Shepparton Festival commissions, develops and presents a thrilling annual program of events encompassing performance, music, literature, visual arts and food. The Festival brings people together from all walks of life to celebrate our vibrant creative community.
A stellar arts festival that is locally treasured and valued beyond our region.
We support the development of a creative community whose members seek, see, hear, andspeak truths of all kinds, with an ever-empathetic heart, an unflinching eye, an open mind, and the readiness to listen and grow. In this way, we enable and encourage our community to participate in art that strengthens and unites, while stimulating reflection and growth.
We are creative, inclusive and courageous. We value the arts, our community, our diverse histories and our strengths. We value discourse and seek influences within and beyond Greater Shepparton that can help us understand, improve, and set and achieve our goals.
Kristen is dedicated to supporting a healthy creative ecology for regional arts development and nurturing the important role that the arts plays in social discovery and progress towards more cohesive and equitable communities and society. Kristen is a visual artist who has contributed to the Shepparton Festival since 2018. She is a member of Splinter Contemporary Artists and the Make Good Collective, and holds a position on the Greater Shepparton Creative City Strategy Advisory Committee. Kristen was previously Arts and Culture leader, Moira Shire Council where she developed and ran the inaugural Moira Midwinter Festival, and Gallery Manager/Curator, The G.R.A.I.N. Store Nathalia. She has almost two decades of art industry and education experience.
Kristen completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts: Graphic Design/Multimedia at The University of Ballarat (Federation University) in 2002 and a Master of Teaching: Visual Arts at The University of Melbourne in 2015.
Mimi Leung is an artist and illustrator whose playful work weaves together the real and surreal in dynamic depictions of imaginative creatures and abstract forms.
Her multidisciplinary practise engages painting, drawing, writing and moving-image to process subconscious thoughts and feelings; applying a lens of curiosity and playfulness to the world around her as well as within. Mimi also works closely with culturally diverse and youth communities to develop their own stories using digital media.
Mimi is represented by The Jacky Winter Group and has exhibited internationally.
Peter is a qualified and practising lawyer. He previously held numerous managerial positions bio-pharma logistics (including as CEO and Managing Director). Peter has thorough understanding of commercial activities including operations, business Development, marketing, strategy, and governance. He lives in Mooroopna.
With over 20 years in the creative sector, Anita has made significant contributions to various organizations, including Multicultural Arts Victoria and Kaiela Arts. Her multifaceted expertise spans from organizational development to event management, all grounded in her commitment to equity, self-determination, and human rights.
Anita holds a Graduate Certificate in Arts and Cultural Management from Deakin University and an Associate Diploma of Music (Piano). She’s been pivotal in numerous creative projects and has a strong background in grants assessment, underscoring her dedication to the arts and community development.
Currently, as the Manager of Kaiela Arts, she’s leading a post-pandemic organizational rebuild. Anita also actively engages with her community, serving on the Shepparton Festival Board and volunteering locally.
Arti is a speech and language pathologist working in primary schools and possesses a deep passion for communication (including speech, language, and literacy) access and equity. She is also a poetic artist, producing her pod-and-videocast program Human Chapters, which sensitively explores individual lived experiences and aspirations. Arti was the recipient of the 2022 City of Greater Shepparton Women’s Charter Award for her work in providing platforms such as Human Chapters, Human Book Club, and a special project with the African House. Arti lives in Numurkah.
Tim started his working life sterlising infectious waste before graduating to weed counting, double-glazed window sales and rubbish collection. As life progressed to a less colourful state he worked as a journalist at The Age and as a government advisor before moving to the higher education sector, where he has worked for more than two decades. He is a marketing and communications consultant based in Shepparton, working with a wide range of organisations and while he believes he is untalented in most of the arts, he has a great love for them. Tim lives in Ardmona.
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners, the Yorta Yorta Nation and the clans whose lands cover the area now called Greater Shepparton, the Kailtheban, Bangerang, and Nguaria-iilaiam-wurrung. We acknowledge that First Peoples have never ceded sovereignty over their lands. This always was, and always will be, their country. We are conscious that colonial laws and practices led to displacement and disempowerment, and that they continue to do so with a profound and rippling effect. We pay respect to Elders past and present, and to emerging leaders. We value their vision and strength that enabled the continuity of culture and connectedness to country.