerging composer, the managing artistic director (the MAD) of Chronology Arts (a company established in 2007 to support emerging composers which it now does through performance, co-production, a commissioning program and an education program now resident at Seymour Centre), the artistic director and president of the Aurora Festival (a biennial 10 day festival in Western Sydney of contemporary art music), the administrator of Tom Bass Sculpture Studio School since 2010. Likes inspiring positive change, being social, and supporting artists to reach their potential.

Andrew Threlfall, Executive Producer, Christine Dunstan Productions

Andrew has almost ten years experience as a performer, producer and marketer of live entertainment, particularly theatre, musical theatre and cabaret. As Executive Producer of CDP, Andrew is involved in all aspects of creating, producing and marketing works throughout Australia and more recently internationally. Prior to joining CDP, Andrew held a range of performing and non performing roles in entertainment and media, including time as Production Development & Marketing Manager for the Seymour Centre and as General Manager of Audience Development Australia, a specialist consultancy designing, executing and interpreting audience research studies.

Belinda Kelly, Artistic Associate, Griffin Theatre Company

Gabrielle Eade, Arts NSW - Communities NSW

Gabrielle is currently Senior Contracts Officer at Arts NSW, working across a range of areas including Visual Arts, Museums, Major Festivals, Literature and New Media. As part of the role, she is responsible for managing the Helen Lempriere Travelling Arts Scholarship and the Design NSW: Travelling Scholarship. Prior to working at Arts NSW, Gabrielle studied arts administration and design, and worked as a graphic designer for a range of organisations.

Gillian Clyde - Screenrights

Gillian joined Screenrights in March 2003 as its Corporate Counsel. Prior to joining Screenrights Gillian was the former Head of Legal for the UK Film Council (London) where she also acted as Head of Business Affairs. During this time she managed the lawyers, assisting in the management and operation of the Film Council’s investments in development and production through its Development Fund, New Cinema Fund and its Premiere Fund. Prior to this, Gillian was the Manager, Business and Legal Affairs, Buena Vista Productions Limited (Disney) London where she was responsible for all contracting, business and legal advice from development through to production financing and distribution of BVP's Original Production Development projects, including the first Australian co-production. She was also responsible for multi-territory program acquisitions and assisted in the start-ups of Disney’s European TV Channels in Italy, Spain and Germany.

Julia Tsalis is the Program Manager at the NSW Writers’ Centre where she is responsible for programming the Centre’s courses, managing the Festivals, competitions and Newswrite. Julia has over ten years experience in arts management; having worked at the Australian Writers’ Guild, the Australia Council in international market development and in the US as Program Manager of the Professional Theatre Training Program. She has worked as a Stage Manager and holds a Masters degree in Theatre.

Kevin Golding - Australia Council for the Arts  Kevin has over 20 years experience in small to medium sized not-for-profit organisations both on Boards and as senior management. In that time Kevin has established several diverse organisations – community arts, media, health, fundraising and performing arts. Kevin’s previous position was operations manager in a large community health organisation oversighting growth from $400,000 turnover & 12 staff, to $7 million turnover & 130 staff state-wide over a 10 year period. Kevin also has extensive experience in events management and fundraising.  Kevin currently is the Business and Governance Analyst at the Australia Council and gives expert advice and support to SME arts organisations in Australia Council’s portfolio of key organisations in order to enhance their business planning, governance and operational capabilities. Kevin also gives provides analysis and policy advice to Council on issues impacting small to medium arts organisations; and develops and promotes best management and governance practices in key arts organisations.

Olivia Bolton, Editor, Dictionary of Australian Artists Online

Olivia is an artist and arts administrator. Prior to the DAAO Olivia was Marketing Coordinator at Arts on Tour NSW. She has worked at Carclew Youth Arts Centre as a researcher & artist, has volunteered at the Australian pavilion at the Venice Biennale and, among other things, did a stint at the OECD in Paris. She holds a Bachelor of Visual Arts from UniSA and did her post graduate study in art and arts administration at COFA, UNSW.

Rebecca Clarke graduated with a BA Acting from QUT in 1997, and is now completing an external Masters in Research (Playwriting) with the same university. Acting work includes several roles for television, short film and stage and a national tour of her one-woman show, Unspoken, for which she won Best Newcomer at the Sydney Theatre Awards in 2006. Here her show was also awarded Best Independent Production, and was later published by Currency Press and produced for ABC Radio National. More recently she has been involved as a writer in short projects including Sydney Ghost Stories at the Old Fitzroy and Stories from the 428 at Sidetrack Theatre, while she continues to work on her second play. After six and a half years as an independent TV researcher with ADA, working for several networks, producers and advertisers, she worked in arts administration, marketing, publicity and event management for a number of organisations including Playworks, the Australian Directors Guild (ADG), Seymour Centre, Christine Dunstan Productions, Monkey Baa, Bien-Etre, ACTT and Cleveland Street Theatre, most recently coordinating the Imagine Festival at Cleveland Street. She also proofreads for RealTime Arts and has written for ArtsHub and Screen Hub.

Rebecca MacFarling is currently the Director of Sales and Marketing at Musica Viva Australia, working across both the company’s national concert tours and its education programs. She has also held marketing roles at Bell Shakespeare and the Sydney Symphony. Prior to joining the arts world, she worked in financial services and media marketing.

Tim McGarry, Creative Director, Monkey Baa Theatre for Young People Ltd

Tim graduated in theatre from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 1987 and works as a freelance actor. Tim co founded Monkey Baa in 1997, a company that creates and tours theatre for young people nationally. In 2005 he was appointed to the Creative Directorate of the organisation where he shares both an administrative and artistic role. Tim sits on the Board of Arts on Tour Ltd, the state touring organisation for the performing arts in NSW.

Steven Miller, Chartered Accountant and Principal - Steven J Miller & Co

Steve Miller has 25 years experience in the chartered accounting field and is the Principal at Steven J Miller & Co, Chartered Accountants. His involvement with the arts includes Directorships with the Sydney Film Festival (1994 – 2000), the Australian Music Centre and Railway Street Theatre (formerly the Q Theatre),ASDACSLtd and Treasurer of SAMAG since its Foundation. His firm provides training, consulting and audit services to arts companies.

Vicki Stanley, Education and Emerging Artists Manager, Australian Chamber Orchestra

Vicki is responsible for the management of a nationwide education and regional touring program for the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Previously in operations at the Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO), Vicki has toured Europe with the AYO and managed their national audition process as well as many smaller education programs. Trained as an orchestral clarinettist at the University of Western Australia, Vicki has toured Europe as a performer and has had extensive experience in instrumental teaching in Perth and Melbourne. Vicki holds a Post Graduate certificate in Arts Management form the University of Melbourne.