Dr Michael Cohen, Director

Michael has over 25 years’ experience in the development and implementation of creative strategy in Australia and abroad in his roles as strategist, arts producer and practitioner. He is a highly accomplished developer of innovative, creative and compelling activation content in urban landscapes.   Michael’s extensive experience in place activation and management has involved diverse urban arts activities in Australia’s leading destinations – working with partners, stakeholders and government. He works collaboratively with key stakeholders to develop world-class creative landscapes that delight and inspire, attract global attention and work within the parameters of partnerships and budget.

For eight years Michael was the Creative Producer at Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority where he led the development of major cultural initiatives and activation programme revitalization for two of Australia’s most visited destinations: Darling Harbour and The Rocks, attracting over 40million people annually. In 2016-17 he worked as Creative Producer at UrbanGrowth NSW, developing place-making strategy for urban renewal sites such as Green Square, White Bay Power Station and Parramatta North. As well as his work with City People, Michael continues to work as an artist and academic researcher.

QUALIFICATIONS

• PhD, MA (with merit), Sydney University (Performance Studies)

Kim Spinks, Director

Kim has over 20 years experience developing and implementing arts and cultural policy for the NSW Government.

At the former Arts NSW (now Create NSW) she led the team responsible for funding arts change through strategic programs such as the Aboriginal Arts and Cultural Strategy, the Arts and Disability Partnership, Art Central, Empty Spaces program, the NSW Health and Arts Framework and the Western Sydney Arts Strategy. Her particular expertise is in working with non-arts stakeholders to deliver their policy outcomes through arts and culture. These have included local governments across the state, statutory bodies such as Western Sydney Parklands Trust, UTS and government agencies such as NSW Family and Community Services.

She is experienced in place activation having developed and led the NSW Government’s Empty Spaces program which was the original investor in Renew Newcastle and the Pop Up programs for Lismore, Gosford, Parramatta and the Rocks.

Kim is respected in the professional arts sector for her deep arts knowledge and the two decades she spent in the performing arts where she co-founded award winning Western Sydney company Urban Theatre Projects and worked with the likes of Sydney Theatre Company, The Performance Space and State Theatre Company of SA. She has published books and articles on Australian theatre, was an associate for many years with the Centre for Performance Studies at Sydney University and continues to work as a dramaturg.

QUALIFICATIONS

• BA (HONS) Sydney
• Dip Lib UNSW

Eugene Ward, Researcher and Data Analyst

Eugene is a researcher and analyst who has developed his skill set through freelance project roles in the collection, analysis and visualisation of data. His software competencies include programming languages Python and R for data analysis, Geographic Information System software ArcGIS and visualisation software Tableau. In 2019 he began working with City People on the Crown Resorts Foundation and Packer Family Foundation National Arts Funding Program Evaluation Report (2015–2018) as a researcher, which involved extraction, collation and interactive mapping of quantitative and qualitative data from unstructured data sets to support the evaluation of the program.

With a background in the arts, Eugene has 11 years’ experience in music and sound production, across live, screen and recording contexts. As a music producer he has previously been invited to collaborate on programs with organisations such as Sydney Opera House, Vivid, Information and Cultural Exchange and De Quincey Co. In his capacity as creative producer and music professional he has developed skills in project planning, event management, document preparation – for recording contracts, release and service agreements – and best practice media creation and formatting for web, mobile and social media.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• GradCert (Screen Music), AFTRS
• University of Sydney: Candidate for BA/BAdvStudies (Double Major: Data Science and Sociology) (Expected 2023)

Aayushi Sejpal, Project Manager

Aayushi has completed her Bachelors in Architecture from Mumbai and is currently pursuing her Masters in Urban and regional planning from the University of Sydney. She has over two years of experience as an architect in Mumbai, where she worked on projects at various scales – interiors as well as architectural. In these roles she was also responsible for designing, making drawings, project management involving coordination between various teams as well as participating in brainstorming of innovative ideas and solutions. Through her studying years and work she has gained experience across a broad range of projects, exhibitions, presentations, and workshops. She works at City People as a project manager and is responsible for coordination and creation of strategic documents and programs on the projects such as Sydney Children’s Hospital Network, Liverpool Health and Academic Precinct, and John Hunter Hospital Innovation Precinct.

Aayushi is also a trained Bharatnatyam Dancer (Indian classical dance form), she has over seven years of training and has completed her seven-year certification (Arangetram) as well. She has done individual stage performances as well as with groups for Nalanda dance university (dance school in Mumbai).

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Mumbai University (Bachelor in Architecture), B.Arch.
• University of Sydney: Masters in Urbanism (Urban and Regional Planning) (Expected 2023)

 

Our Team photography by Huy Nguyen and Michael Cohen. Artwork in photos is River (2016) by Aunty May Hinch.

 

And we are delighted to be working in partnership with

Dr Liza-Mare Syron, Aboriginal Arts and Culture

Dr Liza-Mare Syron’s clan is Biripi from the Mid North Coast of NSW. Her qualifications include Doctor of Arts (Sydney University), Master of Creative Arts Research (University of Wollongong), and Master of Adult Education (UTS). She is currently Senior Artistic Associate, Moogahlin Performing Arts and Indigenous Scientia Senior Lecturer, UNSW School of Arts and Social Sciences. Her work history includes, Indigenous Research Lead (Macquarie University), Indigenous Research Fellow (Macquarie University), Senior Aboriginal Arts and Culture Officer (Arts NSW), and Head of Theatre (Eora College of Aboriginal Studies). Liza-Mare has been an advisor on many boards and committees including, The City of Sydney Aboriginal Advisory Committee 2013-2017, Performing Lines (2014-2018), Australian Script Centre (2017-current), and Sydney Festival Advisory (2016). She is widely published in the area of Indigenous cultural arts practice and has received the following awards, the 2005 Phillip Parsons Prize for Performance as Research, the 2010 Marlis Thiersch Prize for research excellence in an English-language article, and a 2015 Rob Jordon award citation for a book chapter.

Dr Peter Watts AM, Arts and Heritage Infrastructure and Management