Autumn Skuthorpe: Future Leaders Program

Autumn is known as an experienced multi-arts practitioner driven by community arts engagement and development, ZINES, cultural events coordination, youth arts leadership, mentoring, visual arts and performance. 

Q&A

What attracted you to the Leadership Program?

By working in inclusive arts practice in a regional context, any opportunity to further develop and connect with the national conversation ensures that I can continue to make meaningful contributions to my community and raise the profile of the important stories of those we collaborate with.

What does leadership in the arts mean to you?

It is essential to strengthen the viability of Australian arts practice through determined platform building, grassroots engagement and by supporting the development of emergent artists and practitioners. Leadership in the arts is about creatively navigating the challenges often faced by the sector and creating opportunities that connect our communities through art making.

Why do you think it is important to develop Arts Leaders?

By developing arts leaders we ensure the future of art making and its role in Australian life. Leaders in the arts demonstrate the pathways within the sector and expand access to the arts beyond its current boundaries. Arts leaders have the potential to include stories often unheard or misrepresented and through this can create direct positive social change. In a regional context, arts leaders promote a strong and proud voice distinct to the region.

Biography

Since 2006 Autumn has worked with Crossroad Arts periodically as a performer, artist, arts worker, administrator and as a member of the Management Committee. During that time Autumn has closely worked on co-producing, facilitating workshops, creative developments, and collaborated with artists from the community to tell their own stories, directed and devised original work across music, film, visual arts and performance mediums. Autumn has also founded several artist collectives, coordinated festivals, exhibited works and performed as a musician outside of her work with Crossroad Arts.

Using music, visual arts and performance Autumn has worked with the disability community, young people and our elders. She says that the electric energy sparked from collaboration motivates her work. Through numerous projects strong bonds have been formed with the people Crossroad Arts works with and Autumn is proud to be part of self-empowered expression via the arts.

Working from a grassroots perspective Autumn has gained skills first hand in funding applications, administrative management and a strong knowledge of the cultural memory and value of Crossroad Arts. She understands the juggle of many roles when working in a small arts organisation.

Autumn is the current Executive Officer at Crossroad Arts, managing administrative and operational duties, where she says it has been an important experience to support the other engine room that drives the company.

Learn more about the Leadership Programs.