Hear from three arts leaders and practitioners about their experiences working with various organisations to develop creative communities in regional and metro settings. Topics include working with regional councils, setting up artist-run-initiatives, strengthening creative communities and more. This includes a Q+A panel discussion and time for networking. Light refreshments will be provided.

We can’t wait to see you there and start talking about how we can make more creative things happen in our area!

About Creative City Networking Sessions

The Creative City Networking Sessions are free monthly networking events throughout the year, held in various spaces around Greater Shepparton. The events are being offered through Greater Shepparton City Council’s Creative City Strategy and have been programmed collaboratively by local creatives who will host the events.

The sessions are an opportunity to connect with other creatives and artists, explore new ideas and collaborations and develop practice and build sustainability.

Our speakers for the night:

Tegan Nash Ollet, Live Art Benalla

Creative producer, teacher and artist Tegan works in dance and live art. Her work examines our intrinsic connection to one another and to place. A frequent collaborator of visual, sound and projection artists, Tegan is also an alum of the Footscray Community Arts Centre’s Emerging Cultural Leaders Program and Theatre Network Australia's Victorian Independent Producers Initiative. Tegan has worked with contemporary arts organisations and local councils to devise projects that engage communities in creative practice and art-making. In 2022, she launched Live Art Benalla, a platform to present multidisciplinary performance work and support rural/regional artists in the North East.

Shini Pararajasingham, Off The Kerb Gallery

Shini is the Founding Director of Off the Kerb gallery, an Artist-Run Initiative in Melbourne, since 2007. Her role is in the gallery’s strategic direction and artistic curation of exhibitions throughout the year. She is also the Director of Walking the Wood Festival– a collaborative arts and cultural festival in Collingwood, Melbourne. As member of the Room to Create Advisory Board of City of Yarra, Shini aims to support Yarra artists and arts organisations and broker affordable, sustainable creative spaces. She has also presented to the City of Ballarat Arts and Culture on exploring the creation, management and sustainability of community art spaces and practice.

Nikki Ralston, Regional Arts Victoria

Nikki is a lover of all things arts and culture and is passionate about increasing access for people to engage with the sector as creators, audiences and participants. She has diverse professional experience working across performing and visual arts, both locally and internationally. Much of Nikki's career has focussed on artist and sector development, and fostering strong connections between communities, artists and venues. Working from her home in Yarrawonga, Nikki currently holds several roles for Regional Arts Victoria managing sector development and regional touring programs. She also mentors emerging and mid-career artists in a freelance capacity.

Greater Shepparton City Council's Creative City Networking Sessions are supported by the Shepparton Festival.