Jane Haley, CEO
Jane Haley has extensive expertise in cultural policy, arts management and private sector arts support. She has managed arts organisations in several states of Australia including Arts Access (Victoria), the Queensland Theatre Company, the Arts Council of Australia (ACT) and Sidetrack Theatre (Sydney). Pursuing a fascination with the strategic role of public institutions, Jane has directed policy and program initiatives for Arts Queensland, the NSW Department of Education and the Victorian Government. Jane also believes passionately in the importance of the arts taking responsibility for their own circumstances and, to this end, has provided leadership for professional arts industry and advocacy bodies including ArtsPeak, the Arts Industry Council of Victoria, and the Australian Institute of Arts Management. Before joining AbaF, Jane was senior policy adviser to Mary Delahunty, MP, Victoria's Minister for the Arts.
Jill Berry, National Director Business Development
Jill Berry has worked for over twenty five years in the areas of regional community development, corporate and philanthropic fundraising and marketing in senior executive management roles in not for profit companies. She has a strong history in government relations, innovative fundraising solutions and marketing across a diverse range of communities. Her history includes local government, international festivals, theatre, not for profits and a broad range of consultancies. Jill’s board appointments have included The Australian Dance Theatre, Museum of South Australia, The Australian Theatre for Young People and the Sydney Peace Foundation.
Damien Hodgkinson, General Manager
Damien Hodgkinson has worked in marketing and development with major arts organisations for the past 12 years. Prior to joining AbaF he worked as General Manager of Melbourne Fringe. His professional experience includes senior marketing roles with Bell Shakespeare, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Playbox Theatre and Company B Belvoir. Damien managed the sponsorship and community involvement program for financial services group Norwich Union Australia and he has consulted for Arts Access and Queensland Theatre Company. Damien was also Chair of Polyglot Puppet Theatre prior to joining AbaF.
Bea Brickhill, Director Australian Capital Territory
Bea Brickhill has an extensive background in the performing and visual arts, heritage and education, both nationally and internationally. Bea has spent much of her professional life as a manager and board member of arts organisations in the Australia and Wales and has raised funds for orgnaisations as varied as the John Curtion School of Medical Research, the Faculty of Arts, University of Melbourne and the Melbourne Zoo. Prior to joining AbaF she was National Manager, Fundraising & Development for Australian Catholic University where she worked for almost four years. Other roles have included Development Manager of Anglicare Canberra and Goulburn, and Development Manager of the John Curtin School of Medical Research at ANU. In the arts sector Bea commenced her career as a Stage Manager in London's West End, and spent six years with Welsh National Opera and Welsh Dance Theatre Trust. She was Assistant Director of the Sydney Opera House's Bennelong Program and established the Friends of the National Library. Bea has been the Development Manager of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery and General Manager for TasDance in Launceston. She has been a board member of a number of arts organisations including Stompin (Launceston), the Theatre Royal (Hobart) and is currently a Director of GreaterGood, the Capital Region Community Foundation.
John Godfrey, Manager New South Wales
John Godfrey has worked, trained and provided consultancy in the arts, culture and education in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Asia. His qualifications include a BA in opera studies, an MSc in Business Administration and a Graduate Diploma in Arts Administration. He trained as an actor at the New Zealand Drama School. He has worked in festival and theatre management in NZ, Australia and the UK – as Programme Director of Wellington’s Summer City; Administrator of the Unley Youth Theatre; General Manager of the Riverina Theatre Company; Corporate Affairs Manager of the Sydney Festival, Development Director for the Edinburgh International Festival and as General Manager of the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park, London. He has served on arts boards as diverse as the Seymour Group (contemporary music) and the Tamarama Rock Surfers (theatre); and on advisory bodies such as the Arts Development Forum (Arts & Business, London) and the National Campaign for the Arts, in the UK.
Sue Fisher, Director Queensland
Sue Fisher began her career as an economist and has a particular interest and expertise in cultural policy, economics, and arts management. In 2010, Sue was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to research international best practice in stimulating private sector support for the arts in a challenging economic environment: the Fellowship report is now available online. Sue’s past roles include Senior Lecturer in the School of Arts Media & Culture at Griffith University, and Principal Program Officer for Cultural Policy with Brisbane City Council, where she was responsible for the strategic direction for cultural development in the city. Sue has been the Queensland Advisor for the Australia Council for the Arts and managed the GST Arts Education Program. You may have heard Sue on 612 ABC local radio in Brisbane a couple of years ago when she had a regular movie review segment on Warren Boland’s programme.
Jane MacFarlane, Director South Australia & Northern Territory
Prior to her move to SA, Jane had been the AbaF Director in Tasmania since 2003. She comes with an extensive background in arts management and corporate community development. She has worked in film, theatre, visual and community arts. She spent five years with APN News and Media, where she was responsible for the development of corporate partnerships and marketing strategies. She has managed and directed a number of events for the cultural sector including Brisbane International Animation Festival, Tasmanian Living Artists Week and Brisbane Animation Festival. She has also worked as a consultant in the areas of community development, promotions and marketing, film production and script writing as well as provided guest lectures on partnership development.
Eric Lilja, Director Victoria
Eric recently moved to Melbourne from New Jersey, USA, and consulted to a variety of arts organisations prior to joining AbaF. He holds an MBA from Harvard University and has over 15 years of professional experience in both the private and not-for-profit sectors. He previously worked in a variety of senior marketing and product management roles at AT&T Inc. where he headed the company’s international sponsorships and marketing activities associated with the U.S. Olympic, Formula One Racing and other major sport properties. Prior to joining AT&T, Eric worked in the not-for-profit sector in a variety of executive marketing and fundraising positions at United Way of New York City, and the Martha Graham and Lar Lubovitch dance companies. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Midsumma Festival, and is Secretary of the Harvard Club of Victoria
Magdalena Lane, Director Tasmania
Magdalena Lane's past positions have included marketing and partnership roles for cultural organisations such as the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales. In her previous role, Magdalena worked at Tourism Tasmania in event marketing and partnerships. She was responsible for identifying, developing and delivering partnership and marketing strategies with Tasmanian events and tourism, brand and commercial partners (both local and national) to position Tasmania as a culturally vibrant destination. Prior to this, Magdalena worked as the Producer for the Tasmanian Theatre Company, where she developed, managed and delivered Company partnerships, marketing and publicity strategies and developed the Community Enrichment Program. She has presented at the Australia Council National Marketing Summit on youth arts partnerships, worked as a film festival judge, reviewer for RealTime, key role voice artist for Channel Nine's national broadcast of the animation Pixel Pinkie and in 2007 was awarded a Asialink grant to travel to Thailand to study performance making.
Henry Boston, Director Western Australia
Henry Boston was the General Manager of the Festival of Perth from 1988 to 1999 during which time he oversaw the visual arts and literary program. He subsequently co-founded Cultural Pursuits Australia which produced new Australian performance work and toured it around the world. During his professional career he has sat on a number of boards and committees including the Association of International Australasian Arts Festivals, the Theatre Industry Panel, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts and the Perth Theatre Trust.
Meriel Corbett-Weir, Manager Northern Territory
Meriel joins AbaF, having previously served as the Chief Information Officer for a Northern Territory Government Department. Spanning a career of 25 years Meriel has performed many and varied executive leadership roles in the public and corporate sector where she has specialised in national and international strategic policy development, corporate governance and capacity building. Meriel has a strong and demonstrated commitment to community engagement and has served on not for profit management committees and boards responsible for strategic planning corporate relations, media management, sponsorship and event management. Meriel is passionate about advancing the Arts in the Northern Territory and as a business mentor and principal performer has experienced firsthand the challenges faced by arts organisations grappling with the constant pursuit to grow and flourish whilst maintaining integrity to their art form as they strive for sustainable economic viability.