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Future Creatives Forum
October 21 | 9:30 am — 3:00 pm AEDT
After a highly successful Future Creatives Summit in 2023, this second annual jam-packed day of talks and workshops is another great opportunity for students years 10-12 in the Lower Hunter to meet artists, industry experts and leaders from the creative industries. In partnership with the University of Newcastle, the Future Creatives Forum is presented in the newly renovated Maitland Town Hall, with breakout sessions in critical thinking or making at the Maitland Regional Art Gallery. This event is free and incredibly popular, so we recommend you booking your students soon.
Key Speakers include:
Leila Jeffreys
Leila Jeffreys is a renowned contemporary artist working across photography, moving image and installation. She is best known for images of birds, photographed at human scale, that explore and subvert the conventions of portraiture. Jeffreys, who lives and works in Sydney with her husband and son, sees her avian subjects as living beings, part of a practice that expands viewer’s hearts by drawing attention to interdependence between species. Jeffreys’ work is a result of years-long periods of research and exploration. In the tradition of artist-activists, she conducts fieldwork, collaborates with conservationists, ornithologists and sanctuaries and champions programs to protect and restore endangered habitats.
Dennis Golding
Dennis Golding is a Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay artist from the northwest of NSW and was born and raised on Gadigal land (Redfern, Sydney). Working in a range of mixed media including painting, video, photography and installation, Dennis critiques the social, political, and cultural representations of race and identity.
Dennis graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) at UNSW Art & Design in 2019 and now works independently as an artist and curator. Golding was awarded the Create NSW Visual Arts Fellowship 2020 and has exhibited at major institutions including the Art Gallery of South Australia, the Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney Living Museums, and Carriageworks.
Luke Sales of Romance Was Born
Fashion Designer Luke Sales was born and raised in Maitland. He first met his fashion business partner Anna Plunkett in the early 2000s whilst studying fashion design at East Sydney Technical College (now known as TAFE). The duo founded Romance Was Born after turning down an internship with Galliano at Dior to peruse their own creative vision. Romance was Born’s work has been acquired and shown in Australia’s most prestigious galleries and museums. They are known for their diverse mediums including wallpaper, furniture art installations, fashion shoots, toys, theatre and pop performance costumes. Their main ethos is to “create immersive cultural experiences that provoke an emotional response.”
Gillian Dinh
Gillian Dinh, known as ‘The Marker’ is a multifaceted Artist based in Wollongong/Sydney, NSW. With a strong background in Visual Arts and Interior Design, Gillian has merged her passion for creativity for almost a decade in the industry across various mediums, specialising in hand-lettering, sign-writing, and mural painting. Her art practice is a dynamic blend of contrasts, seeking to reveal the power in words by fostering meaningful connections, sparking thought-provoking conversations beyond the painted surface. Characterised by a bold, raw, and edgy street style, Gillian’s work can sometimes be juxtaposed with organic, cursive elements that add a softer, more romantic touch, embodying her sentimental side.
In 2024, Gillian expanded her creative repertoire by finishing in the Top 10 of MasterChef Australia, showcasing her culinary talents on a global stage. This achievement led her to take on a new role as a part-time chef at one of Wollongong’s most popular restaurants, where she continues to blend artistry with culinary excellence.
Travis De Vries
Travis De Vries, a Gamilaroi and Darug multidisciplinary artist, is the driving force behind Awesome Black as its founder & managing director. Renowned for his award-winning visual artistry, he seamlessly combines traditional landscape photography with a unique approach inspired by his oil painting practice. Travis’s photographic focus captures the dynamic interplay of colour and light, especially during sunrise hours, creating a style almost akin to portraiture.
In the sonic space Travis is known as Source Decay, crafting intricate soundscapes and ambient compositions, using field recordings and electronic samples to create immersive audio experiences.
Jane Shadbolt
Jane Shadbolt is a designer, animator and lecturer at the University of Newcastle. She is the director of the short stop motion animation The Cartographer, winner of two awards at the Australian Production Designer Guild Awards, which has screened at numerous international festivals. She has worked as a freelancer on feature and short films. She joined the Design department at the University of Newcastle in 2008. Her research investigates the relationship between stop motion animation and special effects in live action cinema. It looks at ideas of illusion and the visual representation of the impossible through theory and practice. Her teaching covers image making, graphic design and motion graphics.
The Future Creatives Forum is in partnership with the University of Newcastle.
