Musical Chairs at WAM, Night-time Committee, VenuesWest & More
WAM CEO Steps Down, Additions To Board
Natasha Collier, CEO at Perth-based peak music body WAM, is stepping down from her role but will remain at a board level.
Collier started a five-year contract 12 months ago, returning after 21 years on the East Coast during which she was chief financial officer at Sydney Opera House and worked at Big Day Out.
Joining the WAM board are Geraldton-based music organisation Regional Sounds founder and artist Alexia Parenzee and WBMC founding partner and film producer, Aidan O’Bryan.
Penny Miles To Steer Melbourne’s Night-time Economy Advisory Committee
Penny Miles is new chair of Melbourne’s Night-time Economy Advisory Committee.
She held executive and senior roles with Circus Oz, Australia Council for the Arts and Arts on Tour and currently consulting to the arts, creative and not-for-profit sectors.
She replaces inaugural chair James Young who is concentrating on his five live music venues.
In his first year, the committee provided advice on introducing a health pass system to reopen venues faster for vaccinated patrons; focussing on Melbourne as a twilight city, encouraging city workers to stay on after dark, and safety initiatives for women and vulnerable groups.
VenuesWest Welcomes New Chair
Perth-based VenuesWest, which oversees WA’s entertainment and sport venues, appointed Mary Anne Stephens as new chair.
She spent the past 13 years in senior roles focusing on strategy, leadership and business intelligence.
VenuesWest’s venues include HBF Arena, RAC Arena and Optus Stadium.
The company grew significantly under former chair Graham Goerke, from four venues to 13, from 2 million patrons to 6 million and asset value increased from $108 million in 2007 to $1.7 billion in 2022.
New GM for Melbourne’s 3PBS
Melbourne community radio 3PBS’s new general manager Kristen Paterson takes over on August 22 after relocating from New Zealand where she has been station manager for Wellington Access Radio for the past seven years.
“Kristen will be stepping into some big shoes left by our previous general manager Adrian Basso, who held the reigns at PBS for 15 years,” said PBS chair Jurgen Schaub.
Nelson Aspen Leaving Sunrise
After almost two decades as entertainment reporter on Seven’s “Sunrise” show, Nelson Aspen bows out on July 15.
The New York-based identity has a new concert Q&A show and releases an interior decorating book “Your Home Is Your Castle” in September.
AD/CEO for The Substation
Artist, producer and director (and Junction Arts Festival director between 2021-22) Paul Selwyn Norton begins his tenure on July 11 as artistic director and CEO of The Substation, a multi-arts space in Newport in Melbourne’s west.
His predecessor Brad Spolding left after seven years to join Brisbane Powerhouse.
Daniel Clarke Moves To Canberra
Daniel Clarke began as head of programming at Canberra Theatre Centre.
It will initially be in a part-time capacity, while he also serves as co-festival creative director of Sydney WorldPride until March 2023.
Clarke has been artistic director and CEO of Adelaide’s Feast Festival, programmer of performing arts at Arts Centre Melbourne and
executive producer of programming at QPAC.
HOTA Gold Coast Expands Board
North American performing arts leader Danielle McFall-Weiss has joined the board of HOTA (Home of the Arts) precinct on the Gold Coast.
After her days as a performer, McFall-Weiss worked in arts management in New York, was a booking agent at Columbia Artists Management, and founding agent at Selby Artists Management.
Change At Top At Tasmanian Hospitality Association
Ben Carpenter, owner of Burnie’s Beach Hotel, was elected as president of the Tasmanian Hospitality Association after Paul Jubb stepped down to the vice-president role saying “new blood” was needed as the debt-ridden sector revives from the pandemic.