Monday, July 23, 2012

Tame Ted's Guest List

THE upcoming Melbourne Writers Festival grows more thrilling by the day. Much more than a corroboree for pinata-whackers, self-hating Jews and mates-taking-care-of-mates, it will also provide a forum to discuss the latest trends in quality journalism. Amongst the guests, footsore climate jogger and essence of impartiality Melissa Fyfe, who will be sharing the stage with aurally gifted and university-certified public intellectual Tim Dunlop.

But wait, that's not all!

On one particular panel of inky festibators, along with Fyfe and Dunlop, audiences will find noted expert on matters media Sue Roff, whose credentials are exquisite (emphasis added at the Billabong):
Sue Roff is the Executive Director at Arts Project Australia, a centre of excellence that supports artists with intellectual disability by promoting their work and advocating for inclusion within contemporary art practice. She has an extensive career in arts management, sponsorship, fundraising, partnering and volunteering.
The MWF is always a lot of fun, but this year's conclave promises to exceed all previous efforts at selective inclusiveness. From red to green, the guest list covers all the acceptable colours in Tame Ted Baillieu's paintbox of public funding.

Victorians attending the festival should be very pleased. Victorians underwriting the events with their tax dollars and speeding fines perhaps less so.




4 comments:

  1. Melbourne always tries to outdo Sydney. "Anything your Left can do our Left can do better."

    Pedro of Adelaide

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  2. My, she is good at fundraising.

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  3. Note that the 'self-hating Jew' was more than happy for Australia to take Israels unwanted African immigrants:

    http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=227332

    Accusing him of having dual loyalties would be a compliment.

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  4. Not sure that there is any worthwhile point to be made by picking on Sue Roff. Not sure that I would class her as especially left or right - more apolitical.

    I remember her very well from University. She was one of the 'good' ones - genuine, kind, balanced, smart, reasoned, a good manager and excellent organiser; possibly a little loud (an essential quality for a fund raiser, regardless), and possessing one of the best singing voices I have ever heard (I know 'irrelevant' - but if you heard it you would not think so).

    She has a corporate and public arts background and a good reputation accrued in both spheres. She has been, essentially, in the arts 'industry', but on the management side, for a very long time. She has ranged over management and promotion of a variety of art forms and finds ways to position each of those arts for mainstream audiences; a difficult task in some cases.

    To the extent that writing is an art form and writers need an audience to survive, I can see the sense in someone like her - who bridges both art and management, with a track record in fund raising and commercialising art - speaking at a writer's conference.

    I support a lot of what you have to say, but this one I would leave alone. She doesn't deserve to be ridiculed.

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