Yarra City Council’s Yarra Arts Advisory Committee (YAARTS), Visual Arts Panel (VAP) and Room to Create Panel are the three key committees that provide the formal mechanism for Council to enable community participation in arts and cultural planning and development.
YAARTS was established in 1997 as a community advisory committee to Yarra City Council to provide advice on arts and cultural development in the City of Yarra. It is comprised of representatives from Yarra based arts and community organisations, local artists and cultural industries.
The Committee provides a formal mechanism for Council to consult with key stakeholders, seek specialist advice and enable community participation in arts and cultural planning and development.
To find out more about the committee view the Terms of Reference.
YAARTS Membership
Yarra Councillors Edward Crossland (Deputy Mayor) and Stephen Jolly are members of the committee.
Members for the 2021-2023 term are:
Simon Bedford
Simon is a performing arts producer and arts manager with over fifteen years of experience in the in both Australia and the UK. He is currently the Head of Systems and Ticketing at the Melbourne International Film Festival. Simon has also produced work for the Arts Centre Melbourne and Hoipolloi Theatre in the UK. Simon lives in the City of Yarra.
Angela Conquet
Angela’s experience spans dance, performing arts, festivals and arts management. A prolific writer and creative producer, Angela has just begun doctoral research after serving as the Artistic Director/CEO of Dancehouse 2011 to 2020, Australia’s premier centre for independent dance. Prior to moving to Australia, Angela was the Director of Performing Arts at Mains d’Oeuvres, Paris’ largest independent arts centre. Angela lives in the City of Yarra.
Miranda Hill
Miranda is a performer, music director, producer, teacher and community development worker. With specialist knowledge in Western Classical, Contemporary Western Art Music, Historically Informed Baroque performance, Improvisation, Electro-Acoustic, and Electronic composition. Miranda’s experience also extends to dance, theatre, and multi-media. Miranda is the Musical Director of the Riff Raff Radical Marching Band and the bands director for "Serendading Adela" feminist street opera. Miranda works and lives in the City of Yarra.
Clare Leporati
Clare brings extensive experience in visual art, public art, artist residency, collection management and local government. Clare is the Vice-Chair of NETS Victoria and Vice President of Yarra Sculpture Gallery. Clare lives in Yarra.
Joel Stern
Joel Stern is a researcher, curator, and artist. Informed by his background in DIY and experimental music scenes, Stern’s work focusses on how social, political, and technical practices of sound and listening inform and shape our contemporary worlds.
In 2013, Stern was appointed Artistic Director of pioneering Australian sonic art organisation Liquid Architecture, a position which he held until 2022. In this capacity Stern has produced and curated numerous festivals, exhibitions, concerts and publications in Australia and internationally, while developing artistic research investigations and programs.
Stern completed his PhD thesis ‘Eavesdropping: The Politics, Ethics, and Art of Listening’ in 2020 through the Curatorial Practice program at Monash University. In 2022, Stern began a Vice-Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship at RMIT School of Media and Communication to continue to develop his work on machine listening.
Arika Waulu
Arika Waulu is a koolyn language holder of the Djap Wurrung, Peek Wurrung, Dhauwurd Wurrung western districts of Victoria. Waulu is a sovereign multimedia and installation experimentalist who uses sculpture, video, moving and still images that are predominantly displayed as projection installations.
Waulu is a community activator, and is a part of a small working team at Blak Pearl Studios in Fitzroy. Working closely with their local community on arts projects and upcoming events. Waulu launched their landback initiative Wuurn Of Kanak in November 2020, the ten year plan aims to regenerate land and waters through native plants and bush medicine gardens, and nurture and protect the existing ancestor trees and surrounding cultural landscapes.
Yarra City Council’s Yarra Arts Advisory Committee (YAARTS), Visual Arts Panel (VAP) and Room to Create Panel are the three key committees that provide the formal mechanism for Council to enable community participation in arts and cultural planning and development.
YAARTS was established in 1997 as a community advisory committee to Yarra City Council to provide advice on arts and cultural development in the City of Yarra. It is comprised of representatives from Yarra based arts and community organisations, local artists and cultural industries.
The Committee provides a formal mechanism for Council to consult with key stakeholders, seek specialist advice and enable community participation in arts and cultural planning and development.
To find out more about the committee view the Terms of Reference.
YAARTS Membership
Yarra Councillors Edward Crossland (Deputy Mayor) and Stephen Jolly are members of the committee.
Members for the 2021-2023 term are:
Simon Bedford
Simon is a performing arts producer and arts manager with over fifteen years of experience in the in both Australia and the UK. He is currently the Head of Systems and Ticketing at the Melbourne International Film Festival. Simon has also produced work for the Arts Centre Melbourne and Hoipolloi Theatre in the UK. Simon lives in the City of Yarra.
Angela Conquet
Angela’s experience spans dance, performing arts, festivals and arts management. A prolific writer and creative producer, Angela has just begun doctoral research after serving as the Artistic Director/CEO of Dancehouse 2011 to 2020, Australia’s premier centre for independent dance. Prior to moving to Australia, Angela was the Director of Performing Arts at Mains d’Oeuvres, Paris’ largest independent arts centre. Angela lives in the City of Yarra.
Miranda Hill
Miranda is a performer, music director, producer, teacher and community development worker. With specialist knowledge in Western Classical, Contemporary Western Art Music, Historically Informed Baroque performance, Improvisation, Electro-Acoustic, and Electronic composition. Miranda’s experience also extends to dance, theatre, and multi-media. Miranda is the Musical Director of the Riff Raff Radical Marching Band and the bands director for "Serendading Adela" feminist street opera. Miranda works and lives in the City of Yarra.
Clare Leporati
Clare brings extensive experience in visual art, public art, artist residency, collection management and local government. Clare is the Vice-Chair of NETS Victoria and Vice President of Yarra Sculpture Gallery. Clare lives in Yarra.
Joel Stern
Joel Stern is a researcher, curator, and artist. Informed by his background in DIY and experimental music scenes, Stern’s work focusses on how social, political, and technical practices of sound and listening inform and shape our contemporary worlds.
In 2013, Stern was appointed Artistic Director of pioneering Australian sonic art organisation Liquid Architecture, a position which he held until 2022. In this capacity Stern has produced and curated numerous festivals, exhibitions, concerts and publications in Australia and internationally, while developing artistic research investigations and programs.
Stern completed his PhD thesis ‘Eavesdropping: The Politics, Ethics, and Art of Listening’ in 2020 through the Curatorial Practice program at Monash University. In 2022, Stern began a Vice-Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship at RMIT School of Media and Communication to continue to develop his work on machine listening.
Arika Waulu
Arika Waulu is a koolyn language holder of the Djap Wurrung, Peek Wurrung, Dhauwurd Wurrung western districts of Victoria. Waulu is a sovereign multimedia and installation experimentalist who uses sculpture, video, moving and still images that are predominantly displayed as projection installations.
Waulu is a community activator, and is a part of a small working team at Blak Pearl Studios in Fitzroy. Working closely with their local community on arts projects and upcoming events. Waulu launched their landback initiative Wuurn Of Kanak in November 2020, the ten year plan aims to regenerate land and waters through native plants and bush medicine gardens, and nurture and protect the existing ancestor trees and surrounding cultural landscapes.
