Staff /Board

STAFF

Director / Executive Producer: Jo Pratt joined the BEMAC team in March 2009. As Director, Jo is responsible for the overall management of the organisation. Jo brings with her 15 years community development experience with Indigenous and Pacific Island communities, and co-owns an artist and event management company which works primarily with Pacific Island and Melanesian contemporary musicians.

Administration: Gladys Miles, IT: Balraj Kaur , Design: Irina Quiroz, Bookkeeper: Kerry Atkins, Events: Natalie Hoskings, Marketing: Bilge Ozgun

BOARD OF MANAGEMENT

Chairperson:  Dilshani Weerasinghe, currently the Development Director for the Queensland Ballet, was previously Sponsorship Manager for Brisbane Powerhouse. Spent 15 years as a development professional with senior executive and managerial experience in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Extensive experience working with boards, committees, executives, high net-worth individuals, internal/external stakeholders and senior volunteers. Has a deep understanding of not-for-profit organisations, charity law and , governance. Dilshani has extensive experience in all aspects of fundraising and development, including major donor solicitation, statutory giving, charitable trust giving including major international Foundations, corporate sponsorship, special events, annual giving programs, direct mail campaigns, memberships, volunteer engagement, CRM systems, marketing and communications with a strong ability to identify, cultivate and establish partnerships, with internal and external stakeholders, to deliver initiatives with integrity, within ethical guidelines and with sustainable results. Has strong interpersonal, negotiation and advocacy skills.

Vice-Chairperson:  Thomas Dick is experienced in the creative industries throughout the Asia-Pacific region, speak/writes fluent Bislama (Vanuatu),  Tok Pisin (PNG), Solomon Island pidgin, and Thai. Has established cultural development agencies in Vanuatu and has worked on the Board of  arts organisations in Australia and the Pacific. Has worked on the Australasian World Music Expo, WOMEX, and Fest’Napuan (Vanuatu). Tom is an experienced and successful grant writer with a history of effective projects funded by the European Union, DFAT, NZAid, AusAID, Australia Council, Arts Queensland, Brisbane City Council, and private organisations. Has relevant Board and Management Committee experience with Further Arts, Fest’Napuan, and Tura Nambe (all in Vanuatu), BEMAC and Wantok Musik Foundation (both in Australia), and Abraham Locations in Thailand.

Treasurer:  Michael Krafft has an extensive background in industrial relations as an employer, manager and industry consultant, to the Director of a registered Job Services Australia Provider. Currently Director, of Economic Participation and Development, previously Employment and Business Development Manager and Business Services and Operations Manager for ACCES, a community based incorporated organisation that provides specialised support and services to newly arrived migrants and refugees. Board member of Jobs Australia, panel member on Employment Broker, Social Ventures Australia and Innovation Fund, Member  Muslim Youth and Employment Advisory Group, the Logan/Ipswich Keep Australia Working Committee, and Centrelink Multicultural Advisory Committee.  Michael has been a singer and percussionist and more recently, danced in Tango performance groups.

Secretary:  Elda Batoz has over 10 years experience in the arts and cultural sector as a practicing artist, designer, project coordinator and manager. She has experience in both the private and public sectors. Elda is a passionate art and design advocate and wishes to contribute to the growth and development of Australia’s Creative industries. She currently works as a Marketing Officer for Coomera Anglican College, (Gold Coast) and previously spent several years working at Multicultural Arts Victoria.  Elda has a Bachelor of Art (Painting and Photography)- RMIT, Advanced Diploma of Electronic Design and Interactive Multimedia (Swinburne Uni) and the Graduate Certificate of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation (Swinburne Uni).

Member: Stefan Treyvaud is currently the Executive Manager – Marketing, QPAC. After an 8 year career in middle management in food and beverage operations with ITT Sheraton Gold Coast, Port Douglas and Brisbane, he moved into event and sponsorship management, FMCG marketing, writing and publishing and then arts marketing. Stefan spent 4 years as Marketing Manager for Brisbane Powerhouse, then as Director of Marketing for Queensland Music Festival and the State Library. He is passionate about the cultural development of Brisbane the promotion and celebration of diverse communities and the bringing together of audiences and performers for  of entertainment, education and inspiration.

Member: Kerry Brown (PhD Griffith, FFISEAM) is the Mulpha Chair in Tourism Asset Management and Professor in the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Southern Cross University. She is the Director of the Centre for Tourism, Leisure and Work at there also. She is the Program Leader for the Sustainability and Organisational Performance Program for the Cooperative Research Centre for Infrastructure and Engineering Asset Management (CIEAM2).  She has co-authored three books and published over 60 articles. She has been awarded nine Australian Research Council (ARC) grants and many commercial research grants in the areas of organisational development and strategy, public policy and evaluation. Kerry is an Executive Board Member of the International Society for Public Management; and Board Member of the Australian Regional Tourism Network. She is an appointed member of the International Standards Organisation Australian Mirror Committee for MB-19 Asset Management. She was awarded an Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM) Research Fellow (2009-2011).

Member: Vladis Kosse was born in Mariupol City, Ukraine, relocating to Australia in 1992.  Vladis works at Queensland University of Technology in the School of Engineering Systems, and is in charge for teaching and courses development in Engineering Design. He is internationally renowned as an expert in the area of engineering creativity in general and on the Ideation TRIC Methodology. He published a book “Solving problems with TRIZ – an Exercise Handbook” (two editions in USA and one in Japan), about 100 refereed papers and registered 16 patents.  Vladis is actively involved in cultural life He is a member of the Russian Folkloric Choir Samotsvety that recently celebrated 10-year anniversary.  Vladis also is a member of the Management Committee of the Queensland Russian Community Centre (QRCC) and the President of the Russian Radio Committee for 4eb.

Member: Cat Samford-Beechey is the youngest member of the Board and represents culturally diverse artists as one of Brisbane’s leading world music DJ’s.  Cat’s networks and skills are strong in relation to maximizing social media for developing audiences, radio and street press.  Cat has good presenter and community networks, and currently heads up the social fundraising team for BEMAC.  Cat is passionate about increasing BEMAC’s membership and volunteer base and establishing local business partnerships with West End traders.

Member: Ben Farr-Wharton has been a community arts and cultural development practitioner in South-East Queensland and Melanesia for the last decade. He has run youth festivals and concerts, facilitating music, film and audio technology workshops and engaging with strategic development activities.. In 2008, 2009 he facilitated the technical production of Logan’s ‘Dream It Up’ – that saw 1000 young people from CALD backgrounds engage in a day-long event of aspiration-building activities.  In 2009, 2010 Ben worked on Vanuatu’s Fest’Napuan , one of the biggest music festivals in the Pacific, delivering film and audio technology workshops. More recently, Ben has delivered youth aspiration workshops in partnership with the Voice of Samoan People (organization) in Logan City. He currently works with Centre of Tourism, Leisure and Work, Southern Cross University, where he administers the Southern Gold Coast Music Hub research project. This project seeks to stimulate regional cultural and economic development through the coordinated provision of music

Follow BEMAC

Join us on BEMAC’s facebook

Subscribe to our Many cultures one heART blog

Follow us on Twitter

Become a member

BEMAC has three types of membership options:

  • Individual
  • Artist
  • Organisational

Read more

Upcoming Events