Jade has been working in and with communities for the past 15 years. She is a passionate and experienced practitioner, arts executive and facilitator. With a background in arts, education and international engagement, Jade is the former Director and CEO of Footscray Community Arts Centre in Melbourne. She has been developing her practice and philosophy around the belief that arts and cultural development, underpinned by sound engagement and social justice frameworks, are tools for social and systemic change.
Having lived and worked extensively throughout Australia and Southeast Asia, Jade’s areas of expertise include: arts management, community cultural development, young people, education (alternative and mainstream) and training, facilitation, consultation and engagement, change management, concept and framework development, policy development, strategic and program development and implementation. She has worked in a variety of government and non-government contexts including: Education Queensland, NT Department of Education and Training, Arts Queensland, SpeakOut (now known as Human Ventures), Brisbane City Council and Contact Inc.
In 2009, Jade was the recipient of a Kirk Robson Award and was recognised as a young cultural leader in community cultural development practice. In 2010, she was an Asialink Arts Management Resident with Makhampom Theatre in Thailand. Prior to her arrival in Melbourne (2012), Jade was based in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand working with Australian Volunteers International as an Arts Management Advisor for Gabfai Community Theatre and community based non-government organisations who are working with communities, around human rights and trafficking issues. In 2013, Jade finished a two year research project called: Australia and SE Asia – CACD Practice and International Collaborations. This work was supported by the Australia Council.