Regional Arts Victoria is thrilled to welcome Bridgette Le, Lee Darroch and Kellie Sutherland to three new roles that will support creative recovery in the bushfire-affected regions of North East Victoria and East Gippsland.
Bridgette Le joins us as Partnerships Administrator. Bridgette has worked within the arts industry as a professional musician for the last 10 years. Along with music, she is passionate about communication design, utilised in her previous role as Media and Content Designer for Melbourne tech start-up, Nura.
Our Creative Recovery Coordinator in East Gippsland is Lee Darroch, a proud Yorta Yorta, Mutti, Boon Wurrung woman who has lived for the past 32 years with her partner and family on Raymond Island. She is a renowned visual artist, community arts worker and leader of the cultural revival of traditional cultural practices across South-eastern Australia in particular possum skin cloak making, sculpture, public art, feather work and coiled basketry. Lee has worked for the past 32 years in Aboriginal community based organisations and in her own business, Gurranyin Arts which was first established in 1995. She has been the Koori Arts Worker for East Gippsland Aboriginal Arts Corporation, and Program Coordinator of Banmirra Arts for 6 years delivering possum cloak workshops across the South-east of Australia. Lee’s artwork is in most public collections in Australia including a large body of work at National Gallery of Australia and at National Museum of Australia.
In North East Victoria, Kellie Sutherland will work as our local Creative Recovery Coordinator. Kellie has constructed an impressive body of work over her 20 year career, having dedicated herself to various roles within the creative industries. Primarily, as a founding member and creative co-director of maverick musical group Architecture in Helsinki, where she delivered umpteen, outside the box campaigns, albums, concerts and events. More recently she has worked in arts communication and cultural partnerships roles in the North East and Border region, forming a strong understanding of community-led activities and engagement practices. Kellie is driven by a desire to inspire people to strive and thrive in a (creative) life beyond the conventional, and moved to Beechworth in 2016 where she likes to spend her spare time connecting with the natural world with her young family.
Regional Arts Victoria Executive Director Joe Toohey said the appointments, alongside the small grants program recently launched, come at an important stage of the recovery effort in regional Victoria.
“Bridgette, Lee and Kellie bring a range of important skills to their respective roles, which will be of enormous benefit to East Gippsland and North East Victorian creatives and communities. I’m thrilled to be working with each of them on this crucial next stage of renewal for bushfire affected regions.”
Bridgette will begin work from July 7, with Lee to commence July 27 and Kellie August 10.
Media Contact: Rhiannon Poley 0424 206 671 | rpoley@rav.net.au
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ABOUT REGIONAL ARTS VICTORIA
Regional Arts Victoria inspires art across the state.
Through creative facilitation, touring, education, specialised resources, artistic projects and advocacy, we develop and sustain creative communities and artistic practice all over Victoria.
Regional Arts Victoria is an independent, not-for-profit, membership-based organisation working in long term partnerships with every level of government, fostering contemporary and innovative regional cultural practice across five decades.
We advise and impact on decision-making across multiple portfolios and levels of government. Regional Arts Victoria is the peak body for regional artists and arts organisations, and the leading organisation for regional creative practice in Victoria.