For many young artists the problem is not simply how to nurture one's talent or to find inspiration, but also how to fund the process.  Vibewire is collaborating with talented people in the know to bring you The Creative Entrepreneur's Toolkit, providing advice for young creatives on how to support one's self in their industry of choice without burning out creatively or going bust financially.  We'll be looking at how to secure grants, how to reconcile your creative vision with a commercial reality, and what to do in those tough moments where inspiration is lacking and the bills are piling up.  It will be an opportunity for you to learn from the mistakes and successes of people who have been there and done that.

Jump into this forum and start a conversation with:

Laura Imbruglia

Laura Imbruglia's music is a mix of classic pop sensibility and punk attitude inspired by the discontent that comes with being a glass-half-empty kind of person. Her quirky pop style has been compared to Jonathan Richman and Liz Phair, while she, herself, would like to think her favourite artists like Queen and The Carpenters have subconsciously seeped into the mix. Imbruglia's lyrics are a mixture of wit, introspection, pointed nonsense and extended metaphor. Her style is crazy yet uncomplicated and you can't help but be charmed by her debut self-titled album.

The animated film clip for Laura's single "Looking For A Rabbit" recently won the bronze medal for "Most Innovative Music Video" at the prestigious New York Festivals International Television Broadcasting Awards, and she's just returned from her 2nd successful European tour. Laura is currently buckling down to write songs for her next release.

Gotye

ARIA-award winning Gotye is a young Australian fellow named Wally De Backer who makes music in his bedroom.  The Belgian-born singer, songwriter and sampler began making music on a set of African tom toms his parents had bought for him, initially using a pair of chopsticks to bash out rhythms and play along to Police tracks.  He was awarded Triple J's Album of the Year in 2006 for his second album Like Drawing Blood.  He also picked up the 2006 Australian Music Prize award for outstanding potential, before winning the ARIA in 2007 for Best Male Artist.  He has independently released three albums – Boardface, Like Drawing Blood and Mixed Blood.  He also plays in Melbourne band The Basics.

Sonja Basic

Sonja is the General Manager of Propelarts, WA's peak body for youth arts. She has previously worked with youth media (including Vibewire), youth radio and on youth development projects. She is currently organising the National Youth Week launch in Perth with a fancy-pants showcase of young emerging artists.

Leigh Mangin

Carclew's Arts and Education Program is managed by Leigh Mangin. Leigh combines her extensive experience as a teacher, artist and arts worker to this position.  Carclew Youth Arts Centre is a unique youth arts organisation, which aims to develop and provide statewide programs of excellence in all art forms for children and young people.

Natalie Wood

Natalie Wood grew up in Melbourne where she attended the prestigious art school RMIT studying Fashion Design.  Graduating with the top student award and the Levi Strauss Award, Natalie has since gone from freelancing to collaborative projects under the label ‘Sample’ with Vanessa Coyle. Compelled by an ever-increasing desire to pursue her passion for art, in 2002 Natalie then launched her own label calling it 'Beauty of Nature', a whirlwind of fashion and art combined with collage, installation and painting. In 2001 Natalie was appointed Womenswear Creative Director for 'Insight', an avant-garde surf/skate label that cleverly incorporates fashion, music and art, bringing the brand to the forefront of the industry. Never happy just doing one thing, Natalie now works designing simultaneously on the three labels Insight, Something and Something Else, and continually pushes her own boundaries in fashion.  
  

Sam Smith

Sam Smith is a video installation artist based in Sydney, Australia. His recent work extends the artist’s investigation into the relationship between the real and the virtual. Digital cinematic apparatus and technologies become emblematic of video’s ability to transport, transform, and essentially render the contents of the world malleable. His solo art practice has been exhibited in Australia, Japan and New Zealand with screenings in Spain, Brasil, Ireland, Thailand, China and Australia. Collaboratively he has worked on video remix projects with artists Soda_Jerk and on audio/video performance with Sumugan Sivanesan.

Alice Angus

Alice Angus, co-director of Proboscis, is an artist inspired by rethinking concepts and perceptions of landscape and human relationships to the land. Over the last six years she has been creating a body of art work exploring concepts proximity and remoteness, technology and presence, against the lived experience and local knowledge of a place. In 2003, Alice was the only non-Canadian to participate in the first Artist in the Park residency in Ivvavik National Park in the Northern Yukon, organised by Parks Canada.

Alvin Tan

Alvin is Founder and Artistic Director of The Necessary Stage (TNS). Under Alvin, TNS has grown from a society in 1987 to one of Singapore’s most prominent and respected theatre companies. He initiated the Company's Theatre For Youth Branch, M1 Singapore Fringe Festival and Theatre For Seniors. One of the leading proponents of devising theatre in Singapore, he has directed more than 40 plays, which have been staged locally and at international festivals.  He was conferred the Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council, and presently sits on the Exco of the Consortium of Asian Foundations and Organisations.

Melinda Bufton

Melinda Bufton is a careers consultant who would like you to have your cake and most definitely eat it too.  Here is a bit of history – as a small child she dreamt of being a hairdresser, a writer or an ophthalmologist.  Then later she completed an arts degree in English lit, loving all of it but worrying about her future and career.  Keen to address this career thing head on, she in fact sought out a job in recruitment, where she learnt exactly what goes on in the secret world of people who control who gets the jobs.  In 2006, feeling armed with plenty of good ideas about the world of work, she begin her careers consultancy, Periscope Mode (www.periscopemode.com.au)  She specializes in creative, entrepreneurial types and people early in their career because she knows what it’s like to be you.  She is a handy linchpin between the creative folk and the suits (after all, she’s half-suit herself).  These days, she’s dropped the hairdresser and ophthalmologist plans but still writes avidly.  

Gala Darling

Described as a "tattooed Miss Manners", Gala Darling is the founder of iCiNG (www.galadarling.com), one of the most interesting, original & inspiring women's lifestyle websites.  A former Cosmopolitan fashion columnist, her fresh & influential take on fashion & life has garnered her many fans & helped to establish iCiNG as the most highly-trafficked Australian women's site.   Her ascent through the ranks of fashion blogging has been sweet & swift.  What she writes is more than just pretty words -- it is a call to action.

Chair:  Chloe Walker

Chloe is a writer of fiction and journalism looking for some work/work balance with her publishing day job. She comes from a student and independent media background and was Editor in Chief of Deakin University's Crossfire magazine in 2005. Her writing has appeared in the Sleepers Almanac, Voiceworks, Verandah, lip, The Pun and other great independent publications. Chloe is interested in the ways creative people navigate their careers, a topic she blogs about at theartofwork.wordpress.com.

Panel Partner:

British Council Australia