Jade Lillie is known for her work as an arts leader, executive, creative producer, facilitator and specialist in community engagement. She is currently a Sidney Myer Creative Fellow (2018 – 2019) and prior to this was the Director and CEO at Footscray Community Arts Centre (2012 – 2017).
A history of excellent work in collaboration with artists and communities, has led to Jade’s leadership in the field, a leader continually shaping and articulating what contemporary models of community-engaged practice can be.
Specific to community and context, Jade’s practice and philosophy is based around her belief that arts and cultural development can, with sound engagement and social justice frameworks bring about systemic change. This informs her advocacy for best practice community engaged, contemporary art making and cultural programming, and policymaking throughout Australia.
Jade’s multidisciplinary program and partnership development and contemporary community engaged practice give her work weight within wider socio-political contexts. As such, she works extensively with health, education and community organisations within Australia, connecting them with the broader local and national conversations she is participates in and drives.
Her creative practice is best articulated as co-design and collaboration with artists and communities in arts and non-arts contexts. Whilst Jade has held a number of leadership roles in the sector, she is primarily known and respected for her skills and expertise in strategy development, governance capabilities and her commitment to collaboration, cultural leadership and advocacy in championing diversity and access.
Her work in Thailand and Indonesia (2009 – 2017) includes a research initiative in reciprocity included the co-design of models for engagement and collaboration between Australian and SE Asian artists, collectives and organisations.
In 2017, Jade was the recipient of the prestigious Australia Council Kirk Robson Award (2009) for cultural leadership and was an Asialink Resident (Arts Management) in Thailand (2010). Jade is a Board Director for Diversity Arts Australia.
Image credit: Snehargho Ghosh, 2017