• STIMULATING ARTS AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT - Octapod supports a creative and diverse arts sector, with a particular emphasis on artform development within independent, emerging and experimental arts and media practices.
• IMPROVING INDUSTRY CAPACITY AND SUSTAINABILITY - Octapod seeks to develop infrastructure that improves industry capacity and supports the sustainability of Hunter-based cultural programs.

CULTURAL RESOURCES - where we provide resources and services to the local community.

 

CORE PROJECTS - where we provide leadership, governance, management and operational supervision for a limited number of key projects, including:

 

This Is Not Art Festival - an annual 5 day festival of independent, emerging and experimental arts and media: www.thisisnotart.org

 

Culturehunter.org: a website dedicated to arts and culture in the Hunter region: www.culturehunter.org

 

PODspace Gallery - an artist-run-initiative, supporting emerging and established artists: http://podspacegallery.blogspot.com/

 

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS - where we work in partnership with community organisations or artists to deliver arts based projects. 

 

Octapod was founded as an informal collective in 1996 by 'a group of artists and students who liked the idea of a public access media space - where people could create and browse interesting and unusual, non-mainstream media' (Healy, 2005). It was formally incorporated in 1997. Founders included Damien Frost, Sean Healy, Aaron Bristow and Marcus Westbury. Initially known as The POD (and officially registered as 'The Platypus Of Deliverance Association' - which won the debate against 'the Prince of Darkness Association'), Octapod was conceived as an incubator and a common infrastructure for a variety of independent projects.

Octapod’s main project, the This Is Not Art Festival began life in 1998 as the National Young Writers Festival and the National Student Media Conference. These two events took place in the week after the Newcastle Fringe Festival. With the addition of Electrofringe in 1999, and Sound Summit in 2000, the term This Is Not Art was coined to explain the five very different but interconnected events. 

Other early projects included:

• 101 Bikes for Newcastle (bicycle recycling campaign)
• The New Pollution (Australian zine anthology book and website)
• Evolver (website)
• Virtual Newcastle - a photographic 'click and wander' tour of Newcastle.
• h2w2 (guidebook)
• Corporate Standover Tactics For Dummies

Octapod operated as a volunteer run and project based organization until 2003 when it took on two part-time paid staff as the result of increased funding.

Over the past few years Octapod has focused on supporting artist development through the This Is Not Art Festival, culturehunter.org and PODspace Gallery as well as supporting cultural development through various community arts projects including Art Counts (art exhibition and workshop series for artists with a disability) and digital storytelling projects produced through our Media Space.

Our current and future plans include hosting creative industry forums, monthly short film nights, creative incubator nights, advocating for an accessible arts network for the Hunter region and working outside of Newcastle to support participation in arts and cultural activities.

BOARD

As an incorporated association, Octapod is governed by a Board that is elected annually by its membership. This governance function plays a key role in supporting management practices. The Board includes members from a variety of community, educational and business backgrounds.

CURRENT OCTAPOD BOARD MEMBERS ARE:

Chairperson: Alli Hammett

Alli has extensive experience (30 years) in community organisations and management of State, Regional & Local projects. Her business management experience includes: Board Director, Chief Executive Officer (business), Manager, Community Development Officer, Project Officer. She is a Business owner, entrepreneur and consultant in Business & Organisational Development. Alli has also designed, developed, implemented and evaluated community arts programs and projects. She has experience in the delivery of art, business, personal development, and education and training workshops. Alli has experience in creating innovative approaches to engaging community and audience participation.

Deputy Chairperson: Joanna Leigh

Joanna has a BA (Communications) including Public Relations – University of Newcastle and a B Music (Contemporary Performance) – Australian Institute of Music – Sydney. She has strong arts, community, media and educational networks in Newcastle and Sydney. She has experience in funding projects from scratch through successful grants, sponsors, partners, inkind support and fundraising events. She has facilitated workshops in multimedia,songwriting, music, singing and event co-ordination. She has produced interactive websites, engaged audiences with social media, music recording projects, and radio documentaries as well as festivals and events showcasing music, film and other arts practices.

Treasurer: Dwuan LaTrobe

Dwuan does stuff, in fact he is probably doing stuff right now. He spends his time living in other peoples fantasy worlds known as film sets where he works as a countinuity supervisor. He hangs out in Newcastle a lot, where he involves himself in arts projects and gets into mischief. Known up and down the coast for his collection of random string. Dwuan now lives in a warehouse studio and finds new and intresting things to do with discarded forklift pallettes.

Secretary: Bree Cunningham

Bree graduated from University of Newcastle in 2010 with a Bachelor of Fine Art. Her studies and life have taken her to all corners of the globe where she has been able to be a part of various arts organisation and institutions such as 516 Arts in Albuquequre, New Mexico USA, Fishamble Production in Dublin, Questors Theatre in Ealing, London and Footlice Theatre in Newcastle. Bree is now working hard to create works for several upcoming solo art shows in various mediums including photography and fashion and in her spare time enjoys writing TV scripts (which will get aired one day).

General member: David Horkan

David is the Convenor of the ‘Friends of the Regal’ and Treasurer and former Chairman of Newcastle City Council’s Jesmond Neighbourhood Centres.355 committee. He is currently organising a film-based series of cultural events as convenor of ‘Friends of the Regal’ in partnership with Screen Hunter Central Coast and Lake Macquarie City Council. He has been the joint organiser of numerous film-related events, panel discussion events, exhibitions, etc, on behalf of Friends of the Regal and the National Trust Heritage Festival.

General Member: Helen Henry

Helen graduated from the University of Newcastle in 2010 with a Bachelor of Communication (PR). Now she works as Digital Projects Assistant with local agency Sticky, is the editor of online magazine Urban Insider, performs in local band Bones Jones & The Skeletones & dabbles in freelance music PR. Her studies, work and involvement in music are the culmination of a passion for communication, marketing & creativity (and singing her little heart out). In the past, Helen has had the pleasure of working with EAO Entertainment, Rack off Records, Groovin' the Moo, EMI Music Australia and IMMEDIA!.

General Member: Jaye Hardy

Jaye works at a not for profit women's accommodation and support service and has a Masters in Social Science. She recently moved back to Newcastle from Melbourne where she worked at RMIT University in student advocacy and as a producer on Women On The Line, a current affairs programme on 3CR community radio. She loves the fact Newcastle is neutral territory for artistic types because it makes for brilliant festivals and projects.

DURING 2011 THE OCTAPOD BOARD'S STRATEGIC PRIORITIES ARE:

• Strategic Planning - workshops and community consultation.
• Membership - increasing membership (general, corporate, board).
• Funding - diversify our funding base, with a focus on business enterprise initiatives.
• Branding - raise our profile across the Hunter region.

The Octapod board is interested in what members would like Octapod to do in the future and what members love about Octapod now. You can contact the board via board[at]octapod.org.

NEW BOARD MEMBERS WANTED:

Octapod is seeking new board members to assist with the growth of the organisation. If you have a passion for arts and culture in the Hunter region, then find out more about joining the Octapod board! For more information: Contact Alli Hammett, Octapod Chairperson via board[at]octapod.org

STAFF

Octapod is run by a small and dedicated team of part-time staff who work with an indispensable bunch of volunteers to create and support community driven arts and media projects.

Christina Robberds (Coordinator) is Octapod’s jill-of-all-trades – she spends her days dreaming up ideas of what Octapod could be, and enjoys getting the right systems in place, creating a welcoming environment, and listening to the heartbeat of communities in action.

Christina has a background in mental health and disability, and has generally held roles that involved her organising and advocating whilst also getting her hands dirty with community cultural activities. She has studied numerous tertiary courses, including a Postgraduate Diploma in Community Cultural Development.

Eliza Adam (This Is Not Art Festival Coordinator).

Greer Allen (Culturehunter.org Project Officer) is interested in the development of strong and robust local communities. She is currently working at the Octapod on culturehunter.org, to deliver a free online tool that delivers strength and capacity at the Hunter arts and culture scene. Greer is inspired by human curiosity and ingenuity and cannot wait to see how people might use culturehunter.org creatively to share their projects and stories. Greer splits her time between arts and environmental projects. One days she hopes to combine the two directly and create a Magnificent Revolution. She has a degree in Development Studies, a degree in Human Geography and has been working as a project manager/ environmental auditor and event organiser for a number of years.

Jo Plummer (Accounts/Admin Officer) is Octapod's numbers lady - she keeps the books tidy, and has an eye for detail so that Octapod can make the biggest bang for its buck, in its mission to support community arts and media projects. Always an active participant in community and culture building activities, when not in the Octapod office, Jo can be found in the garden picking homegrown vegies for the kitchen or playing with her kids.

Alana Mondy (Community Liaison Officer) is Octapod's spin doctor - interacting with the world of social and traditional media, she keeps Octapod's current and future members updated with Octapod events, opportunities and projects. Continuing a line of communication between the inside world of the Octapod and the broader community is the aim of the game.

Alana has a long history with community events and is completing her Diploma in Community Services. She also works for the Big Issue Newcastle Street Soccer Program and for Ecclesia Housing, a community housing provider, whilst tending to her two adorable daughters.

In addition to these paid staff, Octapod just could not exist without the support of its volunteers.