For Creative Sydney 2009, we launched the inaugural CREATIVE CATALYSTS list – honouring and exposing 100 inspirational and innovative Sydneysiders who have made a unique contribution to the city’s creative culture.
As a core part of the Creative Sydney team, cultural commentator Marcus Westbury was the instigator of the Creative Catalyst project, “The Creative Catalysts list shows that Sydney is a city full of amazing stories of inspiring creativity. It’s not about Sydney’s most influential people or the people with the best arts jobs or the people in the biggest institutions.
“It’s about people who have taken the initiative to make a creative Sydney. Some of them are well known and obvious, others have simply inspired others in their field or changed the way Sydney does things or sees itself. By highlighting their stories we celebrate their creativity and hope to inspire others to see their city as a place they too can shape and change”
The Creative Catalysts for 2009 were selected from a list of over 700 people, suggested by a range of industry advisors– creative leaders and people who have expertise in various fields – and augmented with a call out through social media. The result is naturally subjective and intended to encourage debate.
The Creative Catalysts for 2009 are …
- Aaron Curnow, Spunk Records – Making noise about local music through the Spunk Singles Club
- Adam Zammit, Peer Group - Entrepreneur connecting money with creativity to support the local music scene
- Adrian McGregor, Biocity Studio / McGregor Partners – Internationally recognised pioneers of sustainable landscape regeneration
- Ali Kadhim, filmmaker – Originator of parkour in Sydney and emerging filmmaker
- Alicia Talbot, Urban Theatre Projects – Telling challenging local stories in inspired ways
- Andrew Batt-Rawden & Alex Pozniak, Chronology Arts – Supporting emerging contemporary composers
- Andrew Denton, Zapruder’s Other Films – Nurturing a new generation of television talent
- Andrew Frost , The Art Life - Creating a focal point for discussion about visual arts in Australia
- Andrew Johnstone & Murray Bell, Design is Kinky/Semi Permanent - Elevating emerging forms of visual communication and inspiring a new generation
- Andrew Khedoori, 2SER - Supporting experimental and alternative music in Sydney
- Anna Plunkett & Luke Sales, Romance Was Born – Bringing personality to high fashion and staying true to their vision
- Animal Logic - Creative and technical powershouse behind some of world’s biggest films
- Ashley Ringrose & Bradley Eldridge, Soap Creative - Digital agency helping to spark debate about internet advertising
- Ben Frost, artist – Drawing on popular culture and advertising to create his own visual language
- Ben Gilmour, Son of a Lion - Sydney’s new hero of DIY filmmaking, taking big risks to tell stories
- Brendan McNamara, Team Bondi - Bringing world-class game development to the harbour city
- Bronwyn Ferguson & Liz Casella, Karolina York - Textile designers taking Australian style to the world
- Candy Bowers, performer - Performer and educator tackling identity issues through entertaining projects
- Cass Wilkinson, FBi Radio – Responsible for establishing FBi as a voice for local music, arts and culture
- Chris Mead, Playwriting Australia – Champion of Australian playwriting
- Dan Boud, Boudist - Documenting the diversity of Sydney’s creative worlds through photography and blogging
- Dan Hill, City Of Sound/Postopolis/Monocle - Blogger initiating new thinking on city-building and culture
- Dan Zilber, FBi Radio - Encouraging the local music scene through FBi’s Music Open Days and exposing it with BeforeCast
- Daniel Askill & Andrew van der Westhuyzen, Collider - Creating world class motion graphics and visual communication
- Dare Jennings, Mambo / Deus Ex Machina - Establishing two iconic Sydney brands and supporting new talent
- Dave Gravina, Digital Eskimo / Live Local - Community -builder and sustainability multi-tasker behind Live Local, Green Ups, Raise the Bar
- David Handley, Sculpture by the Sea – Transforming the coastline every year with Sculpture by the Sea
- Deborah Kelly - Cross-media visual artist and activist
- Eddie Sharp, Rosie Fisher, Mish Grigor, Zoe Coombs-Marr, Imperial Panda Festival – Giving Sydney’s theatre scene the closest thing to a fringe festival
- Elefant Traks - Pioneers of Australian hip hop and a record label with a conscience
- Elke Kramer - Inspiring new designers and makers through her own distinctive aesthetic
- Eoghan Lewis & Simeon King, Sydney Architecture Walk - Using storytelling to start a conversation about the politics of public space in Sydney
- Finders Keepers – Creating a marketplace for independent designers
- Firstdraft Gallery – Supporting generations of emerging curators and in turn artists
- George Gittoes, artist & filmmaker - A lifetime of pushing the boundaries of art from the Yellow House to the war zones of the world
- George Gorrow, Insight, Ksubi - Co-founder of two of the biggest fashion movements ever to come out of Australia and recognising that fashion is intrinsically linked to broader creative culture
- George Miller, Kennedy Miller / DrD - A lifetime of visionary filmmaking and building a local industry
- Get Up – Activism 2.0: using the internet to create communities and campaign for change
- Glue Society - Agitators blurring the boundaries between advertising and art
- Imogen Semmler, Underbelly Public Arts Lab + Festival - Supporting artists on the edge
- Jacqui Vicario, Reportage - Exposing the bigger picture beyond the news pages
- Jaki Middleton, Runway Magazine – Documenting and contextualising the visual arts movements of Sydney
- Johanna Featherstone, Red Room Company - Documenting the work of Sydney’s poetry community
- John Polson, Tropfest - Transforming the city and elevating the art of the short film
- John Wall & Ming Gan, Fuzzy – Teaching Sydney to party
- John Watson, JW Management & Eleven – Discovering some of Australia’s biggest music talents and sharing them with the world
- Jonathan Zawada, Annie Wright-Zawada, Shane Shakkeus, Trust Fun – Individually defining Sydney’s style and collectively making it fun
- Jordan Askill, designer - One of Australia’s most underrated fashion exports
- Kate Bezar , Dumbo feather, pass it on – Creating a new kind of magazine with Dumbo Feather and sharing local stories with the world
- Kill Pixie, street artist - From street artist to fine artist, one of Australia’s new names to watch
- The Presets - Nu-electro pioneers conquering the world
- Kingpins – Performance artists with entertainment values
- Lena Nahlous, Information & Cultural Exchange - Supporting and developing the creative communities of Western Sydney
- Liane Rossler, Dinosaur Designs, greenUps - A creative original, from her work with Dinosaur Designs to her commitment to sustainability
- Libby Clark, Neil Ackland & Andre Lackmann, The Sound Alliance – Building communities and bringing like-minded people together both online and offline
- Liz-Ann Macgregor, MCA - For connecting the art-world and the real world through inspired programming at the MCA
- Lorna Clarkson, CD-R - For giving emerging music producers the platform to meet and share their work
- Luca Belgiorno-Nettis – For continuing the vision and support behind the Biennale and countless young artists
- Lyn Wallis – Building independent theatre in Sydney
- Marc Schamburg & Michael Alvisse, Schamburg + Alvisse - For offering a vision of sophisticated sustainability
- Marcus Gillezeau, Ellenor Cox, Michael O’Neill & Brad Hayward, Scorched – Inventive, collaborative filmmaking that has been recognised around the world
- Marcus Trimble, Super Colossal/ pecha Kucha - Stimulating debate about architecture and cities
- Margaret Pomerantz, film critic and censorship activist – Campaigning for free speech in film
- Mark Gerber, Oxford Art Factory - Giving Sydney musicians, artists and fans a new place to play
- Mark Pollard, Stealth - Bringing together Australia’s hip hop communities through Stealth
- Marnie Neck, Pages Digital – Pioneer of online publishing in Australia
- Matt Huynh, Comic artist/Stikman – World-class visual storytelling with its roots in Sydney’s west
- Meredith Williams, Patsy Black, Teresa Avila, Annette Moore & Penelope Benton, The Red Rattler - Leading the pack in the small bar movement and creating a new space for performance in Sydney
- Monster Children – Documenting the interaction between visual and street culture through the magazine and gallery
- Morganics – Inspiring young people to express themselves through Hip Hop
- Mu-Meson Archives – Guardians of counterculture history
- Natalie Tran, Community Channel – Offering the world a distinctive new voice through her vlogging
- Neil Armfield, Company B - A Sydney icon who continues to draw in new audiences for theatre and performance
- Nigel Marsh, Co-founder Earth Hour – A green ad-man with his eye on the bigger picture
- Olivia Ansell, choreographer – Opening the world of dance for a new generation
- Patty Huntington, Frockwriter – Fashion-blogger selling our talents to the world
- Pig Island – Emerging performers pushing the boundaries
- Quarterbred – One of Sydney’s ARI’s engaging with audiences in unexpected ways
- Rachel Perkins, Blackfella Films – Contribution to Australian storytelling and culture, in particular The First Australians
- Raise The Bar – Social campaigners opening up new spaces to work and play
- Ralph Myers, set designer - Creating dream sets for the theatre community
- Ray Hughes, Ray Hughes Gallery - Raconteur who has brought Australia’s creative edge together through his gallery (and legendary lunches)
- Rod Simpson, Sydney City Farm, City Of Sydney 2030 Plan, BASIX - Architect and campaigner for green spaces in Sydney
- Sarah-Jane Clark & Heidi Middleton, Sass & Bide - Taking Sydney’s unique and eclectic style to the world
- Sebastian Chan, Powerhouse Museum Digital, Cyclic Defrost, Frigid, Sound Summit – Digital heritage innovator and passionate advocate for experimental music in Australia
- Simon Lock, Fashion Week, IMG - Establishing a stage for Australian designers to compete on
- Squat Space / NUCA! - Unstoppable collective of artists and agitators
- Stefan Popescu, Sydney Underground Film Festival - Exposing the grimy edge of Sydney filmmaking
- Steve Pavlovic, Modular - Supporting the new acts that have made Sydney music scene famous around the world
- Steven Page, Bangarra Dance Theatre – Creating a contemporary vision for Indigenous dance
- The Chaser - Keeping the bastards on their toes
- Trent Jansen, industrial designer – The future of industrial design with a conscience
- Troy Lum, Sandie Don & Frank Cox, Hopscotch Films - Engaging audiences in film
- Tugi Balog, May’s Lane – Legitimising street art in Sydney
- Vanessa Berry, zine maker/artist - Prolific zine-maker with a passion for local stories
- Version 1.0 - Putting politics into performance
- Vince Frost - World-renowned art director lending his keen eye to Sydney’s creative industries
- Virginia Hyam, Sydney Opera House - Transforming an institution through accessible programming and supporting local artists
- Zac & Zolton Zavos, Lost at E Minor - Exposing the energy of Australia’s creative industries
18 Comments
This is a brave venture? No doubt there will be some noses out of joint.
It’s not clear that people have to be currently catalyzing to make the cut, but in any case I believe Neville Wran deserves pre-eminently a role in any list of cultural catalyzers of Sydney, not just for the fact that he liberated for cultural centres and activities, a *lot* of money that would otherwise have gone elsewhere, but because he did that with vision and real appreciation of the artists/creative spirits and a determination not to be obstructed by “perfectly reasonable” arguments to do think and do on a smaller, totally forgettable scale.
Well done all of you!!! And those who know you’re pretty much here but perhaps didn’t get picked up by the radar. Isn’t it exciting to know Sydney is really pulsing with genuine creative growth. Great idea Marcus and looking forward to more people with burgeoning ideas next year. So many of you are people who have made my life that much better in all these facets of pleasure, enquiry & creativity so thanks!
The Presets? Fashion labels? That really says everything about Sydney you need to know…
Glad to see The Mu Meson Archives on the list tho
I think Paul McCarthy definitely deserves a mention for offering original live music in Sydney 7 days a week at the Hopetoun Hotel. Honourable mention to Matt and Dan Rule for hosting multiple stages at The Annandale Hotel six days a week.
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What happened to places like Palmer Projects gallery, China Heights gallery, Black & Blue gallery and Stupidkrap! Without these galleries and organisations there’s a massive black hole in the arts underground. If places like these, that house arts events on a weekly basis aren’t in the top 100 catalysts habouring Sydney’s creative culture then Sydney’s a very sad place.
Thanks for this list.. Reminds me of how much great stuff is actually going on in Sydney… There’s quite a few active Sydney creatives not mentioned here too… Regardless, thanks again…
Great to see recognition of local creativity and talent instead of the usual “it’s from overseas so it must be cooler/better” phenomenon. So many creative people leave Sydney in frustration, the ones who stay and persevere deserve even more recognition.
I do think the definition of “catalyst” might be a little broad, which I guess is Christian’s beef also.
Hi – I was thrilled you listed my nephew Marcus Trimble but did not buy the SMH on Wednesday 27th so missed the article on him and some others and the photo! I tried a few blue recycling bins but no luck – besides, some people looked at me with pity, probably thinking I was hungry.
I enjoyed the computer-generated light – art by Brian Eco too – this seems part of it all.
Hi Sonja, you can read the full SMH article (and see Marcus’ pic!) at http://creativesydney.com.au/2009/06/01/creative-catalysts-in-smh/
Top 100 catalysts? I can only see 99 listed.
A lovely idea to celebrate Sydney creativity. I was intrigued as to who made the list, in face, why should there be a list at all?
This ‘award’ list of sorts…I’ll pat you on the back…. type incestuous bullshit, is exactly what is wrong with this city. Who is determining who is ‘creative’, who has been a catalyst for what? All this honors is the self indulgent bullshit Sydney is cultivating. A perfectly two dimentional list, lacking the diversity to be an example of anything which should be labelled as celebrating ‘creative Sydney’.
Oh dear ‘anonymous’. Such courage of conviction that you should choose not to even reveal your name! Why post anonymously if you feel this strongly?
I think you’re 100% wrong, this is an inspiring list that reflects a real diversity of creativity in this city. It’s long overdue and badly needed. In addition to revealing your identity, why don’t you put your money where your mouth is and tell us who YOU think should have been on this list? What is this magical additional diversity that you speak of?
I find these lists hugely annoying (and elitist) in that they leave off more talent than they include. I’m sick of ‘artistic Sydney’ ending at Marrickville (with the exception of certain organisations in the Parramatta region as token westie inclusions). I’m sick of people and organisations who have grown comfortable and complacent on Arts NSW and Ozco funding being described as ‘inspirational and innovative’. I think it’s time that we grew up and got over all of this self-congragalatory puffery and got on with making art. For every person/organisation on this list there are now another 100 wondering why they bother at all…
Greg Shapley
Don’t Look Gallery
Sound of Failure Festival
…further (now that I’ve calmed down a bit) I have some constructive, critical suggestions. I really don’t think having a limited list is helpful at all — in fact I think that it’s quite destructive. It creates an artificially competitive environment that goes against everything that I (and many grassroots artists) stand for. Why not have an unlimited list? Why not do an extended open call out followed by discussion and debate about the people and organisations on it and publish the lot?
If you really, really must have your list of a hundred then may I suggest some criteria so that you’re not comparing apples and oranges (or, more aptly, watermelons and grapes). Firstly, get rid of any blatantly commercial organisations. Secondly, strike employees of organisations (why should someone who’s slogging it out keeping an ARI afloat be compared with someone who is receiving a weekly wage from a resourced organisation?). Thirdly, remove anyone or any organisation that has been the principle recipient of an Arts NSW or Ozco grant in the last year.
The list would be very different and, perhaps, actually comprised of ‘inspirational and innovative Sydneysiders’.
Greg Shapley
Don’t Look Gallery
Sound of Failure Festival
Greg, you disparage lists that are exclusive, then suggest an exclusive list.. and you seem to equate innovation and creativity with struggle and financial insecurity.. I don’t see why a commercial organisation or individual can’t be innovative, creative or inspiring.. and by extension would you like to suggest that individuals shouldn’t be rewarded for their work, or be commercially successful?
Seems to me all you’ve done is reveal your own prejudices..
Responding to Puffin…
Thanks for you comments. My initial ideal solution was not at all exclusive (”Why not have an unlimited list? Why not do an extended open call out followed by discussion and debate about the people and organisations on it and publish the lot?”). I’m really not sure if you could get less exclusive (in fact you seem to have conveniently ignored my entire first para!).
My second (not ideal) solution was qualified (”If you really, really must have your list of a hundred…”) and was meant to make a point. There have been people excluded from this list, not because these people aren’t putting in the hard yards, but because others are simply better resourced and in some cases are commercial organisations.
I think you may have also answered your own question when asking “would you like to suggest that individuals shouldn’t be rewarded for their work, or be commercially successful?”. If someone has been commercially successful, then, may I suggest, that they have already been rewarded for there work?
As far as equating “innovation and creativity with struggle and financial insecurity” there are two things to be said here. The first is that struggle and financial insecurity are sometimes great catalysts for innovation and creativity (necessity is, after all, the mother of invention), and the second is that I’m not saying that well fed artists (and art bureaucrats) aren’t capable of being innovative and creative, just that it’s a different kettle of fish and this difference should be acknowledged (I’m not sure how a volunteer with an ARI is supposed to compete with Andrew Denton or George Miller). Let’s at least level the playing field.
Puffin, I have indeed revealed my prejudices, as have you. Mine are against inequity. Yours, I fear, run the other way.
Yours,
Greg Shapley
Don’t Look Gallery
Sound of Failure Festival
Interesting comments starting from Jamie to Greg.
Prejudice and elitist… hmmm. I think that’s just the culture.
Listen to chatter, we put down the Americans, the British, the Asians, the Indians heck just about anybody not in the Aussieland., even in our own backyard.
Bee Gees, Beatles, Cliff Richard, Olivia NJ just to name a few were the icons that started locally. Who are we putting down, us or everybody else?
Getting away from entertainment for a moment to current sport, cycling, we would not know the truth behind the aussie who decides to race under the German flag but I have a strong suspicion that it has got to do with what we are commenting about, prejudice and elitist. Anyone who dares to challenge the tallest poppy would be cut to size. Especially those who struggle financially as an independant.
Back to entertainment.. Not too long ago, most was trying to cut Kylie Minogue, until she acquired fiancial and international status to fight back. Same can’t be said of her sister, however talented she is and was, she is loyal to her country. She’s been pushed to oblivion.
Other local talents come to mind, most recently, Australian idol winners. Can they make it locally. Sad to say but its a BIG NO. Some of our mature arts (ballet,etc) talents surpass international standards, they even create the level of standard for those “others” that we put down. Sad to say, majority do not have “commercial” support.
We have great pool of talent who are stuggling and with no recognition. Shouldn’t we give them a place to acknowledge them before they pass on.
Support local talent to make this fair land surrounded by seas an international household name again. The land that makes Hoover, Kingswood, creative and innovative and best of all works till it falls to pieces.
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